WWE: Yokozuna to Be Added to the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2012

Announced at the SmackDown tapings Tuesday night in Newark, N.J., the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2012 has added one more huge star. Yokozuna, a former WWE Champion, will be inducted into the Hall of Fame posthumously on March 31, the night before WrestleMania XXVIII.

Yokozuna, whose real name was Rodney Agatupu Anoaʻi, debuted in WWE in 1992 under the name of Yokozuna, a tribute to the great sumo wrestlers of Japan. Anoa'i was actually Samoan and was a member of the legendary Anoa'i family of wrestling.

Yokozuna was a cousin of former WWE superstars Umaga, Rosey, Manu, Samu, Rikishi, The Tonga Kid and current developmental talent Roman Leakee. He is also the first cousin once removed of The Rock, due to Yokozuna's grandfather being the legendary High Chief Peter Maivia.

In his career of wrestling in WWE, Yokozuna used his menacing size and uncharacteristic speed to cause fits for his opponents. Standing 6'4" and being billed at almost 600 pounds, Yokozuna was one of the largest men in WWE history.

That would first come into play on the October 31, 1992 edition of WWF Superstars, when Yokozuna debuted.

Months later, Yokozuna would become the 1993 Royal Rumble winner and would face champion Bret Hart at WrestleMania IX. On that day, Yokozuna would defeat Hart and claim his first world championship. It would be lost minutes later after a challenge was handed out to Hulk Hogan, but Yokozuna would regain the title at King of the Ring, making him a two-time world champion.

Yokozuna would hold the title for a combined 280 days, tying him with John Bradshaw Layfield for 18th place all-time on that list. Yokozuna will join a Hall of Fame class that includes The Four Horsemen, Ron Simmons, Mike Tyson, Mil Mascaras and Edge.

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