Taylor Wily

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Takamikuni Daikichi
高見州 大吉
Taylor Wiley (6142489357).jpg
Wily in 2011
Personal information
BornTeila Tuli
(1968-06-14) June 14, 1968 (age 53)
Honolulu, Hawaii, U.S.
Height6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Weight450 lb (200 kg)
Career
StableAzumazeki
Record57–27–14
DebutMarch 1987
Highest rankMakushita 2 (March 1989)
RetiredJuly 1989
Championships1 (Makushita)
1 (Jonidan)
1 (Jonokuchi)

Taylor Wily (born Teila Tuli, June 14, 1968) is an American actor, former sumo wrestler and mixed martial artist.[1] He is from Laie, Hawaii and is of American Samoan descent. He is commonly known for his recurring role as Kamekona Tupuola on Hawaii Five-0.

Sumo career[]

In March 1987, Wily was recruited by former sekiwake Takamiyama Daigorō, another Hawaiian, and joined Azumazeki stable, which Takamiyama had founded the previous year. He was given the shikona (sumo name) of Takamikuni.[2] He was unbeaten in his first 14 official bouts, winning two consecutive yūshō or tournament championships. Weighing nearly 440 lb (200 kg), he was one of the largest wrestlers in sumo. In March 1988, he was promoted to the third highest makushita division, and became the first foreign born wrestler to ever win the championship in that division. In the same month, future yokozuna Akebono Tarō, also from Hawaii, joined Azumazeki stable. As the highest ranking wrestler in the stable, he was a mentor to Akebono and gave him advice on how to adjust to life in Japan.[3] In March 1989 Takamikuni reached his highest ever rank of makushita 2, and even fought two bouts with elite jūryō ranked wrestlers (one of whom, Tōryū Kenji, was a former sekiwake). Takamikuni was never to reach sekitori status himself. He did not compete in the following tournament, and retired from sumo in July 1989 due to knee problems.

Sumo career record[]

Takamikuni[4]
Year in sumo January
Hatsu basho, Tokyo
March
Haru basho, Osaka
May
Natsu basho, Tokyo
July
Nagoya basho, Nagoya
September
Aki basho, Tokyo
November
Kyūshū basho, Fukuoka
1987 x (Maezumo) East Jonokuchi #7
7–0
Champion

 
East Jonidan #48
7–0–P
Champion

 
East Sandanme #49
4–3
 
West Sandanme #31
5–2
 
1988 East Sandanme #10
4–3
 
East Makushita #55
7–0
Champion

 
East Makushita #10
2–5
 
West Makushita #23
4–3
 
East Makushita #16
5–2
 
West Makushita #8
5–2
 
West Makushita #4
4–3
 
East Makushita #2
3–4
 
East Makushita #6
0–0–7
 
East Makushita #46
Retired
0–0–7
x x
Record given as win-loss-absent    Top Division Champion Top Division Runner-up Retired Lower Divisions

Sanshō key: F=Fighting spirit; O=Outstanding performance; T=Technique     Also shown: =Kinboshi; P=Playoff(s)
Divisions: MakuuchiJūryōMakushitaSandanmeJonidanJonokuchi

Makuuchi ranks: YokozunaŌzekiSekiwakeKomusubiMaegashira

Ultimate Fighting Championship[]

After leaving sumo, he competed as Teila Tuli in the first bout of the UFC 1 in November 1993, held in Denver, Colorado.[5] It was shown on pay-per-view. Despite heavily outweighing his opponent, he lost to Gerard Gordeau, the match being stopped after Tuli was kicked in the face causing the loss of a tooth.[6] This was Tuli's only MMA fight.[5] The match has been described as one of the top five David and Goliath match-ups in MMA history.[6]

Mixed martial arts record[]

Professional record breakdown
1 match 0 wins 1 loss
By knockout 0 1
By submission 0 0
By decision 0 0
Res. Record Opponent Method Event Date Round Time Location Notes
Loss 0–1 Gerard Gordeau TKO (head kick and punches) UFC 1 November 12, 1993 1 0:26 Denver, United States First televised fight in UFC history, Jason DeLucia vs Trent Jenkins was the very first UFC fight but it was not televised and took place before the PPV began]

Acting career[]

Credited as Taylor Wily, he had a role in the comedy film Forgetting Sarah Marshall as a hotel worker who befriended the main character played by Jason Segel. He also has a recurring role on the television series Hawaii Five-0. Wily made a cameo on the 20th edition of The Amazing Race, and handed out clues to racing contestants. He also appeared as an extra in Magnum, P.I.'s 1982 episode titled "The Eighth Part of the Village" in a street scene near a pool hall.

He also appeared as a sumo wrestler in "Battle of the Titans", an episode of One West Waikiki, another TV show filmed in Hawaii starring Cheryl Ladd. In that series, he had hair, unlike his character in Hawaii Five-0, wrapped in the sumo style.

Select filmography[]

Year Film/Series Role Note
2004 North Shore Bartender "Ties That Bind"
2008 Forgetting Sarah Marshall Kemo
2010–2020 Hawaii Five-0 Kamekona Tupuola 96 Episodes[7]
2012 The Amazing Race 20 Cameo 12th Leg
2017 MacGyver Kamekona Tupuola
2018–present Magnum P.I. Kamekona Tupuola

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ "Teila Tuli: Still 'Heartbroken' 20 Years After UFC 1". Sherdog.com.
  2. ^ Sharnoff, Lora (1993). Grand Sumo: The Living Sport And Tradition. Weatherhill. p. 160. ISBN 0-8348-0283-X.
  3. ^ Panek, Mark (2006). Gaijin Yokozuna. University of Hawaii Press. ISBN 0-8248-3043-1.
  4. ^ "Takamishu Rikishi Information". Sumo Reference. Retrieved 2008-08-01.
  5. ^ a b Jarsulic, Mike (2006-10-16). "DVD Review: Ultimate Fighting Championship 1". MMATorch.com. Retrieved 2008-08-01.
  6. ^ a b Leidecker, Tim (2008-08-01). "The Top 5 David VS Goliath Matchups". Sherdog. Retrieved 2008-08-01.
  7. ^ "Hawaii Five-0" – via www.imdb.com.

External links[]

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