Top division promotion On 26 June 2023, Hakuōhō's name appeared on the July 2023
sumo tournament rankings at the position of west 17, ushering his entry into sumo's
top division in just his fourth professional tournament. Hakuōhō is the sixth-youngest wrestler since 1990 to reach the top division, doing so at the age of 19 years and 10 months, as well as the second wrestler since the
Shōwa era to reach in three tournaments since their debut (the other being
Endō). Upon his promotion, Hakuōhō told reporters that his goal for his first top division tournament was 12 wins and the (Outstanding Performance prize), which his stablemaster Miyagino achieved in his first appearance in May 2004. Hakuōhō said that he hadn't gotten used to his new name yet, but said that it felt fresh. He said he was satisfied with his performances in his first three tournaments, but that from now on it would not be so easy. Hakuōhō began his tournament with a win over
Aoiyama, and went on to win the majority of his matches although he also lost to former
Takarafuji (on Day 3) and
Ryūden (Day 5). On Day 6, he overcame Gōnoyama, who had beaten him twice for the division title in the previous tournament; defeating him by and bringing his 5-match winning streak to a halt. In September 2023, Hakuōhō revealed to the press that during the tournament his shoulder would dislocate after days of fighting, having dislocated a total of three times during the duration of the tournament. Wishing to continue to wrestle to satisfy the expectations of those around him and the public, Hakuōhō reached a positive record on Day 11, with a victory over the former
Takayasu. He then went on to defeat
Abi the following day. This victory marked the first time a newly-promoted had won a match against a wrestler currently in since Ichinojō defeated then-
Kisenosato at the September 2014 tournament. Hakuōhō then went on to achieve back-to-back victories on Day 13 and 14 over tournament leaders
Nishikigi and
Hokutofuji, strengthening his own chances of claiming the championship. At the end of the tournament, Hakuōhō faced
Hōshōryū, both recording 11 wins to 3 losses. The winner of this match would have to challenge Hokutofuji, who, with 12 wins and 3 losses had secured a place in a playoff for the championship. Hōshōryū nevertheless defeated Hakuōhō by , effectively eliminating Hakuōhō from the title race. On the fifteenth day of the tournament Hakuōhō was however announced as the recipient of the
sanshō awards for Technique and Fighting Spirit. These prizes, awarded in just four tournaments, make Hakuōhō the fastest prize winner in sumo history, breaking the records set by former Ichinojō and former
Miyabiyama, who had won the awards in five tournaments since their professional debuts.
Injury and demotion A few days after end of the July tournament, it was announced that Hakuōhō would withdraw from the summer
regional tours because of left shoulder pain. On 29 August, one day after the September was released, he told reporters that he was not in very good condition. At the time he did not rule out the possibility of
withdrawing from the September tournament, saying that even if he did and subsequently dropped in the rankings, his goal was not to be in but to pursue his dream and do his best. On September 4, it was confirmed that Hakuōhō would indeed be absent for the September tournament. His master Miyagino had already raised the possibility of an absence on August 27 due to a possible operation to treat pain caused by a
subluxation of the left shoulder, an old injury of Hakuōhō's. The operation in question finally took place on August 31, forcing Hakuōhō into a period of remission that could last until the end of the year to achieve complete recovery. After his first away tournament, he confided to
Yahoo! Sports his frustration at not being able to take part when the others promoted at the same time as him to (
Shōnannoumi, Gōnoyama and
Atamifuji) were able to participate and performed quite well. Hakuōhō was demoted on the November 2023 to the division. Shortly after the rankings were released, it was announced that Hakuōhō would withdraw from that tournament to continue rehabilitation. Stablemaster Miyagino said that the objective was for Hakuōhō to compete in the January 2024 tournament. Five days before the start of the January 2024 tournament, Hakuōhō—demoted to the rank of 5—was medically cleared to compete. Miyagino decided to wait a few more days before giving Hakuōhō permission to enter the tournament.
Return to competition Hakuōhō was still unsure whether he would be able to compete in the January 2024 tournament, but confided afterwards that despite his master's cautious advice he decided to take part to gamble on his chances of once again being promoted to in one tournament, having been relegated to the top of the division. He later cited this match as his highlight of the tournament, having lost even though he felt his performance was the best of his seven matches. Hakuōhō continued to improve his score, ending the tournament with a score of 6–1, his last victory coming when he defeated upper-division and former -ranked wrestler
Chiyomaru on Day 13. After the tournament, he commented that he was not at all satisfied with his performance and that his results had been down to luck. Hakuōhō began his return to status in the spotlight after
the abuse case and the retirement of his senior stablemate Hokuseihō, making him the most senior wrestler in Miyagino stable at the time. In his first match, in which he appeared with a for the first time, he defeated
Kitaharima, his senior by 17 years. Hakuōhō ended the tournament with a barely-reached refusing, however, to attribute his score to the atmosphere surrounding the possible forthcoming closure of his stable. In the last week of March, it was confirmed that Hakuōhō and all the wrestlers and coaches from Miyagino stable would be transferred to
Isegahama stable for an indefinite period of time. On the second day of the May 2024 tournament, Hakuōhō suffered a torn right biceps in his match against
Tamashōhō. He took the decision to continue competing, nonetheless suffering defeat against on Day 3. On the eighth day he declared himself absent from the tournament due to a
COVID-19 infection, the medical report prescribing five days' rest. Steadily, Hakuōhō regained the top division for the 2025 January tournament, after a period in which it was noted that, although he had lost his momentum, he had continued to demonstrate good faith without ever really reviving his "Reiwa monster" nickname he had earned after some standout performances. During the 2025 May tournament, Hakuōhō performed well during the first part of the tournament by winning seven consecutive matches, qualifying him among the leading wrestlers for the championship with title-seeker
Ōnosato. His winning streak came to an end on Day 8, however, when he conceded defeat to
Meisei, now chasing the tournament leader in a group with
Aonishiki and
Wakatakakage. On the tenth day, he suffered a second defeat in his match against
Daieishō, falling in his pursuit of the tournament leader. Hakuōhō ended the tournament with a run of six consecutive losses starting on Day 10, ending his tournament with a barely achieved score. Following the final retirement of his former master Miyagino (the 69th
Hakuhō) in June 2025, Hakuōhō and the other members of the former Miyagino stable were instructed to remain under the tutelage of Isegahama stable. When questioned by the press, he refused to comment on his master's decision. On the eighth day of the July 2025 tournament in Nagoya, Hakuōhō notched his first career by defeating
Ōnosato. In the next tournament, in September, he repeated the feat on the fourth day. Since he also achieved a positive score during that last tournament, he was awarded the
Outstanding Performance prize, the first of his career. Hakuōhō kicked off the November 2025 tournament by defeating
Hōshōryū for his third career
gold star. Beginning with the January 2026 tournament, Hakuōhō changed his
name to
Hakunofuji (). At the time of the rankings release he was one of nine wrestlers in
Isegahama stable, and one of eight formerly associated with
Miyagino stable, to change their names and adopt the suffix related to the
shikona of his current stable master, the former
Terunofuji. During the first tournament under his new name, Hakunofuji defeated Ōnosato for his fourth . This made him the third wrestler after
Tosanoumi and
Hokutofuji to collect at least one gold star in four straight tournaments. On Day 11 of the tournament, Hakunofuji appeared to collapse from his left knee in his loss against
Aonishiki. He withdrew from the tournament two days later, with his medical certificate indicating a
MTP ligament injury to his left big toe requiring about four weeks of treatment. The withdrawal left Hakunofuji with a
losing record for the tournament.
Assault allegations A few days after the
rankings were released for the March 2026 tournament, it was reported that the Japan Sumo Association's compliance committee was investigating allegations that Hakunofuji was physically assaulted by his stablemaster Isegahama (the former
Terunofuji). Hakunofuji was reportedly questioned by the Sumo Association along with Isegahama and stablemate
Nishikifuji, and did not initially join practice sessions at his stable's Osaka training location. On the day that the allegations were reported, the former Terunofuji was asked about the allegations, as well as Hakunofuji's absence from training in Osaka at the time. Isegahama stated that Hakunofuji's absence was probably due to his ligament injury, and that he would join the rest of the stable in a few days. Despite the ongoing scandal investigation and his inability to do proper practice, Hakunofuji decided to compete in the March 2026 tournament. However, he appeared to re-injure his left foot in his day one loss to
Ōshoma. He would withdraw from the tournament the next day, marking the fifth time he has gone
kyūjō in his career. He returned to competition on Day 7, facing
Ōnokatsu, who returned two days prior. In early April, the JSA investigation concluded that Hakunofuji had been struck twice in the face by his stablemaster during an evening event with patrons between February 20 and 21. The blows, delivered with a clenched fist and an open hand, were intended to discipline Hakunofuji, who was drunk and had
inappropriately touched a female patron's thigh during a supporters' club appreciation party. The investigation also ruled out the use of a bottle in the violence incident, contrary to what had initially been reported in the press. Although he was a victim of violence, Hakunofuji faced disciplinary action for his behavior while intoxicated, which violated the association's statutes regarding conduct that undermines the association's credibility or honor. In the absence of a complaint from the female fan and given Hakunofuji's previously unblemished record, he was issued a formal warning. Commenting on the punishment, Tateyama (the former
Homarefuji), a coach at Isegahama stable, reported that Hakunofuji was deeply sorry for his actions and that he would henceforth prevent him from drinking alcohol at future stable events. ==Fighting style==