Hawaii-born Akebono, one of the greats of sumo wrestling and a former grand champion, has died. He was 54. He was the first foreign-born wrestler to reach the level of “yokozuna” — or grand champion — in Japan. Akebono grew up on the rural side of the Koolau mountains from Honolulu and was born Chad Rowan. He moved to Tokyo in the late 1980s and won his first grand championship in 1993. At the prime of his career he was a real giant, reported at the time to weigh 500 pounds (225 kilos) and stand 6-feet-8 — or 2.03 meters. Akebono was an 11-time grand tournament winner and he retired in 2001.
Pioneering Hawaii-born sumo grand champion Akebono passes at age 54
Hawaii-born Akebono, one of the greats of sumo wrestling and a former grand champion, has died. He was 54. He was the first foreign-born wrestler to reach the level of “yokozuna” — or grand champion — in Japan. Akebono grew up on the rural side of the Koolau mountains from Honolulu and was born Chad Rowan. He moved to Tokyo in the late 1980s and won his first grand championship in 1993. At the prime of his career he was a real giant, reported at the time to weigh 500 pounds (225 kilos) and stand 6-feet-8 — or 2.03 meters. Akebono was an 11-time grand tournament winner and he retired in 2001.