Akebono Taro, a former sumo wrestler who later became a pro wrestler and faced The Big Show at WrestleMania 21, has died at 54, just shy of his 55th birthday. Reports indicate his cause of death was heart failure.

Akebono, born Chadwick Haheo Rowan in Hawaii, made history as the first non-Japanese sumo to attain the rank of Yokozuna in 1993. He was the 64th wrestler to achieve this prestigious status and was beloved in the sumo community.

After retiring from sumo in 2001 due to an injury, Akebono shifted his focus to kickboxing and mixed martial arts before entering the world of professional wrestling in 2005. His wrestling debut was marked by a victory against The Big Show in a sumo match at WrestleMania 21, leading to his participation in All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW) and other Japanese wrestling promotions like New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) and Dragon Gate.

Throughout his wrestling career, Akebono won multiple championships, including two Triple Crown Heavyweight Championships and two All Asia Tag Team Championships, alongside partner Ryota Hama, as well as World Tag Team Championships with Taiyo Kea and Yutaka Yoshie.

Our thoughts are with Akebono's family, friends, and supporters during this difficult time.