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〔 is an American-born professional wrestler and former sumo wrestler from Waimānalo, Hawaii. Joining the professional sport in Japan in 1988, he was trained by pioneering Hawaiian sumo 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'', 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 fighter, he is now a professional wrestler. In All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW) he has been a two-time Triple Crown Heavyweight Champion, two-time World Tag Team Champion, and two-time All Asia Tag Team Champion. He is currently under contract with Rizin_Fighting_Federation. == Early life == Chad Rowan was born on 8 May 1969 to Randolph and Janice Rowan, and is of Hawaiian descent. He grew up with two younger brothers,〔 one of whom, Ola, also became a sumo wrestler for a brief period after Chad. He attended Kaiser High School, where he played basketball and became an All-Star center.〔 He went to Hawaii Pacific University on a basketball scholarship, but sat out his freshman season.〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Akebono Tarō」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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