小錦 八十吉
More commonly known as
Konishiki.
Sumo wrestler, born
Salevaa Atisano'e on the island of
Oahu in
Hawaii on
December 31, 1963. After graduating from high school, he was scouted by
oyakata Takasago, and entered the
dohyo for the first time in 1982. He moved quickly through the sumo ranks, becoming
juryo in September 1983,
nyumaku in July 1984,
sekiwake in November 1984, and
ozeki in May 1987.
He retired after the November tournament in 1997, having racked up quite a record: 733 wins, 498 losses, and 95 draws, in 81 tournaments as a makuuchi and 39 tournaments as an ozeki.
By that point, he was a celebrity in both Japan and the United States. He appeared in Japanese commercials for Sanyo and Daihatsu, and in American commercials for Visa. He wrote two books in Japanese, Naked Konishiki and Konishiki's Diary, both of which became best-sellers. He even released a gangsta rap album called Konishiki KMS, where his six-foot, six-hundred-pound frame gets a goatee and a Snoop Dogg-inspired hairstyle.