Akebono Tarō
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was an American-born Japanese professional
sumo is a form of competitive full-contact wrestling where a ''rikishi'' (wrestler) attempts to force his opponent out of a circular ring (''dohyō'') or into touching the ground with any body part other than the soles of his feet (usually by th ...
wrestler and professional wrestler from
Waimānalo, Hawaii Waimānalo () is a census-designated place (CDP) in the District of Koolaupoko, in the Honolulu County, Hawaii, City & County of Honolulu, on the island of Oahu, Oahu, Hawaii, United States. This small windward community is located near the ea ...
. Joining sumo in Japan in 1988, he was trained by pioneering Hawaiian wrestler Takamiyama and rose swiftly up the rankings, reaching the top division in 1990. After two consecutive '' yusho'' or tournament championships in November 1992 and January 1993 he made history by becoming the first non-Japanese-born wrestler ever to reach ''
yokozuna , or , is the top division of the six divisions of professional sumo. Its size is fixed at 42 wrestlers ('' rikishi''), ordered into five ranks according to their ability as defined by their performance in previous tournaments. This is the o ...
'', the highest rank in sumo. One of the tallest and heaviest wrestlers ever, Akebono's rivalry with the young Japanese hopefuls, Takanohana and Wakanohana, was a big factor in the increased popularity of sumo at tournament venues and on TV in the early 1990s. During his eight years at the ''yokozuna'' rank, Akebono won a further eight tournament championships, for a career total of eleven, and was a runner-up on thirteen other occasions, despite suffering several serious injuries. Although his rival ''yokozuna'' Takanohana won more tournaments in this period, their individual head-to-heads remained very close. Akebono became a Japanese citizen in 1996, and after retiring in 2001 he worked as a coach at Azumazeki stable before leaving the Sumo Association in 2003. After an unsuccessful period as a
K-1 K-1 is a professional kickboxing promotion established in 1993 by karateka Kazuyoshi Ishii. Originally under the ownership of the Fighting and Entertainment Group (FEG), K-1 was considered to be the largest Kickboxing organization in the worl ...
fighter, he became a professional wrestler. In
All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW/AJP) or simply All Japan is a Puroresu, Japanese professional wrestling Professional wrestling promotion, promotion founded on October 21, 1972, by Giant Baba after he left the Japanese Wrestling Association to create his own promotion. Ma ...
(AJPW) he was a two-time Triple Crown Heavyweight Champion, two-time World Tag Team Champion, and two-time All Asia Tag Team Champion. He also won the 2015 Champion Carnival. He retired from professional wrestling in 2017 due to health problems.


Early life

Chad Rowan was born on 8 May 1969, to Randolph and Janice Rowan, and was of Hawaiian descent. He grew up with two younger brothers, one of whom, Ola, also became a
sumo is a form of competitive full-contact wrestling where a ''rikishi'' (wrestler) attempts to force his opponent out of a circular ring (''dohyō'') or into touching the ground with any body part other than the soles of his feet (usually by th ...
wrestler for a brief period after Chad. He attended Kaiser High School, where he played
basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...
and became an all-star center. He went to Hawaii Pacific University on a basketball scholarship, but sat out his freshman season.


Sumo career


Early career

Rowan was planning to study for a career in hotel management, but he had always been interested in sumo from watching television broadcasts. A family friend introduced him to Azumazeki Oyakata, the former Takamiyama, who also originally hailed from Hawaii. Azumazeki overcame his initial concerns that Rowan might be too tall and his legs too long for sumo and agreed to let him join his Azumazeki stable, founded in 1986. Rowan flew to Japan in early 1988. Adopting the ''
shikona A is a sumo wrestler's ring name. The tradition of ring names in sumo dates back to the Muromachi period and established itself during the Edo period, where they were used as a means to hide the identities of the . Given by the master to his di ...
'' of Akebono, meaning "new dawn" in Japanese, he made his professional debut in March 1988. This entry cohort was one of the most successful ever, producing two other ''yokozuna'', Takanohana and Wakanohana (sons of the popular champion from the 1970s, Takanohana Kenshi), as well as a great '' ōzeki'', Kaiō. Akebono rose rapidly through the ranks, equaling the record for the most consecutive '' kachi-koshi'' (majority of wins in a sumo tournament) from debut, reaching '' sekiwake'' before suffering his first ''
make-koshi The following words are terms used in sumo wrestling in Japan. A B C D E F G H ...
'' or losing record. He was promoted to '' jūryō'' in March 1990, the first '' sekitori'' from his stable, and to ''
makuuchi , or , is the top division of Professional sumo divisions, the six divisions of professional sumo. Its size is fixed at 42 wrestlers (''rikishi''), ordered into five ranks according to their ability as defined by their performance in previous ...
'' in September of the same year. He made his top division debut in the same tournament as Wakanohana, as well as Takatōriki and Daishōyama. In the November 1990 tournament he was awarded his first special prize, for Fighting Spirit, and in January 1991 he earned his first gold star for defeating ''yokozuna'' Asahifuji. In March 1991 he defeated ''ōzeki'' Konishiki in the first ever match between two non-Japanese wrestlers in the top division.


Promotion

In 1992, after a year of 8–7 or 7–8 records near the top of the ''makuuchi'' division, Akebono suddenly came alive with a 13–2 record in January of that year, narrowly losing the top division championship to Takanohana. A second 13–2 record two tournaments later, in May, saw him win the top division championship for the first time, and with it promotion to ''ōzeki''. After an injury during the summer, he went on to win consecutive championships in November 1992 and January 1993 to win promotion to ''yokozuna''. At the time of his promotion, the rank of ''yokozuna'' had been vacant for eight months (an exceedingly rare occurrence) and his promotion, despite the fact that he was the first foreign ''yokozuna'', was welcomed by many. He had met the stipulation of winning two consecutive tournaments that had been mentioned by the Yokozuna Deliberation Council when turning down Konishiki the previous year, and was also seen as having conducted himself with the dignity and humility necessary for such an exalted rank. One commentator remarked, "He makes me forget he is a foreigner because of his earnest attitude toward sumo."


''Yokozuna'' era

Akebono was a long-standing and strong ''yokozuna'', lasting nearly eight years in the rank and winning the top division championship on a further eight occasions. His career highlights include the rare achievement of winning the top division championship in three consecutive tournaments, in 1993. In July 1993 he beat Takanohana and Wakanohana in consecutive matches to win the '' honbasho'' when all three ended up tied at the end of the 15-day tournament, and in May 1997 he defeated Takanohana twice on the final day, once in their regular match and once in a playoff, to win his first title in over two years. The competition between Akebono and Takanohana, who reached ''yokozuna'' himself in 1995, was said to be one of the great defining rivalries of postwar sumo. The two finished their careers with a 25–25 tie in bouts against one another. At the opening ceremony of the
1998 Winter Olympics The 1998 Winter Olympics, officially known as the and commonly known as Nagano 1998 (), were a winter multi-sport event held from 7 to 22 February 1998, mainly in Nagano, Nagano, Nagano, Nagano Prefecture, Japan, with some events ...
in Nagano, a professional sumo wrestler was chosen to represent each of the competing countries and lead them into the stadium. After Takanohana fell ill, Akebono was given the honor of representing Japan in the opening ceremony. Akebono also led other sumo wrestlers in a ring cleansing ceremony at the Opening Ceremony (also meant to cleanse the stadium itself). Akebono suffered frequent injuries during his career. His first serious knee injury came in May 1994 when, after winning his first ten matches of the tournament, he lost a bout to Takatōriki and fell awkwardly. He flew to
Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
and underwent career-saving surgery. From November 1998 to March 1999 he missed three successive tournaments due to a herniated disc in his lower back and faced calls for his retirement. After receiving the personal backing of the Chairman of the
Japan Sumo Association The , officially the ; sometimes abbreviated JSA or NSK, and more usually called Sumo Kyōkai, is the governing body that operates and controls Professional sports, professional sumo wrestling, called , in Japan under the jurisdiction of the Min ...
, he scored a respectable 11–4 record in his comeback tournament in May 1999. In 2000 he enjoyed his first completely injury-free year since 1993 and won two tournaments, finishing as runner-up in three others. He won 76 bouts out of a possible 90, the best record of any wrestler that year.


Fighting style

Akebono was one of the tallest sumo wrestlers ever, at tall, and also one of the heaviest with a peak weight of in March 1999. He was also one of the most aggressive and ferocious sumo wrestlers. Despite having long legs, considered a disadvantage in sumo as it tends to make one top heavy and susceptible to throws, he covered for this by training exceptionally hard, and using his long reach to thrust his opponents out of the ''
dohyō A ''dohyō'' (, ) is the space in which a sumo wrestling bout occurs. A typical ''dohyō'' is a circle made of partially buried rice- straw bales 4.55 meters in diameter. In official professional tournaments ('' honbasho''), it is mounted on a sq ...
'' (ring). In his prime, he had incredible thrusting strength and on many occasions would blast lesser wrestlers out of the ring in one or two strokes using '' tsuppari'' techniques. His most common winning '' kimarite'' was ''oshi-dashi'', a simple push out, and he also regularly won by ''tsuki-dashi'', the thrust out. In later years he also used his reach to more often grab his opponent's '' mawashi'', or belt, and then use his weight and power to force the opponent from the ring by ''yori-kiri''. He liked a ''migi-yotsu'', or left hand outside, right hand inside grip, and was fond of using his left hand to employ ''uwatenage'', or overarm throw.


Retirement

After winning his eleventh top division title in November 2000, Akebono suffered another injury and, after sitting out the tournament in January 2001, he decided to retire rather than face a daunting struggle back to fighting fitness. Upon retirement, his topknot was ceremonially cut off in the ring by 320 of his friends and previous opponents in front of 11,000 people. After his retirement, he became a member (or elder) of the
Japan Sumo Association The , officially the ; sometimes abbreviated JSA or NSK, and more usually called Sumo Kyōkai, is the governing body that operates and controls Professional sports, professional sumo wrestling, called , in Japan under the jurisdiction of the Min ...
as a coach, or ''oyakata'', and worked with his former mentor in the Azumazeki stable. He helped train the
Mongolia Mongolia is a landlocked country in East Asia, bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south and southeast. It covers an area of , with a population of 3.5 million, making it the world's List of countries and dependencies by po ...
n wrestler Asashōryū who also became a ''yokozuna'', and Akebono instructed him on how to perform the ''
dohyō-iri The following words are terms used in sumo wrestling in Japan. A B C D E F G H ...
'', or ''yokozuna'' ring-entering ceremony. While an ''oyakata'', Akebono also appeared in TV commercials and opened a restaurant called ZUNA. In June 2013 he returned to Azumazeki stable for the first time since leaving the Sumo Association to oversee some training sessions as an assistant instructor.


Kickboxing and mixed martial arts career

Akebono left the Sumo Association in November 2003 to join
K-1 K-1 is a professional kickboxing promotion established in 1993 by karateka Kazuyoshi Ishii. Originally under the ownership of the Fighting and Entertainment Group (FEG), K-1 was considered to be the largest Kickboxing organization in the worl ...
. The decision was influenced by financial problems due to the failure of his restaurant, among other financial difficulties. His ''
koenkai are local support networks of National Diet, Japanese Diet members, especially of the Liberal Democratic Party (Japan), Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). These groups serve as pipelines through which funds and other support are conveyed to legisla ...
'', or supporters network, had dissolved after his marriage in 1998, depriving him of a valuable source of income. In addition, he earned far less as an ''oyakata'' than he had as a ''yokozuna''. K-1 offered him a chance to clear his debts by fighting for them.


K-1


2003–2004

At the time of his debut, Akebono was involved in a highly publicized matchup at K-1 Premium 2003 against popular superheavyweight fighter
Bob Sapp Robert Malcolm Sapp (born September 22, 1973) is an American mixed martial artist, kickboxing, kickboxer, professional wrestler, actor, and former American football, football player. He is currently under contract with Rizin Fighting Federatio ...
. The combined popularity of Sapp and Akebono attracted a crowd of 45,000 to the Nagoya Dome and granted the event a 43% viewership, making it the first time a combat sports event outdrew the
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music festival A music festival is a festival, community event with music, performances of singing and instrument playing that is often presented with a theme such as musical genre (e.g., rock music, rock, blues, folk music, folk, jazz, classical music), nation ...
''
Kōhaku Uta Gassen , more commonly known simply as ''Kōhaku'', is an annual New Year's Eve television special produced by Japanese public broadcaster NHK. It is broadcast live simultaneously on television and radio, nationally and internationally by the NHK net ...
'', Japan's traditionally biggest New Year show.Jayson Makoto Chung, ''A Nation of a Hundred Million Idiots?: A Social History of Japanese Television'', Routledge, 2006 The classical matchup of an American foreigner like Sapp against a Japanese national like Taro, a cultural contraposition, also gained comparisons with
Japanese professional wrestling Professional wrestling in Japan has existed for several decades. The first Japanese person to involve themselves in catch wrestling (the basis of traditional professional wrestling) was former sumo wrestler Sorakichi Matsuda. There were subsequ ...
legend
Rikidōzan (born Kim Sin-rak; ; November 14, 1924 – December 15, 1963), better known as Rikidōzan (), was a Korean-born Japanese wrestler who competed in sumo and professional wrestling. He was known as The Father of Puroresu (professional wrestling ...
in his bouts against The Sharpe Brothers. The match was short and intense. Outweighing Sapp by over 150 pounds, Akebono pushed him toward the ring corners with energetic, fast punches, but his stamina fell minutes into the round. The more experienced Sapp then attacked him with
low kick A low kick (also known as a leg kick) is a kick in which the attacker strikes the opponent's lower body (thigh or calf) with the shinbone or foot. Under different names, such kicks are utilized in numerous martial arts, including as karate, taek ...
s and punching combinations to the head and body, knocking the ''yokozuna'' down twice before finishing him by KO at 2:58."Former NFL Player Bob Sapp Trades the Field for the Fighting Ring", '' Jet'', January 2004 Some months later, Akebono followed with another high level match, this time against the famed Musashi. Akebono had improved his conditioning under
Ray Sefo Ray Sefo (born 15 February 1971) is a New Zealand fight promoter and retired kickboxer, boxer, and mixed martial artist. He was the K-1 World Grand Prix 2000 Runner-up, is a six-time Muay Thai World Champion, and was an eight time K-1 World G ...
and Fai Falamoe and outweighed Musashi by more than twice his weight, so there was expectation about his performance. As expected, Akebono started strong, overwhelming Musashi with sumo charges against the ropes through the first round. He shocked the crowd with unsportsmanlike conduct in the second, as he suddenly started unloading illegal
hook A hook is a tool consisting of a length of material, typically metal, that contains a portion that is curved/bent back or has a deeply grooved indentation, which serves to grab, latch or in any way attach itself onto another object. The hook's d ...
s and
rabbit punch ''Rabbit Punch'' is a 1948 Warner Bros. '' Merrie Melodies'' theatrical cartoon. The short was released on April 10, 1948 and features Bugs Bunny Bugs Bunny is a cartoon character created in the late 1930s at Warner Bros. Cartoons (originall ...
es on a seated Musashi when the latter slipped and fell. Referee Nobuaki Kakuda warned Akebono while the fight looked to be stopped in a DQ, but a still dazed Musashi insisted to keep on. The fight continued for the remnant time, but although Akebono achieved a significant offense, Musashi ultimately rallied up with punches and several kinds of kicks, controlling the exchanges. After Akebono ended the match with a new foul, a sumo throw, unanimous decision was given to his opponent. After another decision loss against Chinese fighter Zhang Qingjun in South Korea, Akebono travelled to United States to fight American legend Rick Roufus in K-1 Las Vegas. During the fight, Roufus avoided being cornered by Akebono's pushes and counterattacked with ineffective kicks and punches. Again, Akebono showed an unsportsmanlike side when he tried repeatedly to throw Roufus out of the ring, leading referee Cecil Peoples to warn him. At one point, Akebono even pushed away Peoples himself.J. Michael Plott, Linda Campbell, "Siliaga Wins at K-1's Battle at the Bellagio III", '' Black Belt'', November 2004 Due to the fouls and to Roufus's incessant attacks, decision was given to the American. The next month, Akebono faced Dutch striker Remy Bonjasky back in Japan. Ignoring his opponent's signature high kicks, Akebono pressed with punches and pushes, but Bonjasky kept dodging and attacking, even landing a sharp kick to the head by springing from the top rope. The bout transpired this way until the third round, when Bonjasky scored a
roundhouse kick A roundhouse kick (also known as round kick or turning kick) is a kick in which the practitioner lifts the knee while turning the supporting foot and body in a semicircular motion, extending the leg striking with the lower part of the shin and/ ...
that knocked Akebono out. At the end of the year, Akebono had his mixed martial arts debut against
Ultimate Fighting Championship The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promoter (entertainment), promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by TKO Group Holdings, a majority owned subsidiary of Endeavor ( ...
pioneer
Royce Gracie Royce Gracie (; born 12 December 1966) is a Brazilian retired professional mixed martial artist. Gracie gained fame for his success in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). He is a member of the Gracie jiu-jitsu family, a UFC Hall of Famer ...
at K-1 Premium 2004. The bout was not easy to negotiate, as Royce demanded it to be refereed by John McCarthy, former UFC referee and Gracie's trainee, or he would not fight."Big" John McCarthy, ''Let's Get It On!: The Making of MMA and Its Ultimate Referee'' The ''yokozuna'' had trained now under Maz Tanaka and would be Gracie's biggest opponent, so some believed he could overcome the Brazilian jiu-jitsu groundwork by smothering him with his large size advantage. Come the match, Akebono charged toward Gracie and pushed him to the ground, where he passed his
guard Guard or guards may refer to: Professional occupations * Bodyguard, who protects an individual from personal assault * Crossing guard, who stops traffic so pedestrians can cross the street * Lifeguard, who rescues people from drowning * Prison gu ...
momentarily before the Brazilian escaped to his feet. Gracie then seized Akebono's arm and locked in an
omoplata An armlock in grappling is a single or double joint lock that hyperextends, hyperflexes or hyperrotates the elbow joint or shoulder joint. An armpit lock is very useful; it will immobilize an opponent and pin them on the ground. An armlock tha ...
/
wristlock A wristlock is a joint lock primarily affecting the wrist-joint and, in some cases, the radioulnar joints through rotation of the hand. A wristlock is typically applied by grabbing the opponent's hand, and bending and/or twisting it. Wristlocks ...
combination, forcing a submission. Akebono was disappointed with his performance: "I did everything my trainers told me not to do."


2005–2006

In March 2005, Akebono was granted a place in the K-1 Korea Grand Prix, whose first round saw him facing Nobuaki Kakuda, a 44 years old Seidokaikan Karate fighter who usually refereed his matches. Through his usual strategy, Akebono surprisingly dominated the match, as Kakuda was unable to mount an offense. After wearing Kakuda down with knees and uppercuts while leaving him no space to counterattack, Akebono was given his first win by unanimous decision. He would advance round to face a fellow superheavyweight, Choi Hong-man, who had just defeated another former sumo wrestler in Wakashoyo. It would be the first time Akebono found an enemy capable to outwrestle him, given Choi's 350 pounds and strong
ssireum ''Ssireum'' (; ) or Korean wrestling is a folk wrestling style and traditional national sport of Korea that began in the fourth century. In the modern form each contestant wears a belt (satba) that wraps around the waist and the thigh. The co ...
background, and it showed when the Korean stopped Akebono's first charges, capitalizing too on his large reach to strike freely. The match was stopped at 24 seconds when Akebono's corner threw the towel. Akebono and Choi rematched in July at K-1 Grand Prix event in Hawaii. Akebono lasted longer, but he found the same problems as the first time, with Choi scoring repeated jabs from the safety of his reach while he blocked the sumo's push and charge style. Akebono was eventually knocked down, and although he resumed his attack, Choi knocked him out to end the match. Akebono then returned to MMA format to end the year, going against former comedian
Bobby Ologun is a Nigerian-born television personality and mixed martial artist with Japanese citizenship. In Japan, he is known simply as . He speaks English, Yoruba and Japanese. He lives in Saitama, Saitama Prefecture. On July 26, 2007, he announced o ...
at K-1 Premium. The sumo champion neutralized Ologun's striking by taking him down and smothering him during the earlier rounds, but he was later stunned by a barrage of punches and controlled for the rest of the match, losing the decision. In 2006, Akebono had his third mixed martial arts match against another
Ultimate Fighting Championship The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promoter (entertainment), promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by TKO Group Holdings, a majority owned subsidiary of Endeavor ( ...
veteran,
Don Frye Donald Frye (born November 23, 1965) is an American former mixed martial artist, professional wrestler, and actor. In MMA, he was one of the sport's earliest well-rounded fighters and won the '' UFC 8'' and '' David vs. Goliath 96'' tournament ...
, at K-1's Hero's 5 event. As usual, Akebono used his size, charging through Frye's punches and clinching him against the ropes and corners. He controlled the first round, but became fatigued at the second, moment in which Frye came back with punches, dropping Akebono multiple times. After some
ground and pound Ground may refer to: Geology * Land, the solid terrestrial surface of the Earth * Soil, a mixture of clay, sand and organic matter present on the surface of the Earth Electricity * Ground (electricity), the reference point in an electrical circ ...
, Frye locked a guillotine choke for the win. A rubber match between Akebono and Choi Hong-man happened then, in which would be Akebono's last bout under kickboxing rules. He tried his best to control the fight, but Choi did the same, delivering even a
flying knee A knee strike (commonly referred to simply as a knee) is a strike (attack), strike with the knee, either with the kneecap or the surrounding area. Kneeing is a disallowed practice in many combat sports, especially to the head of a downed opponent. ...
during the first round. At the last of the second round, the Korean landed a left hook that knocked Akebono out. Akebono's last MMA match saw him meeting professional wrestler
Giant Silva Paulo César da Silva (born July 21, 1963) is a Brazilian former national basketball player for the Brazilian national basketball team and later mixed martial artist and professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Giant Silva. He stands ...
, another sizable opponent. The rikishi started the match pushing Silva against the ropes, both of them almost falling out of the ring due to the combined weight, but Silva interrupted his attack by locking a Kimura lock standing. Although they went to the mat with Akebono on top, Silva finally rolled him over and submitted him to the hold. With this last result, Akebono managed only one win in 14 bouts in his K-1 and mixed martial arts career. Because of this, he was referred to as "Makebono" (''make'' meaning "lose" in Japanese) by some fight fans and magazines in Japan.


Rizin Fighting Federation

Akebono fought a rematch against
Bob Sapp Robert Malcolm Sapp (born September 22, 1973) is an American mixed martial artist, kickboxing, kickboxer, professional wrestler, actor, and former American football, football player. He is currently under contract with Rizin Fighting Federatio ...
on 31 December 2015, at
Rizin Fighting Federation Rizin Fighting Federation (stylised in all caps and also known as Rizin FF) is a Japanese mixed martial arts organization created in 2015 by the former Pride Fighting Championships and Dream Stage Entertainment president Nobuyuki Sakakibara. ...
Grand Prix event. He lost the fight by technical decision when a cut on his head could not be stemmed.


Professional wrestling career


World Wrestling Entertainment (2005)

On March 29, 2005, Akebono made an appearance on what would be the March 31, 2005 episode of ''
SmackDown! ''WWE SmackDown'', also known as ''Friday Night SmackDown'' or simply ''SmackDown'', is an American professional wrestling television program produced by WWE. It airs live every Friday at 8 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on USA Network in the United ...
'' in
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, Texas, to accept the
Big Show Paul Donald Wight II (born February 8, 1972) is an American professional wrestler and actor. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) under his real name of Paul Wight. He is best known for his tenure with World Championship Wrestling (WCW) f ...
's challenge to a (
kayfabe In professional wrestling, kayfabe (pronounced ) is the portrayal of staged events within the industry as "real" or "true", specifically competition, rivalries, and relationships between participants. The term has evolved to become a code word ...
) sumo match at the
WrestleMania 21 WrestleMania 21, also promoted as WrestleMania Goes Hollywood, was a 2005 professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). It was the 21st annual WrestleMania and took place on April 3, 2005, at ...
pay-per-view in
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, California. Akebono made his wrestling debut later that night, defeating
job Work, labor (labour in Commonwealth English), occupation or job is the intentional activity people perform to support the needs and desires of themselves, other people, or organizations. In the context of economics, work can be seen as the huma ...
ber Eddie Vegas. At WrestleMania 21, Akebono defeated Big Show with a koshinage, throwing him entirely out of the ring. On 1 July, Akebono made an appearance in a house show in Japan to help Big Show during a match against Carlito after Carlito's bodyguard
Matt Morgan Matthew Thomas Morgan (born September 10, 1976) is an American politician and retired professional wrestler. He is the former mayor and current deputy mayor of the city of Longwood, Florida and is a former gladiator on ''American Gladiators''. ...
had interfered. The next day, Akebono teamed with Big Show to defeat Carlito and Morgan in a tag team match.


All Japan Pro Wrestling (2005-2007)

On 4 August 2005, Akebono made his official wrestling debut in Japan, appearing at AJPW's Wrestle-1 event against the Great Muta in the first match of the Wrestle-1 Grand Prix Tournament, in a losing effort. The same month, it was announced that Akebono had been hired by AJPW and placed under the tutelage of Keiji Mutoh, the Great Muta's true identity. Akebono took on the role of Mutoh's enforcer and forming a tag team called "Mutoh Room" to combat the
heel The heel is the prominence at the posterior end of the foot. It is based on the projection of one bone, the calcaneus or heel bone, behind the articulation of the bones of the lower leg. Structure To distribute the compressive forces exerted ...
stable Voodoo-Murders. On 19 November, Akebono defeated Voodoo-Murders member
Giant Bernard Matthew Jason Bloom (born November 14, 1972) is an American retired professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he is the head trainer at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida. Bloom is best known for his in-ring appearances wi ...
in a singles match. The same night, Akebono appeared in a match between
The Great Muta is a Japanese professional wrestling executive, actor and retired professional wrestler. He is known for his work under his real name and as his alter ego in New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), as well as World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and duri ...
and the imposter The Great Ruta to defend Muta from Voodoo-Murders, showing his own Muta impersonation called The Great Bono. Later, Akebono and Mutoh competed in the Real World Tag League 2005, during the tournament, making it all the way to the finals, but were defeated by Team 3D. At the end of the year, Akebono won the
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* http://www.tokyo-sports.co.jp Official website 1960 establishments in Japan Da ...
award for "Rookie of the Year" and "Team of the Year" with Mutoh, who then stated that Akebono had successfully graduated from his lessons, and was then released from his contract to move to other companies and gain experience.


New Japan Pro Wrestling (2006–2007)

On 4 January 2006, Akebono appeared in
New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) is a Puroresu, Japanese professional-wrestling Professional wrestling promotion, promotion founded on January 13, 1972, by Antonio Inoki, and based in Nakano, Tokyo. It is currently majority owned by card-game company Bushiroad, with TV As ...
(NJPW) alongside
Yutaka Yoshie was a Japanese professional wrestler, who worked as a freelancer in Japan, performing most notably for All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW), where he was a former World Tag Team Champion. He had previously worked for promotions such as New Japan Pr ...
in a match against Black Strong Machine and Hiro Saito, coming out victorious. Later that month, Akebono competed for Pro Wrestling NOAH, teaming up with his old friend
Takeshi Rikio Takeshi Inoue (born December 20, 1972) known by his stage name , is a Japanese retired professional wrestler, who worked for Pro Wrestling Noah. He is also a former sumo wrestler. Sumo career He made his sumo debut in March 1988, after leavi ...
to defeat Junji Izumida and
Kenta Kobashi (born, March 27, 1967) is a Japanese professional wrestling promoter and retired wrestler. Broadly referred to by the nickname , he is widely regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time. He is best known for his two run ...
. After the match, Akebono announced that he had been hired by NJPW and was congratulated by Rikio, promising to team again in the future, which never happened due to Rikio having to retire due to his injuries in 2010. In February, Akebono made his official debut in New Japan as an ally of
Riki Choshu , better known by his ring name , is a South Korean-Japanese retirement, retired Puroresu, professional wrestler who is best known for his longtime work in New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) as both a wrestler and a Booker (professional wrestling), bo ...
, defeating then IWGP Tag Team Champions Cho-Ten (
Masahiro Chono is an American-born Japanese retired Professional wrestling in Japan, professional wrestler and actor best known for his 26-year stint with New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). As the leader of New World Order (professional wrestling), nWo Japan, Tea ...
and
Hiroyoshi Tenzan is a Japanese professional wrestler who is signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling, and is better known by his ring name . With Satoshi Kojima, in 2008, they won the World's Strongest Tag Determination League in All Japan Pro Wrestling and the G1 Tag L ...
). On 19 March, he faced
Brock Lesnar Brock Edward Lesnar ( ; born July 12, 1977) is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler and former Mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist, Amateur wrestling, amateur wrestler and professional American football player. As a ...
for the
IWGP Heavyweight Championship The was a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship owned by the New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) promotion. "IWGP" is the acronym of NJPW's governing body, the . The title was introduced on June 12, 1987, in the final of an IW ...
, but was defeated when Lesnar got the pinfall after hitting him with the title. Months later, after the championship had become vacant, Akebono participated in a tournament for it, defeating Hiroyoshi Tenzan in the first round, but being eliminated by Giant Bernard in the second. In October, Akebono and Choshu participated in the 2006 G1 Tag League, advancing to the last round before losing to Takashi Iizuka and
Yuji Nagata is a Japanese Professional wrestling, professional wrestler, and former mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist and amateur wrestling, amateur wrestler signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). Considered one of the greatest Japanese wrestlers ...
. In August 2007, Akebono participated in the
G1 Climax The is a professional wrestling tournament held each August by the New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) promotion. Though it has sometimes been held as a single-elimination tournament, it is usually – and currently – held as a round-rob ...
tournament, defeating
Togi Makabe , better known by his ring name is a Japanese Professional wrestling, professional wrestler, trained by and performing for New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where he is a former one-time IWGP Heavyweight Championship, IWGP Heavyweight Champion, L ...
and
Hiroyoshi Tenzan is a Japanese professional wrestler who is signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling, and is better known by his ring name . With Satoshi Kojima, in 2008, they won the World's Strongest Tag Determination League in All Japan Pro Wrestling and the G1 Tag L ...
and completing the tournament with a 2-2-1 record. In October, Akebono and Masahiro Chono competed in the 2007 G1, beating
Hirooki Goto is a Japanese Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where he is the IWGP World Heavyweight Champion in his first reign. He is also one-half of the tag team Bishamon alongside Yoshi-Hashi. ...
and
Milano Collection AT , is a Japanese color commentator and retired professional wrestler, better known by his ring name . As Milano, Sawafuji adopted the gimmick of an Italian fashion aficionado/supermodel, reflected in his ring attire. Milano is also known for walk ...
,
Naofumi Yamamoto is a Japanese Professional wrestling, professional wrestler, better known by the ring name Yoshi Tatsu. Yamamoto started his professional wrestling career under his real name in October 2002 with New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where he remaine ...
and Takashi Iizuka and
Manabu Nakanishi is a Japanese retired Professional wrestling, professional wrestler and former amateur wrestler, who was primarily associated with New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). He is a one-time IWGP Heavyweight Champion, one-time G1 Climax winner and three-t ...
and Yuji Nagata, but were eliminated in the final stage by Giant Bernard and
Travis Tomko Travis David Tomko (born March 23, 1976) is an American retired professional wrestler. He is best known for his appearances with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) from 2003 to 2006 under the ring name Tyson Tomko, with New Japan Pro-Wrestling ...
. During his stay at New Japan, Akebono began to show his comedic side and began imitating and parodying other fighters. On 13 September 2006, Akebono was presented with a
tiger mask is a Japanese manga series written by Ikki Kajiwara and illustrated by Naoki Tsuji. The series was first published in Kodansha's ''Bokura Magazine'' from 1968 to 1970 and was later published in ''Weekly Shōnen Magazine'' from 1970 to ...
and the name of Bono Tiger to team with
Tiger Mask IV is a Japanese professional wrestler, best known for being the fourth man to portray . He primarily works for New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) where he is a former 6-time IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion and 2-time IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team ...
. On 4 March 2007, he made a brief appearance in
Michinoku Pro Wrestling (originally known as North Eastern Wrestling) is a Japanese professional wrestling promotion founded by The Great Sasuke on October 1, 1992. It was the first independent wrestling promotion in Japan to not base its operations in Tokyo, but rathe ...
as The Great Bonosuke, fighting on the side of The Great Sasuke wearing the same outfit. On 17 February 2007, Akebono briefly returned to All Japan Pro Wrestling to team with
Toru Owashi is a Japanese professional wrestler, better known by his ring name . He is best known for his work in DDT Pro-Wrestling, where he is a former KO-D Openweight Champion and two-time KO-D Tag Team Champion. Sumo career Initially aspiring to b ...
against Jonidan (Nobutaka Araya) and SUMO Rikishi in an extravagant match between sumos, resulting in a win for his team. After training with
Satoru Sayama (born November 27, 1957) is a Japanese professional wrestler, mixed martial artist, writer, and mixed martial arts (MMA) and wrestling promoter, best known as the original Tiger Mask. He has wrestled under his real name as well as the names ...
(the original Tiger Mask) in MMA and pro wrestling, he returned to the New Japan ring to participate in the 2007 G1 Climax tournament. He defeated
Togi Makabe , better known by his ring name is a Japanese Professional wrestling, professional wrestler, trained by and performing for New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where he is a former one-time IWGP Heavyweight Championship, IWGP Heavyweight Champion, L ...
and
Hiroyoshi Tenzan is a Japanese professional wrestler who is signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling, and is better known by his ring name . With Satoshi Kojima, in 2008, they won the World's Strongest Tag Determination League in All Japan Pro Wrestling and the G1 Tag L ...
but failed to progress to the semifinal stage.


Hustle (2007–2009)

Akebono debuted in Hustle in 2007, being the storyline son of
Yinling Yan Yinling ( or in Japanese, ; born February 15, 1976) is a Taiwanese-born, Japan-based swimsuit model, race queen, singer, and former professional wrestler. She is called also Yinling of Joytoy (インリン・オブ・ジョイトイ), when ...
and
The Great Muta is a Japanese professional wrestling executive, actor and retired professional wrestler. He is known for his work under his real name and as his alter ego in New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), as well as World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and duri ...
. Under the name Monster Bono, Akebono was introduced being unrealistically born from a giant egg before easily defeating RG in his first bout. After that, Monster Bono (who had a simple, childlike personality), under the control of his mother, entered the service of Takada Monster Army and competed against several other wrestlers in a winning streak. Due to the constant abuse from Yinling, and wanting to meet his father, Monster Bono rebelled against it and left the Monster Army, changing his name to Bono-chan and allying with A-chan and Yoshie-chan to form a sumo-style
face The face is the front of the head that features the eyes, nose and mouth, and through which animals express many of their emotions. The face is crucial for human identity, and damage such as scarring or developmental deformities may affect th ...
stable. Soon after, Yinling faced Bono-chan and demanded that he return to the Monster Army, but the outcome of the battle was a victory for Bono-chan, and Yinling (
kayfabe In professional wrestling, kayfabe (pronounced ) is the portrayal of staged events within the industry as "real" or "true", specifically competition, rivalries, and relationships between participants. The term has evolved to become a code word ...
) died under his weight. In retaliation to this,
Toshiaki Kawada (born December 8, 1963) is a Japanese retired professional wrestler. He is best known for his work in All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW), whom he worked for from his debut in 1982 up until 2008. In the promotion, he was a five-time Triple Crown He ...
and Mr. Kawada (Toshiaki's elder father) scheduled a match between them and Bono and his father, The Great Muta, at Hustlemania 2008. Bono and Muta came victorious, but were attacked by The Esperanza, leading Muta to sacrifice himself to drag Esperanza to the underworld. Without his parents, Bono-chan changed his name to Bono-kun as a sign of maturity and joined the Hustle Army, making a promo based on that of
Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II (born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who was the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first African American president in American history. O ...
campaign slogan " Yes, We Hustle". Later in Hustle Aid, before his scheduled match with
Genichiro Tenryu , better known as is a Japanese retired professional wrestler and professional wrestling promoter. At age 13, he entered sumo wrestling and stayed there for 13 years, after which he turned to Western-style professional wrestling. "Tenryu" was h ...
against
Arma Arma, ARMA or variants, may refer to: Places * Arma, Kansas, United States * Arma, Nepal * Arma District, Peru * Arma District, Yemen * Arma Mountains, Afghanistan People * Arma people, an ethnic group of the middle Niger River valley * Arma lan ...
& Geddon, Bono had a strange dream and transformed into The Great Bono, his last stage of maturity. After The Great Bono defeated their opponents with forcefulness, Hustle announced he was leaving to search for his father.


Dragon Gate (2008–2010)

On 21 September 2008, Akebono appeared in the Battle Royal of Dragon Gate's Storm Gate 2008 event, which was won by
Akira Tozawa Akira Tozawa (戸澤 陽, ''Tozawa Akira'', born July 22, 1985) is a Japanese professional wrestler. As of 2016, he is signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw (WWE brand), Raw WWE brand extension, brand and is a member of the Alpha Academy St ...
. Akebono made some more appearances, defeating the likes of Stalker Ichikawa, Don Fujii and
Masaaki Mochizuki is a Japanese professional wrestler, currently working for Dragon Gate and Pro Wrestling Noah. Mochizuki is a former FIP World Champion and three-time Open the Dream Gate Champion. Professional wrestling career Early years A former karat ...
. That month, Akebono, Mochizuki and Fujii agreed to form a trio called Chou Zetsurins to face the team of World-1 (BxB Hulk, Masato Yoshino and PAC) for the
Open the Triangle Gate Championship The Open the Triangle Gate Championship is a professional wrestling Tag team, trios Championship (professional wrestling), title in Japanese Professional wrestling promotion, promotion Dragon Gate (wrestling), Dragon Gate. It was created on Novem ...
, but were defeated. On 14 October 2009, Chou Zetsurins finally won the title, and defended them until May 2010, when they were defeated by Deep Drunkers (
Kzy KZY was a radio station located in Oakland, California, that was licensed to the Atlantic-Pacific Radio Supplies Company from December 9, 1921, until its deletion on January 24, 1923. It, and the Preston D. Allen station, KZM, were the first b ...
,
Takuya Sugawara is a Japanese professional wrestler, currently wrestling for Pro Wrestling Zero1. Career Toryumon/Dragon Gate (2001–2004) He debuted in the 9th term of Toryumon 2000 Project as Henry III Sugawara, an English prince character. He joined wit ...
and Yasushi Kanda).


Pro Wrestling Zero1 (2009–2013)

In March 2009, Akebono appeared in
Pro Wrestling Zero1 , often referred to simply as Zero1 and sometimes referred to as Pro Wrestling Zero1 Catch as Catch Can (stylized as ZERO1 and PRO WRESTLING ZERO1 CATCH AS CATCH CAN, respectively), is a Professional wrestling in Japan, Japanese professional wre ...
defeating
Kohei Sato is a Japanese professional wrestler contracted with Pro Wrestling Zero1. Sato is also a former mixed martial artist. Career A former judoka and amateur wrestler, Sato made his transition to mixed martial arts after meeting Kazunari Murakami and ...
. Later, Akebono joined the Sword Army stable, led by Masato Tanaka. Akebono also participated in the Fire Festival 2009 defeating several other wrestlers, but failed to win in the end. After that, he formed an irregular team with Shinjiro Otani called Kazan, which defeated
Masaaki Mochizuki is a Japanese professional wrestler, currently working for Dragon Gate and Pro Wrestling Noah. Mochizuki is a former FIP World Champion and three-time Open the Dream Gate Champion. Professional wrestling career Early years A former karat ...
& Masato Tanaka in the final round of the Furinkazan tournament, as well winning the NWA Intercontinental Tag Team Championship on 24 January 2010 before vacating them on December of that year. On 3 February 2013, Akebono teamed with Daisuke Sekimoto to win the vacant championship by defeating
Kohei Sato is a Japanese professional wrestler contracted with Pro Wrestling Zero1. Sato is also a former mixed martial artist. Career A former judoka and amateur wrestler, Sato made his transition to mixed martial arts after meeting Kazunari Murakami and ...
and Zeus.


Return to AJPW (2008–2015)

Akebono returned to AJPW, allying himself with Ryota Hama. On 23 September 2009, Akebono and Hama, known collectively as S.M.O.P. (Super Megaton Ohzumo Powers), won the All Asia Tag Team Championship, defeating Minoru Suzuki and Nosawa Rongai. S.M.O.P. also participated in the 2009 World's Strongest Tag Determination League, finishing 5th out of 9 teams with four victories and four defeats. S.M.O.P. would only defend the title once before losing them 7 months later to Voodoo-Murders members Viscera (wrestler), Big Daddy Voodoo and Yoshikazu Taru, TARU. After that, Akebono split with Hama and became the enforcer for the group Partisan Forces (Minoru Suzuki, Masakatsu Funaki and Taiyo Kea) to continue his feud with the Voodoo-Murders. Partisan Forces broke up in June 2011, so Akebono reformed S.M.O.P. with Hama. After having an unsuccessful shot at KENSO and The Great Muta for the vacant World Tag Team Championship (AJPW), World Tag Team Championship, Akebono and Hama entered a short feud with Big Daddy and Mazada, whom they defeated on several occasions, and also competed in the 2011 Real World Tag League, receiving two more chances for the All Asia Tag Team Championship against Daisuke Sekimoto and Yuji Okabayashi, lost both times. S.M.O.P. finally regained the All Asia title by defeating Sekimoto and Okabayashi on 1 July 2012, but vacated them on 4 September 2012, due to Akebono being sidelined with pneumonia. In November 2012, Akebono debuted his Wrestling mask, masked alter ego "Brazo de Bono", based on Brazo de Plata. On 1 September 2013, Akebono signed a contract with All Japan, officially ending his freelancing days. On 11 September, Akebono entered the Ōdō Tournament#2013, 2013 Ōdō Tournament and, in his first match under an All Japan contract, defeated former Triple Crown Heavyweight Champion Jun Akiyama, unveiling his new finishing maneuver, ''Piledriver (professional wrestling), Yokozuna Impact'', in the process. After wins over Low Ki and Chris Raaber, Bambi Killer, Akebono reached the finals, where, on 23 September, he defeated Go Shiozaki to win the tournament. On 27 October, Akebono defeated Kohei Suwama, Suwama to win the Triple Crown Heavyweight Championship for the first time. Akebono made his first successful title defense on 24 November against Joe Doering. His second successful defense took place on 3 January 2014, against Takao Omori. On 23 February, Akebono made his third successful title defense against Go Shiozaki. Akebono's fourth title defense took place on 18 March, when he defeated Kento Miyahara. In April, Akebono looked to enter a rare group of men who have won the Champion Carnival, while holding the Triple Crown Championship, but on 22 April, after securing the top spot in his block, Akebono was forced to pull out of the tournament and forfeit his two remaining matches, after being hospitalized with poor health. On 30 May, Akebono officially relinquished the Triple Crown Heavyweight Championship due to his health issues. On 27 July, it was announced that Akebono had been appointed to All Japan's board of directors. Akebono wrestled his return match on 16 August. On 30 August, Akebono received his rematch for the Triple Crown Heavyweight Championship, but was defeated by the defending champion, Joe Doering. On 22 March 2015, Akebono won the World Tag Team Championship for the second time, when he and Yutaka Yoshie defeated Jun Akiyama and Takao Omori. On 25 April, Akebono defeated Suwama in the finals to win All Japan's premier tournament, the Champion Carnival. In the build-up to Akebono's challenge for the Triple Crown Heavyweight Championship against Go Shiozaki, he and Yoshie lost the World Tag Team Championship to Shiozaki and Kento Miyahara on 6 May. On 21 May, Akebono defeated Shiozaki to win the Triple Crown Heavyweight Championship for the second time. Akebono eventually went on to lose the championship to Jun Akiyama in his third defense on 1 November 2015. The following day, it was announced that Akebono was leaving All Japan and once again becoming a freelancer, looking to return to martial arts. It was also announced that he would continue working for All Japan as a freelancer.


Ōdō (2015–2017)

On 4 December 2015, Akebono announced he was forming a new company named Ōdō. He would serve as its president with the backing of Motoko Baba, the widow of All Japan founder Giant Baba. On 13 March 2016, Akebono made his debut for AJPW splinter promotion Wrestle-1, reuniting with SMOP partner Ryota Hama. Ōdō held its first event on 20 April in Korakuen Hall. The main event of the show saw Akebono, Ryota Hama and Taiyo Kea defeat Daisuke Sekimoto, Masato Tanaka and Yuji Okabayashi. In early June, Akebono took part in the Lucha Libre World Cup (2016), Lucha Libre World Cup in Mexico. On 16 September, Ōdō formed a partnership with
Pro Wrestling Zero1 , often referred to simply as Zero1 and sometimes referred to as Pro Wrestling Zero1 Catch as Catch Can (stylized as ZERO1 and PRO WRESTLING ZERO1 CATCH AS CATCH CAN, respectively), is a Professional wrestling in Japan, Japanese professional wre ...
. Akebono's last recorded match happened on 11 April 2017, for Dramatic Dream Team, where he teamed with Yasu Urano and Harashima and lost to fellow former Triple Crown champion Yoshihiro Takayama and his team with Yuto Aijima and Shigehiro Irie. Following Akebono's heart disability in April 2017 (below), and Motoko Baba's death on 14 April 2018, Ōdō became an inactive promotion.


Personal life

Akebono was born to Randy, a taxi driver of Irish American, Irish and Native Hawaiian descent and Janice, an office worker of Cuban American, Cuban and Native Hawaiian descent. He became a Japanese citizen in 1996, Relinquishment of United States nationality, giving up his American citizenship and changing his legal name from Chad Rowan to Akebono Tarō, saying "Changing my nationality has nothing to do with who I am, just like I am still my mother's son even after I became a Japanese [citizen]." At the end of 1996, he was engaged to Yu Aihara, a television ''tarento'', but broke it off the following year. In February 1998, Akebono announced his engagement to Christiane Reiko Kalina, a teacher who is of Japanese and American descent. They married in September 1998 and have two sons and a daughter. In April 2017, he was hospitalized after feeling unwell while on a wrestling tour in Kitakyushu. Early reports indicated that he had been placed in a medically-induced coma after suffering a cardiac condition, but his family later released a statement on Akebono's website criticizing "misleading" articles and saying he was undergoing treatment "due to a right leg cellulitis and an infection." A family spokesperson thanked Akebono's fans for their support, saying "The number of messages from around the world has been overwhelming." The ''Wrestling Observer Newsletter'' reported that the original story was correct and the cellulitis claim was a cover story for a serious heart issue. Akebono's wife confirmed in March 2018 that her husband had suffered acute heart failure and had been in a medically induced coma for two weeks. He lost nearly 130 pounds, much of it in muscle, and still could not walk, requiring a wheelchair. He was to begin intensive physical therapy. On 2 January 2019, it was reported that he had lost the use of his legs and suffered from partial memory loss, unable to remember his pro-wrestling days. For a short period, he was unable to speak without the aid of his wife. Although still unable to walk, he attended a memorial service for his former ''tsukebito'' Ushiomaru at Azumazeki stable in December 2019. Akebono died of heart failure in April 2024 at age 54 after being admitted to a hospital in Tokyo. His death was announced on the morning of April 11 in Japan, and a funeral was held in Tokyo three days later. Akebono's widow Christiane Reiko told reporters after the funeral that he had suffered from arrhythmia for seven years. She also said that Akebono's body would be cremation, cremated, with half of his ashes remaining with his family in Japan and the other half placed into the ocean off of the Hawaiian coast.


Career record


Kickboxing record

;Legend : : :


Mixed martial arts record

, - , Loss , 0–4 !scope="row", Paulo Cesar Silva , Submission (kimura) , K-1 PREMIUM 2006 Dynamite!! , , style="text-align:center;", 1 , style="text-align:center;", 1:02 , Osaka, Japan , , - , Loss , 0–3 !scope="row",
Don Frye Donald Frye (born November 23, 1965) is an American former mixed martial artist, professional wrestler, and actor. In MMA, he was one of the sport's earliest well-rounded fighters and won the '' UFC 8'' and '' David vs. Goliath 96'' tournament ...
, Submission (guillotine choke) , Hero's 5 , , style="text-align:center;", 2 , style="text-align:center;", 3:50 , Tokyo, Japan , , - , Loss , 0–2 !scope="row",
Bobby Ologun is a Nigerian-born television personality and mixed martial artist with Japanese citizenship. In Japan, he is known simply as . He speaks English, Yoruba and Japanese. He lives in Saitama, Saitama Prefecture. On July 26, 2007, he announced o ...
, Decision (unanimous) , K-1 Premium 2005 Dynamite , , style="text-align:center;", 3 , style="text-align:center;", 5:00 , Osaka, Japan , , - , Loss , 0–1 !scope="row",
Royce Gracie Royce Gracie (; born 12 December 1966) is a Brazilian retired professional mixed martial artist. Gracie gained fame for his success in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). He is a member of the Gracie jiu-jitsu family, a UFC Hall of Famer ...
, Submission (omoplata) , K-1 PREMIUM 2004 Dynamite!! , , style="text-align:center;", 1 , style="text-align:center;", 2:13 , Osaka, Japan , Legend:


Championships and accomplishments


Professional wrestling

*
All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW/AJP) or simply All Japan is a Puroresu, Japanese professional wrestling Professional wrestling promotion, promotion founded on October 21, 1972, by Giant Baba after he left the Japanese Wrestling Association to create his own promotion. Ma ...
** All Asia Tag Team Championship (All Asia Tag Team Championship#Title history, 2 times) – with Ryota Hama ** Triple Crown Heavyweight Championship (Triple Crown Heavyweight Championship#Reigns, 2 times) ** World Tag Team Championship (AJPW), World Tag Team Championship (World Tag Team Championship (AJPW)#Title history, 2 times) – with Maunakea Mossman, Taiyo Kea (1) and
Yutaka Yoshie was a Japanese professional wrestler, who worked as a freelancer in Japan, performing most notably for All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW), where he was a former World Tag Team Champion. He had previously worked for promotions such as New Japan Pr ...
(1) ** Champion Carnival (Champion Carnival#2015, 2015) ** 2 January Korakuen Hall Heavyweight Battle Royal (2010, 2015) ** Ōdō Tournament (Ōdō Tournament#2013, 2013) * Dragon Gate ** Dragon Gate Open the Triangle Gate Championship (Dragon Gate Open the Triangle Gate Championship#Title history, 1 time) – with
Masaaki Mochizuki is a Japanese professional wrestler, currently working for Dragon Gate and Pro Wrestling Noah. Mochizuki is a former FIP World Champion and three-time Open the Dream Gate Champion. Professional wrestling career Early years A former karat ...
and Don Fujii * DDT Pro-Wrestling ** KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Championship (List of KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Champions, 1 time) – with Sanshiro Takagi and
Toru Owashi is a Japanese professional wrestler, better known by his ring name . He is best known for his work in DDT Pro-Wrestling, where he is a former KO-D Openweight Champion and two-time KO-D Tag Team Champion. Sumo career Initially aspiring to b ...
* ''Pro Wrestling Illustrated'' ** Ranked No. 115 of the top 500 wrestlers in the Pro Wrestling Illustrated#PWI 500, PWI 500 in 2006 *
Pro Wrestling Zero1 , often referred to simply as Zero1 and sometimes referred to as Pro Wrestling Zero1 Catch as Catch Can (stylized as ZERO1 and PRO WRESTLING ZERO1 CATCH AS CATCH CAN, respectively), is a Professional wrestling in Japan, Japanese professional wre ...
** NWA Intercontinental Tag Team Championship (NWA Intercontinental Tag Team Championship#Title history, 3 times) – with Shinjiro Otani (1), Daisuke Sekimoto (1) and Shogun Okamoto (1) ** NWA Pan-Pacific Premium Heavyweight Championship (1 time) ** World Heavyweight Championship (Zero1), World Heavyweight Championship (World Heavyweight Championship (Zero1)#Title history, 1 time) ** Furinkazan (wrestling), Furinkazan (Furinkazan (wrestling)#2009, 2009) – with Shinjiro Otani * ''
Tokyo Sports is a Japanese daily sports newspaper founded in 1960. See also * Tokyo Sports Film Award * Tokyo Sports Puroresu Awards References External links

* http://www.tokyo-sports.co.jp Official website 1960 establishments in Japan Da ...
'' ** Tokyo Sports Puroresu Awards#Best Tag Team Award, Best Tag Team Award (2005) ** Best Tag Team Award (2009) ** Tokyo Sports Puroresu Awards#Newcomer Award, Newcomer Award (2005)


Other accomplishments

* '' Black Belt'' ** 1993 Competitor of the Year


See also

*Glossary of sumo terms *List of non-Japanese sumo wrestlers *List of past sumo wrestlers *List of sumo record holders *List of sumo tournament top division champions *List of sumo tournament top division runners-up *List of the heaviest sumo wrestlers *List of yokozuna


References


External links

* *
AJPW profile
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Akebono Taro 1969 births 2024 deaths American people of Native Hawaiian descent Basketball players from Hawaii Japanese male kickboxers Japanese male professional wrestlers Japanese male mixed martial artists Japanese people of Native Hawaiian descent Kickboxers from Hawaii Mixed martial artists from Hawaii Native Hawaiian professional wrestlers Naturalized citizens of Japan Sportspeople from Honolulu County, Hawaii Professional wrestlers from Hawaii Sumo people from Hawaii Heavyweight kickboxers Super heavyweight mixed martial artists Yokozuna American emigrants to Japan American men's basketball players Japanese sumo wrestlers American sumo wrestlers Mixed martial artists utilizing Sumo Mixed martial artists utilizing wrestling Mixed martial artists utilizing kickboxing All Asia Tag Team Champions Professional wrestlers who competed in MMA World Tag Team Champions (AJPW) Triple Crown Heavyweight Champions Champion Carnival winners Odo Tournament winners KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Champions Open the Triangle Gate Champions Zero1 World Heavyweight Champions Zero1 Intercontinental Tag Team Champions Deaths from congestive heart failure in Japan 20th-century American sportsmen 20th-century Japanese sportsmen