First U.S.-Born Sumo Champ Retires
T O K Y O, Jan. 22, 2001 -- 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.
Unlike his contemporaries in other professional sports, hesaid he was not in sumo for the money, but for the respect.
"The way I look at a yokozuna — it's not your salary … before me there's only been 63 other guys who have achieved thesame thing … it's just the respect you get," he told reporterswhen he was elevated to grand champion.
And that sort of modesty was what won the approval from thesternest overseers of Japan's national sport.
A Lesson From the Past
For years, a foreigner holding the coveted title of yokozunaseemed a taboo, and another U.S.-born wrestler had failed atbreaking the barrier just less than a year before Akebono did.
Now-retired Konishiki, a fellow Hawaiian, appeared wellplaced to win promotion to yokozuna in 1992 after severalimpressive tournament showings.
But influential sumo elders vetoed his advancement, making itclear they felt the hulking Hawaiian lacked "hinkaku," ordignity, deemed necessary for a worthy grand champion.
A deeply wounded Konishiki protested, calling sumo officials"racist," and commentators spoke of a deep-rooted taboo againstadmitting a foreigner to the pinnacle of the ancient sport.
Whether by nature or as lesson from Konishiki's experience,Akebono remained a man of few words.
Asked about the issue of "hinkaku" when he was promoted toyokozuna, the wrestler said it was not something one described,but something that one showed by his actions.
Citizen Akebono
While Akebono will leave the clay ring, he has the chance tobecome a stablemaster as he gained Japanese citizenship in 1996.
If he had not naturalized, he would only have been able toremain with the sumo association for five years.
And in place of Akebono will be Musashimaru, anotherU.S.-born yokozuna, who has proven himself worthy of the grandchampion mantle by winning eight titles.
He nearly captured the tournament which ended on Sunday, butlost to fellow yokozuna Takanohana in a championship playoff.Akebono skipped the tournament due to injuries.