What is "yokozuna"

n. (context sumo English) The highest rank of sumo wrestler, above ozeki; a grand champion.

Rodney Agatupu Anoai (October 2, 1966 – October 23, 2000) was an American professional wrestler who is best known for his time with the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) where he wrestled under the ring name Yokozuna, whose term yokozuna refers to the highest rank in professional sumo wrestling in Japan.

Although the Yokozuna character was portrayed as a champion sumo wrestler, Anoai never competed as an actual sumotori. Though Yokozuna wrestled as a representative of Japan, in real life Anoai was Samoan American and was accordingly billed as hailing from Polynesia. However, he was managed by the Japanese character Mr. Fuji (in reality a Japanese American), who would follow Anoai to the ring with a wooden bucket of salt, and waving a Japanese flag.

In the WWF, Anoai was a two-time WWF World Heavyweight Champion and two-time WWF Tag Team Champion (with Owen Hart), as well as the winner of the 1993 Royal Rumble. Anoaʻi was the first wrestler of Samoan descent to hold the WWF World Heavyweight Championship as well as the first Royal Rumble winner who as a result of a direct stipulation received a WWF's world championship title shot at WrestleMania. He defeated WWE Hall of Famers Bret Hart and Hulk Hogan, in consecutive pay-per-view victories in the main event of WrestleMania IX and the 1993 King of the Ring, to win his two WWF World Heavyweight Championships, and also headlined WrestleMania X against Hart. Anoai was posthumously inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2012.