MICHAEL HOLMES, WORLD NEWS: Hawaiian born and former sumo sensation Konishiki has a heavy-duty following in Japan even after his retirement from the ring. He's built a post-wrestling career that includes appearances in TV commercials, hosting talk shows and designing clothes. Now the former champ is living large with a new compact disc. CNN's Mark Armstrong explains.</s>KONISHIKI, ENTERTAINER: I guess the producers that we work with are younger - young. They try to create different kind of music, and I guess for me, being something out of the ordinary, you now, is not your everyday NBA basketball player trying to rap or your Major League Baseball player or your NFL player like John Roberts (ph), this is completely out of what we see here in the USA. Sumo wrestler? You know, it's already kind of unusual already because</s>ARMSTRONG: Konishiki says singing is something he's always done, and that he knows his limits. He says he has an easier time with rapping and that he hopes his work inspires other sumo wrestlers to discover their artistic talents.</s>KONISHIKI: In the future, I would encourage some of them to go out and try something they think they're good at. We have a lot of sumos who are very talented. Some who can sing, some are really good artists. But they're afraid because you get separated from the community. I mean, not only community but the everyday person because all our life is just sumo.</s>ARMSTRONG: His fans know him as a larger than life figure with a heart bigger than his massive frame. He's also adored for starting an exchange program called Konoshiki's Kids in which Hawaiian children travel to Japan for exposure to a different culture. Whether Konoshiki is best known for his exploits in the ring or at the microphone, he is, his fans say, definitely one of a kind. Mark Armstrong, CNN.
Sumo Wrestler Goes From Ring to Recording Booth 