Sumo wrestling legend Akebono Taro, who competed at WrestleMania in 2005, dies aged 54 of heart failure
- Akebono Taro weighed 500 pounds at the height of his sumo career
- His family said he died ‘earlier this month’ while being treated near Tokyo
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Sumo wrestling legend Akebono Taro has died aged 54 of heart failure, his family said.
The Hawaii-born great became a grand champion in Japan and competed at Wrestlemania in 2005 against Big Show.
“It is with sadness that we announce that Akebono Taro died of heart failure earlier this month while receiving care at a hospital in the Tokyo area,” the family said in a statement.
His wife Christine Rowan said in an email to The Associated Press that he died “within the past week,” but declined to provide details.
At the beginning of his career, he weighed 500 pounds (225 kilograms) and stood 6-foot-8 (2.03 meters).
Akebono Taro weighed 500 pounds during the prime years of his sumo wrestling career
Akebono and Big Show wrestled at Wrestlemania in 2005 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles
Akebono poses for a photo during a press conference at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu in 2005
US Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel, sent his condolences on the social platform X.
“I was deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Akebono, a giant in the world of sumo, a proud Hawaiian and a bridge between the United States and Japan,” Emanuel wrote.
‘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. Throughout his 35 years in Japan, Akebono strengthened the cultural ties between the United States and his adopted homeland by uniting us all through sports.’
Akebono participates in a ceremony in the ring prior to the competition in Vancouver in 1998
Akebono grew up on the rural side of the Koolau Mountains from Honolulu and was born Chad George Ha’aheo Rowan.
He moved to Tokyo in the late 1980s and won his first major championship in 1993, finishing his career as an 11-time major tournament winner.
The family’s statement said friends and family will hold a ‘private celebration of his life.’ He is survived by his wife, Christine, daughter and two sons.
“The family kindly asks for privacy during this time of grief,” the statement said.