KENTA

Birthdate:  March 12th, 1981
Height: 5'8"
Weight: 178 lbs.
Debut:  May 24th, 2000
Background:  All Japan Dojo Graduate
Promotion History: All Japan (2000) and NOAH (2000 to present)
Alliances:  Burning
Ring Attire:  Brown pants
Card Position:  Mid-Card/Upper Mid-Card
Major Tournaments Won: Nippon TV Cup Jr. Heavyweight Tag League (2007 and 2008)
Current Title Held: None 

Championship History:

GHC Jr. Heavyweight Championship:
- Defeated Yoshinobu Kanemaru on 7/18/05 and lost to Takashi Sugiura on 6/4/06
- Defeated Bryan Danielson on 10/13/08 and lost to Katsuhiko Nakajima on 2/11/09
- Defeated Katsuhiko Nakajima on 3/1/09 and Vacated in October

GHC Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Championship with Naomichi Marufuji:
- Defeated Liger and Murahama on 7/16/03 and lost to Kanemaru and Sugiura on 6/5/05

GHC Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Championship with Taiji Ishimori:
- Defeated BxB Hulk and Takagi on 3/20/08 and lost to Kanemaru and Suzuki on 7/13/08

Biggest Matches:
- July 16th, 2003 with Marufuji vs. Jushin Liger and Takehiro Murahama (title win)
- January 10th, 2004 with Marufuji vs. El Samurai and Wataru Inoue (title defense)
- July 18th, 2005 vs. Yoshinobu Kanemaru (title win)
- March 5th, 2006 vs. Kenta Kobashi
- October 29th, 2006 vs. Naomichi Marufuji (title challenge)
- March 1st, 2009 vs. Katsuhiko Nakajima (title win)

Pictures:
- KENTA with a kick to Morishima
- KENTA with the Busaiku Knee Kick

Signature Moves:
- Busaiku Knee Kick
- Falcon Arrow
- Fishermans Buster
- Go 2 Sleep
- Koutoubu Kick
- Liger Bomb
- Slingshot Legdrop
- Strike Combination
- Tiger Suplex Hold

2005 Recap:
KENTA had one of the best years of any wrestler in NOAH in 2005, and certainly the best year for a Jr. Heavyweight.  Even though he and Marufuji lost the GHC Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Championship on June 5th, a title they held for almost two full years, KENTA quickly rebounded back.  On the Tokyo Dome Show in July, KENTA defeated Kanemaru for the GHC Jr. Heavyweight Championship.  Before 2005 ended, KENTA successfully defended the title against his main rival SUWA and Mushiking Terry.

2006 Recap:
Still the Jr. Heavyweight Champion, KENTA defeated his old teammate Marufuji in January to keep the title. In March KENTA lost a brutal match against Kobashi, but in April he defeated Taiji Ishimori in a title match. On June 4th, KENTA would lose his title to Sugiura. On October 29th, he failed to win the GHC Heavyweight Championship in a match against his old foe Marufuji. An up and down year for KENTA, as he seems (for now) to have been passed by Marufuji and Morishima on the ladder. He is still considered one of the future leaders of NOAH, however, and it will be interesting to see if from here he continues wrestling in the Jr. Heavyweight Division or tries again for the GHC Heavyweight Championship.

2007 Recap:
KENTA continued having success in 2007 even though he still seemed to be behind his old team mate Marufuji in the rankings. On March 4th, KENTA challenged for the ROH Heavyweight Championship but was defeated by Morishima in under 10 minutes. Teaming with Ishimori, KENTA won the Nippon TV Cup Jr. Heavyweight Tag League, showing that KENTA could still dominate the Jr. Heavyweight division. On November 3rd, in Ring of Honor, KENTA challenged for the GHC Heavyweight Championship but was defeated by Misawa. KENTA did not try to win back the GHC Jr. Heavyweight Championship in 2007, and if he decides to stay in the Jr. Heavyweight Division then that would be a logical next step for him in 2008.

2009 Recap:
KENTA entered 2009 as the GHC Jr. Heavyweight Champion, winning it in October of 2008 from Bryan Danielson. He wouldn't keep it long however, as on February 11th he lost the title to Katsuhiko Nakajima. He promptly won it back on March 1st however, and had three successful defenses before forfeiting the title in October due to an injury. In the Nippon TV Cup Jr. Heavyweight Tag League in the summer, KENTA teamed with Taiji Ishimori and the pair reached the Semi Finals before losing to Yoshinobu Kanemaru and Kotaro Suzuki. KENTA missed the rest of the year after his knee injury in October and a return date has not been set.


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