Musashimaru

Musashimaru Kōyō (武蔵丸 光洋), born on 2 May 1971 as Fiamalu Penitani in Samoa, was the second foreign-born sumo wrestler in history to reach the rank of yokozuna.

Fiamalu Penitani moved to Hawaii at the age of 10. Encouraged by success in Greco-Roman wrestling in high school, he moved to Japan, adopted his current name and joined the sumo world in 1989, becoming a professional in 1991.

Musashimaru's sheer 223 kilogram bulk combined with 191 cm of height made him a formidable opponent, and his fan base was helped by a surprising facial resemblance to Japanese warrior hero Saigo Takamori. He moved up the ranks quickly and earned wins in a record 52 tournaments without a loss, but was unable to gain the successive championships needed to become a yokozuna. In 1993, Hawaiian wrestler Akebono made history when he became the first foreign yokozuna; it took Musashimaru until 1999 to match the feat.

In November 2003, Musashimaru announced his retirement, due to a chronic injury in his left wrist.