Akebono Trains, Japan Watches
Written by Monty DiPietro.
TOKYO, November 19, 2003 -- In case you didn't already know, Sumo is big in Japan. Imagine the long rich history of baseball in America, then multiply that by 10. Historical records name the eleventh Emperor, Suinin, as the first Sumo promoter. It is said he organized a match back in 22 B.C., between Nomi Sukune, an Izumo potter, and Taima Kehaya of Nara. The match got out of hand, and ended with Sukune stomping on poor Kehaya until he was dead. Incredibly, Sukune's lineage leads directly to Bob Sapp.
Just kidding. Sukune is, however, known to this day as the father of Sumo. In the 1600s, Sumo went professional, and the first wrestler to earn the title of Yokozuna (Grand Champion) was Akashi Shiganosuke, in 1632.
Fast forward to 1993 and a big fellow named Chad Rowan. Born in Oahu, Hawaii, Rowan created a sensation in Japan when he became the first non-Japanese Yokozuna. He was given the fighting name Akebono, and in his nine years at Sumo's highest rank, he amassed a sparkling record of 432 wins in 554 bouts.
Now signed with K-1, Akebono will make his debut in the New Fighting Sport against Bob Sapp at the "K-1 Premium 2003 Dynamite." The event will be held this New Year's Eve at the Nagoya Dome, one of Japan's largest indoor arenas. The fight has Japan buzzing -- the media are tripping over themselves to cover every possible angle of the fight of the year.
On this warm Wednesday afternoon in a big Gold's Gym near Kawasaki, Akebono is tossing punches while trainer Steve Kalakoda holds the bags, and fighters Great Kusatsu and Stefan Gamlin stand by for sparing duty. The word went out that Akebono would be here today, and so there are no less than 60 reporters in attendance, working their Nikons and notebooks. Looking for angles. Tripping over themselves.
Stefan Gamlin tells me that Akebono has a terrific left hook, and "is going to surprise a lot of people" when he steps into the ring December 31st. Indeed, Akebono's punches are remarkably quick and hard, considering he is only on day nine of his training regimen.
Steve Kalakoda is no stranger to K-1. For years the personable South African was the manager/trainer for Mike Bernardo, he currently works with the hard-hitting Jan "The Giant" Nortje. Kalakoda is also impressed with what he has seen: "Of all the fighters I've worked with, Akebono has the most power. His punches are not proper yet, but when they are, they will be devastating."
Devastating like that left hook?
"Yes," smiles Kalakoda. "Initially, Akebono thought his right straight punch was his strongest, but we've been working a lot on the left hook and now he likes it the best. He is able to turn his body well and gets a lot of weight behind that punch. But I know we will need more than one punch to beat Sapp. Personally, I think that come fight night, Akebono's best punch will be his right uppercut."
Back from the showers, Akebono sits down for 20 minutes, during which time he drinks three 500ml bottles of water, and takes questions.
Are you training everyday?
"Almost every day now, we have Wednesdays and Sundays off."
Can you describe a training day?
"In the morning it's running and weights, and in the afternoon I work on the bags and do some sparring."
How do you feel at the end of the day?
"Well, I feel a lot lighter!" (Akebono has lost more than 10kg in training and now weighs just over 200kg. Kalakoda hopes to have him near 180kg for the fight)
What has been the most difficult part of your training?
"In Sumo, pushing at your opponent, there are a lot of muscles that you don't use very much. It is a challenge to make the adjustment, to get those different new muscles working."
How about kicks, are you worried about them?
"I'm new to K-1, and so I'm worried a bit about everything. In Sumo, we have a chance to train with and watch the other fighters before a tournament, but in K-1 the fighters are separate, so I don't know what Bob is working on. I don't know what to expect."
Do you think your knee is strong enough to take kicks?
"Well, I've already made the decision to fight, so even if my knees were bad, I'd tell you they were good! (laughs)"
Do you have any previous boxing experience?
"When I was 11 years old, I boxed for two and a half weeks. I was KO'd by my coach, so I quit."