First U.S.-Born Sumo Champ Retires
T O K Y O, Jan. 22 -- Akebono, sumo's first foreign-borngrand champion, retired today, ending a career which saw theformer Hawaiian high-school basketball star not only excel in thesport but adapt to the ultra-conservative sumo world.
The yokozuna, or grand champion, tendered his resignation tothe Japan Sumo Association (JSA), citing injuries, including kneeand back problems, which repeatedly forced the wrestler to besidelined from tournaments.
'Unbearable' Pain Cuts Career Short
"Before, I would try to withstand the pain, but now it isunbearable even when not sumo wrestling" Akebono, he told a newsconference where he announced his retirement.
Akebono quickly rose through the ranks in an illustrious13-year career, fighting with devastating pushes that tookadvantage of his 6'7", 514-lb frame tobecome the 64th yokozuna in 1993 in the shortest time sinceentering the ring.
The Hawaiian-born colossus, whose name means "dawn" inJapanese, has 11 career championships under his belt, the lastone in November when he took the Kyushu Grand Sumo Championshipwith a record of 14 wins and only one loss.
"I've lost the motivation to rise to the top again and mybody will not move the way I want it to any longer," he said.
The Battle Outside the Ring
But in sumo, it takes more than just the fighting in the ringto climb to the top, and it was no different for Akebono.
Born Chad Rowan, the 31-year-old Akebono first knocked on thedoors of his American stablemaster Azumazeki when he was only 18.
He knew no Japanese then, and had to adapt culturally to theharsh, tradition-bound sumo world which even repels many Japaneseteenage aspirants and where seniority is paramount.
"When I joined, I was 18 and I had 15, 16-year-old kidstelling me to scrub the toilet and cook the rice," he once said.
Those were the things that he had to learn to do if he wantedto succeed. He now speaks fluent Japanese.
"Sumo is a sport where you live the sport … it's not likebaseball," he also once said, adding that at first, he criedalmost every night.
