Akebono Tarō

Akebono Tarō 曙太郎
Personal information
Born	Chad Rowan (1969-05-08) 8 May 1969 (age 44) Waimānalo, Hawai'i, U.S.
Height	203 cm (6 ft 8 in)
Weight	233 kg (514 lb; 36 st 10 lb)
Web presence	[Official Website website]
Career
Heya	Azumazeki
Record	654-232-181
Debut	March 1988
Highest rank	Yokozuna (27 January 1993)[1]
Retired	January 2001
Yūshō	11 (Makuuchi)
Sanshō	Outstanding Performance (4) Fighting Spirit (2)
Kinboshi	4 (Asahifuji (2), Onokuni, Hokutoumi)
* Career information is correct as of August 2007.

Akebono Tarō (曙 太郎, Akebono Tarō^?, born 8 May 1969 as Chad Haaheo Rowan)^[2] is a retired American-born Japanese 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.^[3] 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 freelance professional wrestler, mainly performing for the All Japan Pro Wrestling promotion.^[4]

Early life [edit]

Rowan was born on May 8, 1969 to Randolph and Janice Rowan.^[2] He grew up with two younger brothers,^[2] 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.^[2] He went to Hawaii Pacific University on a basketball scholarship, but sat out his freshman season.^[2]

Early career [edit]

Rowan was planning to study for a career in hotel management,^[5] but he had always been interested in sumo from watching television broadcasts, and a family friend introduced him to Azumazeki Oyakata, the former Takamiyama, who also originally hailed from Hawaiʻi.^[5] 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 of Akebono, meaning "new dawn" in Japanese,^[6] he made his professional debut in March 1988.^[7] 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.^[8]

Akebono rose rapidly through the ranks, equaling the record for the most consecutive kachi-koshi (majority of wins in a sumo championship) from debut, reaching sekiwake before suffering his first make-koshi losing record. He was promoted to jūryō in March 1990, the first sekitori from his stable, and to makuuchi in September of the same year.^[9] 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.^[5]

Promotion [edit]

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.^[10] 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.^[10] After an injury during the summer, he went on to win consecutive championships in November 1992 and January 1993 to win promotion to yokozuna.^[10] At the time of his promotion, the rank of yokozuna had been vacant for 8 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.^[11] One commentator remarked, "He makes me forget he is a foreigner because of his earnest attitude towards sumo."^[11]

Yokozuna era [edit]

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,^[2] 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.^[12] The two finished their careers with a 20-20 tie in bouts against one another.^[13] At the opening ceremony of the 1998 Winter Olympics 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.^[14] Akebono also led other sumo wrestlers in a ring cleansing ceremony at the Opening Ceremony (also meant to cleanse the stadium itself).

Akebono was quite susceptible to injury because of his height and weight.^[15] He suffered his first serious knee injury in May 1994 when, after winning his first ten matches, he lost a bout to Takatōriki and fell awkwardly. He flew to Los Angeles and underwent career-saving surgery.^[16] 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.^[16] However, after receiving the personal backing of the Chairman of the Japan Sumo Association,^[16] 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 [edit]

Akebono was one of the tallest sumo wrestlers ever, at 203 cm (6 ft 8 in) tall, and also one of the heaviest with a fighting weight around 235 kg (517 lb).^[7] 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 (ring).^[16] 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.^[16] 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.

Sumo career record [edit]

• Black Belt Magazine
  • 1993 Competitor of the Year

Post-retirement career [edit]

Akebono
Akebono wrestling in HUSTLE.
Born	Chad Rowan (1969-05-08) May 8, 1969 (age 44) Waimānalo, Hawai'i, U.S.
Other names	Akebono
Nationality	American Japanese
Height	6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)
Weight	514 lb (233 kg; 36 st 10 lb)
Division	Super Heavyweight
Style	Sumo
Stance	Orthodox
Fighting out of	Tokyo, Japan
Team	Team Yokozuna
Rank	Yokozuna in Sumo
Years active	3 (2003-2006)
Kickboxing record
Total	9
Wins	1
Losses	8
By knockout	5
Draws	0
Mixed martial arts record
Total	4
Wins	0
Losses	4
By submission	3
By decision	1
Draws	0
Other information
Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog

After winning his eleventh top division title in November 2000,^[18] he 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. After his retirement, he became a member (or elder) of the Japan Sumo Association as a coach, or oyakata, and worked with his former mentor in the Azumazeki stable.^[15] He helped train the Mongolian wrestler Asashōryū who also became a yokozuna, and Akebono instructed him on how to perform the dohyō-iri, or yokozuna ring-entering ceremony.^[16] Since retiring from sumo wrestling, Akebono has lost weight.

While an oyakata, Akebono also appeared in TV commercials and opened a restaurant called ZUNA.^[19][20]

Akebono left the Sumo Association in November 2003 to join K-1.^[21] The decision was influenced by financial problems due to the failure of his restaurant, among other financial difficulties. His koenkai, or supporters network, had dissolved after his marriage in 1998, depriving him of a valuable source of income.^[16] In addition, he earned far less as an oyakata than he had as a yokozuna.^[16] K-1 offered him a chance to clear his debts by fighting for them.^[22]

He has managed only one win in 12 bouts in K-1 and mixed martial arts career. Because of this, he has been referred to as Makebono (make meaning "lose" in Japanese) by some fight fans and magazines in Japan.^[23]

He has also wrestled professionally in Japan for All Japan Pro Wrestling and New Japan Pro Wrestling^[23] and made an appearance at World Wrestling Entertainment's (WWE) WrestleMania 21 in a sumo match against the Big Show.^[24]

After training with Satoru Sayama (the original Tiger Mask), he returned to the New Japan ring in the prestigious G1 Tournament which ran from August 5 to August 12, 2007. He defeated Togi Makabe and Hiroyoshi Tenzan but failed to progress to the semifinal stage.^[25] He also joined the HUSTLE promotion as the character "Monster Bono", the offspring of The Great Muta and Yinling. On September 23, 2009, Akebono and Ryota Hama, known collectively as S.M.O.P. (Super Megaton Ohzumo Powers), won the AJPW 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 Big Daddy Voodoo and TARU.^[26] S.M.O.P. regained the All Asia titles by defeating Daisuke Sekimoto & Yuji Okabayashi on July 1, 2012, but vacated them on September 4, 2012, due to Akebono being sidelined with pneumonia.^[27]

In November 2012, Akebono debuted his masked alter ego "Brazo de Bono".^[28]

Kickboxing record [edit]

Kickboxing record

1 win, 8 losses Result Record Opponent Method Event Date Round Time Location Notes Loss 1-8 Choi Hong-man KO (left hook) K-1 World Grand Prix 2006 in Sapporo 02006-07-30July 30, 2006 2 0:57 Sapporo, Japan Loss 1-7 Choi Hong-man TKO (referee stoppage) K-1 World Grand Prix 2005 in Hawaii 02005-07-29July 29, 2005 1 2:52 Honolulu, Hawaii, USA Loss 1-6 Choi Hong-man TKO (corner stoppage) K-1 World Grand Prix 2005 in Seoul 02005-03-19March 19, 2005 1 0:24 Seoul, South Korea 2005 Seoul Grand Prix semi-final bout. Win 1-5 Nobuaki Kakuda Decision (unanimous) K-1 World Grand Prix 2005 in Seoul 02005-03-19March 19, 2005 3 3:00 Seoul, South Korea 2005 Seoul Grand Prix quarter-final bout. Loss 0-5 Remy Bonjasky KO (high kick) K-1 World Grand Prix 2004 Final Elimination 02004-09-25September 25, 2004 3 0:33 Tokyo, Japan Loss 0-4 Rick Roufus Decision (unanimous) K-1 World Grand Prix 2004 in Las Vegas II 02004-08-07August 7, 2004 3 3:00 Las Vegas, Nevada, USA Loss 0-3 Zhang Qing Jun Extra round decision (unanimous) K-1 World Grand Prix 2004 in Seoul 02004-07-17July 17, 2004 4 3:00 Seoul, South Korea 2004 Seoul Grand Prix quarter-final bout. Loss 0-2 Musashi Decision (unanimous) K-1 World Grand Prix 2004 in Saitama 02004-03-27March 27, 2004 3 3:00 Saitama, Japan Loss 0-1 Bob Sapp KO (right punch) K-1 PREMIUM 2003 Dynamite!! 02003-12-31December 31, 2003 1 1:55 Nagoya, Japan Legend:       Win       Loss       Draw/No contest

Mixed martial arts record [edit]

Mixed martial arts record

0 wins, 4 losses Result Record Opponent Method Event Date Round Time Location 'Notes Loss 0-4 Giant Silva Submission (Kimura) K-1 PREMIUM 2006 Dynamite!! 02006-12-31December 31, 2006 1 1:02 Osaka, Japan Loss 0-3 Don Frye Submission (guillotine choke) Hero's 5 02006-05-03May 3, 2006 2 3:50 Tokyo, Japan Loss 0-2 Bobby Ologun Decision (unanimous) K-1 Premium 2005 Dynamite 02005-12-31December 31, 2005 3 5:00 Osaka, Japan Loss 0-1 Royce Gracie Submission (omoplata) K-1 PREMIUM 2004 Dynamite!! 02004-12-31December 31, 2004 1 2:13 Osaka, Japan Legend:       Win       Loss       Draw/No contest

In wrestling [edit]

• Finishing moves
  • Banzai Drop (Corner slingshot seated senton)^[29] - 2006-2007; used as a tribute to Rodney "Yokozuna" Anoa'i
  • M64^[30] (Falling hip toss to an oncoming opponent)^[31]
  • Yokozuna Drop^[32] / Japanese Drop^[30] (Samoan drop, sometimes from the second rope)^[30]
  • Yokozuna Press^[32] (Running splash, sometimes from the top rope)^[31]

• Signature moves
  • Bono Bomber (Spinning side slam)^[33]
  • Bono Lock (Over–rotated Delfin clutch)^[34] - 2007; parodied from Milano Collection A.T.
  • Chokeslam^[30]
  • Lariat^[30]
  • Running elbow drop^[30]

• With Taiyo Kea
  • Volcano Splash (Second rope diving splash by Akebono with Kea on his back)^[35]

• With Takeshi Rikio
  • Rikibono Splash 63 (Second rope diving splash by Akebono with Rikio on his back)^[30]

• With Shinjiro Otani
  • Dai Funka (Missile dropkick by Otani followed by a running splash by Akebono)^[36]
  • Dai Kazan Press (Second rope diving splash by Akebono with Otani on his back)^[37]

• With other wrestlers
  • Yokozuna Impact (Doomsday Device)^[38]

• Entrance themes
  • "Time to Fight"^[31]

Professional wrestling championships and accomplishments [edit]

• All Japan Pro Wrestling
  • AJPW Unified World Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Taiyo Kea^[31]
  • AJPW All Asia Tag Team Championship (2 times) - with Ryota Hama^[31]
  • January 2 Korakuen Hall Heavyweight Battle Royal (2010) ^[39]

• Dragon Gate
  • Dragon Gate Open the Triangle Gate Championship (1 time) - with Masaaki Mochizuki and Don Fujii^[31]

• Pro Wrestling Illustrated
  • PWI ranked him #115 of the top 500 wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 2006^[40]

• Pro Wrestling Zero1
  • NWA Intercontinental Tag Team Championship (2 times, current) - with Shinjiro Otani (1) and Daisuke Sekimoto (1, current)^[31]
  • NWA Pan-Pacific Premium Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
  • Zero1 World Heavyweight Championship (1 time)^[4]
  • Furinkazan (2009) - with Shinjiro Otani

• Tokyo Sports Grand Prix
  • Best Tag Team (2005) - with Keiji Mutoh^[41]
  • Best Tag Team (2009) - with Ryota Hama^[41]
  • Rookie of the Year (2005)^[41]

Personal life [edit]

Akebono was born to Randy, a taxi driver of Irish and Native Hawaiian descent and Janice, an office worker of Cuban and Native Hawaiian descent.^[42] He became a Japanese citizen in 1996, giving up his American nationality and changing his legal name from Chad Rowan to Akebono Tarō, as required by Japanese law.^[16] At the end of 1996 he was engaged to Yu Aihara, a television tarento, but broke it off the following year.^[16] In February 1998, Akebono announced his engagement to Christiane Reiko Kalina, a teacher who is of Japanese and American descent.^[43] They married in September 1998 and have two sons and a daughter.^[44]

See also [edit]

Professional wrestling portal

• Glossary of sumo terms
• List of past sumo wrestlers
• List of sumo tournament top division winners
• List of Yokozuna

References [edit]

External links [edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Akebono Tarō

• Profile at Japan Sumo Association
• Akebono at the Internet Movie Database
• Profile at K-1
• AJPW Profile (Japanese)
• VSplanet.net Profile (Russian)