Since the shock retirement of his controversial countryman, yokozuna Asashoryu in 2010, Hakuho has been accustomed to having no real rivals and his latest record may be similarly unbeatable.

Hakuho, a 24-year-old yokozuna at the time had won just 12 grand tournaments, less than a third of his current record total. But from that March, Hakuho won four straight grand tournaments with perfect 15-0 records and his next three after that.

On Friday, Hakuho brought his record-extending 39th career grand tournament championship within reach as he established a record for match victories with 1,048. His win over up-and coming ozeki Takayasu only served to underline the Mongolian master's staying power and the likelihood of his pushing the record much further before he's done.

"If sumo continues for hundreds of years, someone will come along at some point (to match him)," Japan Sumo Association chairman Hakkaku said after Hakuho's record-setting win at the Nagoya Grand Sumo Tournament.

Even when Hakuho had surgery on the big toe on his right foot and missed all of September's fall tourney, nobody was able to stake a claim as his closest rival. After going 15-0 in Tokyo in May 2016, Hakuho went five grand tournaments without a title while he struggled with various injuries.

During that time, his fellow Mongolian compatriots, Harumafuji and Kakuryu won one each, while ozeki Goeido won another. Ozeki Kisenosato won his first career title in January to earn promotion to yokozuna, and followed that with a heroic title fight in March.

But while Hakuho has sat out just two full tourneys since he won his first championship as a new ozeki in May 2006, Kisenosato has withdrawn hurt from each of the last two tournaments.

And while there are no rivals near the top to challenge Hakuho's legacy, there are a number of young guns on the rise. Unfortunately, they have little chance of chasing Hakuho's records. Like a lot of the young stars, sekiwake Mitakeumi came out of university sumo, and no former university wrestler has ever won 10 grand tournaments.

Hakuho began his sumo career as a skinny 16-year-old, while Former ozeki Kaio, whose record was broken on Friday, came into sumo after finishing junior high school.

Former komusubi Takamisakari came out of university as an amateur yokozuna and competed until he was 36, winning 563 bouts.

"Hakuho's record won't be surpassed," he said. "Even a fairly strong wrestler would take 20 years to reach 1,000 wins. A wrestler out of university would have to compete until he's in his 40s. That's something that just won't happen."