Hakuho thus passed former ozeki champion Kaio, with 1,047 career wins.

The 32-year-old yokozuna, who belongs to Miyagino Stable, defeated ozeki Takayasu on the 13th day of the 15-day Nagoya grand tournament being held in the city of Nagoya, central Japan.

"I feel good, and I'm twice as happy as I was yesterday (when I tied Kaio's record)," Hakuho said after Friday's match.

"I feel satisfied as I achieved the new record before a lot of fans and supporters," he said. "It's like a dream come true, after I had injuries last year."

The Mongolian wrestler, whose real name is Munkhbat Davaajargal, reached the milestone in 97 tournaments since he made his professional sumo debut in the March 2001 spring tournament at jonokuchi, the sixth and lowest division. (Jiji Press)