US-Born Sumo Wrestling Champion Akebono Dies At 54.

Former US-born sumo wrestling champion Akebono has passed away due to heart failure in a Japanese hospital according to reports.

Known for paving the way for foreign sumo wrestlers, he was the first non-Japanese yokozuna.

Born Chad George Ha’aheo Rowan in Hawaii, Akebono achieved great success in sumo, winning 11 championships.

After retiring in 2001, he transitioned to professional wrestling and became a Japanese citizen in 1996. Akebono’s health had been deteriorating since a wrestling match incident in 2017. He leaves behind his wife, daughter, and two sons.

In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, the Japanese Olympic Committee recalled that Akebono “performed a dignified ring-entering ceremony for the world” at the Nagano Winter Olympics in 1998.

US ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel added that Akebono “opened the door for other foreign wrestlers to find success in the sport” and “strengthened the cultural ties between the United States and his adopted homeland.”

News of Akebono’s death came the same week US President Joe Biden is hosting Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in Washington.

Former professional sumo wrestler Masaru Hanada, who competed under the name Wakanohana and became grand champion after Akebono, also reflected on his great rival’s passing.

“I have been asked to comment on the news of Akebono’s passing. I am sorry, but I am not in a condition to talk about it due to the shock, so I will put it in writing,” Hanada wrote on his official website.

“A rival, a friend, and a colleague with whom I shared many hardships and joys, has departed.

“I really miss him so much. I was talking with him about meeting under a tree in Hawaii with all our fellow sumo wrestlers when we grew older. I couldn’t fulfill that promise, and I’m just so sad. I’ll see you under the tree in Hawaii. I’ll see you there.”

Source: CNN