Sumo Wrestling and WrestleMania Star Akebono Dies at 54
Taro Akebono, a former Hawaiian sumo wrestler who competed in WrestleMania, passed away at the age of 54 due to heart failure while receiving treatment at a Tokyo hospital. Akebono, born Chad George Ha’aheo Rowan in Waimanalo, Hawaii, became Japan’s 64th yokozuna in 1993, the first foreign-born wrestler to achieve sumo’s highest title, and played a significant role in reviving sumo’s popularity in the 1990s through his rivalry with Japanese grand champions.