Akebono Taro, a sumo wrestler born in America, has died at the age of 54.
According to Reuters, the Sumo Association on Thursday, April 11, confirmed that Akebano passed away in Tokyo this month due to heart failure at the age of 54.
Akebono, who won 11 championships and ranks 10th in modern sumo history, was very big, 203 centimeters tall and 233 kilograms heavy.
He used his large size to push opponents out of the ring in his fights.
Born as Chad George Ha'aheo Rowan in Hawaii, Akebono initially played college basketball.
Later, he was recruited by a Hawaiian head of a Japanese sumo stable.
Taro joined the sumo world in 1988 and eventually reached the top rank of yokozuna in January 1993, becoming the 64th yokozuna in modern sumo.
He later became a Japanese citizen and changed his name to Taro Akebono. Like Konishiki from Hawaii and Musashimaru from American Samoa, Akebono, as a foreigner, followed in their footsteps in the sumo world.
After retiring from sumo in 2001, Akebono frequently appeared on Japanese TV shows as a celebrity.
On the other hand, Taro also competed in mixed martial arts and professional wrestling events.
