Back كونيشيكى ياسوكيتشى ARZ Konishiki Yasokichi German 小錦八十吉 (1963年生) Japanese Konishiki Yasokichi Dutch Конисики Ясокити Russian 小錦八十吉 (6代) Chinese
| Konishiki Yasokichi | |
|---|---|
| 小錦 八十吉 | |
 Konishiki in 2015 | |
| Personal information | |
| Born | Saleva'a Fuauli Atisano'e December 31, 1963 Honolulu, Oahu, Hawaii, U.S. |
| Height | 1.84 m (6 ft 1⁄2 in) |
| Weight | 287 kg (633 lb; 45.2 st) |
| Career | |
| Stable | Takasago |
| Record | 733–498–95 |
| Debut | July 1982 |
| Highest rank | Ōzeki (July 1987) |
| Retired | November 1997 |
| Elder name | Sanoyama |
| Championships | 3 (Makuuchi) 2 (Jūryō) 1 (Jonidan) 1 (Jonokuchi) |
| Special Prizes | Outstanding Performance (4) Fighting Spirit (5) Technique (1) |
| Gold Stars | 2 (Chiyonofuji, Takanosato) |
| * Up to date as of June 2020. | |
Saleva'a Fuauli Atisano'e (born December 31, 1963), better known by his stage name, Konishiki Yasokichi (小錦八十吉, Konishiki Yasokichi), is an American-born Japanese former professional sumo wrestler.[1][2] He was the first non-Japanese-born wrestler to reach ōzeki, the second-highest possible rank in the sport. During his career he won the top division championship on three occasions and came very close to becoming the first foreign-born grand champion, or yokozuna, prompting a social debate in Japan as to whether a foreigner could have the necessary cultural understanding to be deemed acceptable in sumo's ultimate rank. At a peak weight of 287 kg (633 lb) he was also at the time the heaviest wrestler ever in sumo, earning him the nicknames "Meat Bomb" and, most famously, "The Dump Truck".[2][3][4]
Born in 1963 in Hawai'i to Vaa Atisanoe and Fala of Tula, American Sāmoa, Yasokichi became the first foreigner to earn the prestigious title of sumo wrestling champion in Japan.[5]
- ^ Shapiro, Margaret (26 May 1990). "The Outsider With Lots Of Muscle". The Washington Post. Retrieved 20 September 2020.
- ^ a b Franz Lidz "Meat Bomb", 05.18.92 - Sports Illustrated
- ^ Abelson, Edward (1997-11-29). "Best way to grapple with sumo". The Independent. London. Retrieved 2010-05-07.
- ^ "Common ground". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 2010-05-07.
- ^ Sunia, Fofō Iosefa Fiti (2001). Puputoa: Host of Heroes - A record of the history makers in the First Century of American Samoa, 1900-2000. Suva, Fiji: Oceania Printers. Page 10. ISBN 9829036022.