In the day's final bout at Ryogoku Kokugikan, Hakuho prevailed in a thrilling bout after using an arm throw at the center of the ring to send his fellow grand champion tumbling to the dirt surface.

"I'm very happy," said Hakuho. "This was a bout I knew I had to win and I was determined not to give in at all."

Hakuho took control at the outset, using his superior reach to grab hold of Asashoryu's belt.

But Asashoryu held his own and eventually got a grip of Hakuho's belt, at one point lifting the larger wrestler two feet off the raised ring.

Hoisting Hakuho, however, took its toll on Asashoryu and Hakuho used a textbook arm throw at the end of the bout to secure his sixth title and third straight with a 14-1 record.

Both wrestlers had much to prove in Sunday's bout.

Hakuho won two titles last year while Asashoryu was serving a two-tournament ban and was out to prove he could beat his main rival head-to-head.

"I knew it was important that as a grand champion I shouldn't lose to someone who has been off for two tournaments," said Hakuho.

Asashoryu, who has won 21 Emperor's Cups, was coming off a two-tournament ban for playing a charity soccer game in Ulan Bator last summer while skipping an exhibition sumo tournament in Japan.

The bad boy of sumo was out to restore his tarnished image and while he finished one win short, a record of 13-2 should go along way in clearing his name.

Sunday's bout was the first in over five years where two grand champions met on the final day of a tournament to decide a title.

In other major bouts, Mongolian Ama defeated Kakuryu to finish with a 9-6 record and claim the Outstanding Performance Prize. Kakuryu, who finished at 11-4, took home the Technique Prize.