Ozeki Takakeisho withdrew from the Spring Grand Sumo Tournament on Saturday because of a chest injury.
The four-time Emperor's Cup winner is believed to have hurt his right pectoral muscle a day earlier while battling fellow ozeki Kotonowaka.
Takakeisho started the 15-day meet at Edion Arena Osaka as a demotion-threatened "kadoban" ozeki following his withdrawal from the January tournament, but he secured the winning record needed to stay at sumo's second-highest rank by defeating Kotonowaka on Day 13.
He will forfeit his scheduled bout Saturday against ozeki Kirishima, leaving him with an 8-6 record.
Takakeisho's latest withdrawal is the 12th time he has pulled out of a grand tournament. He dropped out early in the New Year meet at Ryogoku Kokugikan due to a neck injury.
The 27-year-old Hyogo Prefecture native had been in contention at the ongoing competition before suffering three straight losses from Day 10.
Sumo's only current yokozuna, Terunofuji, pulled out a week into the tournament due to lower back pain and other health problems.
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