“It is with sadness that we announce Akebono Taro died of heart failure earlier this month while receiving care at a hospital in the Tokyo area,” the family said in a statement obtained from ...

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - Hawaii sports legend Akebono Taro, who made history when he became the first non-Japanese-born sumo wrestler to reach the sport’s highest title, has died. He was 54.

Taro Akebono, the first foreign-born yokozuna and later a mixed martial artist and pro wrestler, died of heart failure in early April at a hospital near Tokyo, according to a source close to him.

The world is mourning the loss of Akebono Taro, one of Hawaii’s most legendary athletes and an iconic figure in sumo wrestling. Born Chad Rowan, Akebono has passed away, leaving behind a legacy ...