1. Taylor Tuli Wily was an American actor, sumo wrestler and mixed martial artist.
21 Facts About Taylor Wily
1. 2.
Taylor Wily competed in UFC where he was billed as Teila Tuli and competed in sumo wrestling.
3.
Taylor Wily first went to Kahuku High School, but transferred to Farrington High School and played for the high school gridiron football team where he earned the nickname "Big T".
4.
Taylor Wily later played for the semi-professional Kauai Enforcers, a grid-iron football team on the island of Kauai.
5.
In March 1987, Taylor Wily was recruited by former sekiwake Takamiyama Daigoro, another Hawaiian, and joined Azumazeki stable, which Takamiyama had founded the previous year.
6.
Taylor Wily was given the shikona of Takamishu Daikichi.
7.
Taylor Wily was unbeaten in his first 14 official bouts, winning two consecutive yusho or tournament championships.
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Taylor Wily did not compete in the following tournament, and retired from sumo in July 1989 due to knee problems.
9.
Taylor Wily continued his training, which evolved into mixed martial arts, preparing him for the first-ever Ultimate Fighting Championships.
10.
Taylor Wily adopted name "Teila Tuli" that he was billed for during the competition.
11.
Taylor Wily explained his reasoning saying "They didn't want me to come with such an English name," he said.
12.
Taylor Wily competed in the first bout of the UFC 1 in November 1993, facing savate expert Gerard Gordeau.
13.
Taylor Wily returned briefly to competition in 1994, to win the Hawaii State Sumo Championship held in Bishop Museum beating Kenna Heffernan.
14.
Taylor Wily had small roles on the television series North Shore and One West Waikiki.
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Taylor Wily had a role in the comedy film Forgetting Sarah Marshall as a hotel worker who befriended the main character played by Jason Segel.
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Taylor Wily had a recurring role on the television series Hawaii Five-0 where he played Kamekona who was both an informant and an entrepreneur.
17.
Taylor Wily made a cameo on the 20th edition of The Amazing Race and handed out clues to racing contestants.
18.
Taylor Wily appeared as a sumo wrestler in "Battle of the Titans", an episode of One West Waikiki, another TV show filmed in Hawaii.
19.
Taylor Wily died in Hurricane, Utah, on June 20,2024, at the age of 56.
20.
Taylor Wily's death was announced by host Lina Girl Langi during the show Island Life Live.
21.
Taylor Wily was married and had a daughter and a son.