Seven years after he became the first foreign sumo wrestler to win the revered Emperor's Cup in 1972, Jesse "Takamiyama" Kuhaulua applied for Japanese citizenship.
During his illustrious 20-year career, he reached sumo's third-highest rank, sekiwake, and held numerous records, including a streak of 1,231 consecutive matches.
However, this was not enough for the Hawaii native to become a stable master -- Nihon Sumo Kyokai (Japan Sumo Association) bans foreigners from this position.