TOKYO: Akebono, a Hawaiian who was the primary foreign-born sumo wrestler to grow to be a grand champion, has died aged 54, US officers and Japanese media stated Thursday.Born Chad Rowan in 1969, Akebono was among the many most profitable sumo wrestlers of the Nineteen Nineties.He reached the game’s highest rank of yokozuna, or grand champion, in 1993 and have become a Japanese citizen in 1996.Akebono received 11 tournaments earlier than retiring as a wrestler in 2001 to coach youthful fighters.He died in early April after coronary heart failure, Kyodo Information company stated.United States Ambassador Rahm Emanuel known as Akebono “a proud Hawaiian and a bridge between the United States and Japan”.”When Akebono became the first-ever foreign-born grand champion, sumo’s highest rank, in 1993, he opened the door for other foreign wrestlers to find success in the sport,” Emanuel stated in an announcement.”Throughout his 35 years in Japan, Akebono strengthened the cultural ties between the United States and his adopted homeland by uniting us all through sport.”Standing greater than two metres (6ft 5ins) and weighing over 230 kilos (510 kilos), Akebono was initially thought of too tall for sumo however was allowed to affix a secure run by Takamiyama, a former wrestler additionally from Hawaii.Akebono made his debut in 1988 and rose via the ranks, successful his first top-level event 4 years later.He gained promotion to grand champion and gained fame for his fierce rivalry with brothers and native favourites Takanohana and Wakanohana, who have been born to an elite sumo household.There have since been six different foreign-born yokozuna, 5 Mongolians and one different American.Sumo journalist Shoko Sato knew Akebono for over 30 years and stated that the wrestler had felt a heavy duty as the primary foreign-born grand champion.”He felt he had to work harder than the Japanese grand champions and had to be recognised as being more Japanese than the Japanese themselves,” she informed AFP.”He was only in his 20s at the time and it was a lot of pressure, so sometimes he would overdo it when he went out at night.”Such was his fame, Akebono featured prominently on the opening ceremony of the 1998 Nagano Winter Olympics.”We would like to express our deepest condolences upon hearing of his passing,” stated a social media submit on X by the official Japanese-language account of the Olympics.After retiring from sumo Akebono launched a blended martial arts profession, preventing American Bob Sapp in entrance of a crowd of 45,000 in Nagoya.He additionally had a stint in skilled wrestling.US Forces Japan paid tribute to Akebono in a submit on X, previously Twitter.”We join all sumo fans today in expressing our heartfelt condolences on the passing of former sumo grand champion Akebono,” it stated.”A true champion and barrier breaker for becoming the first foreign-born grand champion yokozuna.”
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