Akebono TarÅ
Akebono taro (Japanese曙 太郎, born May 8, 1969 as Chad Rowan Haaheo ) is a former sumo wrestler.
Akebono was born as U.S. citizens in Hawaii and was the first non-Japanese, who reached the rank of yokozuna. He came out of the stall Ringer Azumazeki - Beya also hawaiischstämmigen the former sekiwake Takamiyama. The Japanese wrestlers name Akebono means " dawn ".
Career
Sumo wrestling
Rowan debuted in March 1988 under the name Daikai ( " Big Sea " ) at the same time as three other top stars of sumo, the brothers Takanohana and Wakanohana and ozeki Kaio later. He quickly got a, got the ring name Akebono and worked within two years until the juryo division up. In 1992, he won, now in the Makuuchi division, the first time a basho (tournament ), the Natsu Basho Tokyo - with 13:2. He was then appointed increasingly and a short time later to ozeki. After he won in November 1992 and January 1993, the tournaments, he was appointed the 64th yokozuna Sumōgeschichte. After a relatively short dominance he was soon plagued injury, especially at the knees, which suffered greatly at a size of 2.04 m under a weight of 230 kg. When the young and talented Takanohana was appointed yokozuna, he fell into the shadows and was struggling to keep pace, especially as Japanese Takanohana enjoyed greater popularity.
After attaining his ninth tournament victory at the Natsu Basho 1997, there was a long, partly due to injury losing streak. In 1998 he performed at the Olympic Winter Games in Nagano during the opening ceremony of the traditional honor ceremony, which takes place before each sumo tournament.
In 2000, again followed by a brief heyday, as Akebono won the tournament in Nagoya and Fukuoka. Shortly after the New Year 2001 tournament, in which he was unable to start due to injury, he stepped back and remained the Sumōsport until 2003 as a coach.
Akebono was considered a typical representative of the impact and shock techniques. However, he was also able, with Yorikiri ( out carrying or pushing an opponent with a grip on the mawashi ) a struggle to decide for themselves.
K-1 and wrestling
After his time as a coach Akebono tried, but with far less success than K1 fighters. Since then, usually in Japan, he occurs in wrestling. At Wrestlemania 21, he joined successfully against Big Show. Akebono was a member of the now defunct wrestling organization HUSTLE, where he was later performed as a monster Bono / Bono -chan and as Bono -kun. He currently fights at All Japan Pro Wrestling.
Private
Akebono took in 1996 to the Japanese citizenship and changed his name to Akebono in taro. He is married to Christine Kalina since 1998 and the couple have three children.
Akebono taro and his colleagues Sumo Musashimaru Koyo and Konishiki Yasokichi be celebrated in Israel Kamakawiwooles song " Tengoku Kara Kaminari ( Gentle Giants ) ." The translation of the Japanese title "Thunder from Heaven ".