KENTA

Real name: Kenta Kobayashi
Height: 5’8″
Weight: 180 lbs.
Date of birth: March 12, 1981
Hometown: Soka, Japan
Pro debut: May 24, 2000
Trained by: All Japan, Kenta Kobashi, Yoshihiro Takayama
Finishing move: Go 2 Sleep

Biography

– In his early career, Kobayashi worked under his real name
– In his debut match, Kobayashi was defeated by Naomichi Marufuji
– In the summer of 2000, Kobayashi was one of several All Japan wrestlers who left the promotion to form Pro Wrestling NOAH
– In July 2001, Kobayashi became KENTA in an attempt to avoid confusion between himself and his mentor, Kenta Kobashi
– On October 14, 2002, KENTA, Kenta Kobashi & Kentaro Shiga defeated Akitoshi Saito, Jun Akiyama & Makoto Hashi to win the NOAH One Day Tournament
– On July 16, 2003, KENTA & Naomichi Marufuji defeated Jushin Liger & Takehiro Murahama in the final of a tournament to become the first GHC Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champions
– On September 12, 2003, KENTA & Marufuji defeated Makoto Hashi & Yoshinobu Kanemaru to retain the GHC Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Titles
– On November 1, 2003, KENTA & Marufuji defeated Juventud Guerrera & Ricky Marvin to retain the GHC Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Titles
– On December 11, 2003, KENTA & Marufuji defeated Mitsuo Momota & Tsuyoshi Kikuchi to retain the GHC Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Titles
– On January 10, 2004, KENTA & Marufuji defeated El Samurai & Wataru Inoue to retain the GHC Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Titles
– On April 3, 2004, KENTA & Marufuji defeated Kotaro Suzuki & Yoshinari Ogawa to retain the GHC Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Titles
– On June 1, 2004, KENTA & Marufuji defeated Kotaro Suzuki & Ricky Marvin to retain the GHC Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Titles
– On July 10, 2004, KENTA & Marufuji defeated Kendo Kashin & Takashi Sugiura to retain the GHC Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Titles
– On October 22, 2004, KENTA & Marufuji defeated Ricky Marvin & SUWA to retain the GHC Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Titles
– On December 18, 2004, KENTA & Marufuji defeated X-Team (Juventud Guerrera & Mr Aguila) to retain the GHC Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Titles
– On May 8, 2005, KENTA & Marufuji defeated Minoru Fujita & Ikuto Hidaka to win the Differ Cup Tournament
– On July 18, 2005, KENTA defeated Yoshinobu Kanemaru to win the GHC Junior Heavyweight Title
– On September 18, 2005, KENTA defeated SUWA to retain the GHC Junior Heavyweight Title
– On October 28, 2005, KENTA defeated Mushiking Terry to retain the GHC Junior Heavyweight Title
– On December 10, 2005, KENTA defeated Ace Steel to retain the GHC Junior Heavyweight Title
– At ROH Final Battle 2005, KENTA defeated Low Ki to retain the GHC Junior Heavyweight Title
– On January 22, 2006, KENTA defeated Naomichi Marufuji to retain the GHC Junior Heavyweight Title
– On April 23, 2006, KENTA defeated Taiji Ishimori to retain the GHC Junior Heavyweight Title
– At ROH Glory By Honor 5, KENTA challenged Bryan Danielson for the ROH World Title but came up short in a 33-minute match
– On March 20, 2008, KENTA & Taiji Ishimori defeated BxB Hulk & Shingo Takagi to win the GHC Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Titles
– On June 1, 2008, KENTA & Ishimori defeated Kotaro Suzuki & Ricky Marvin to retain the GHC Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Titles
– On June 21, 2008, KENTA & Ishimori defeated Bryan Danielson & Eddie Edwards to retain the GHC Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Titles
– On October 13, 2008, KENTA defeated Bryan Danielson to win the GHC Junior Heavyweight Title
– On October 25, 2008, KENTA fought AJPW Junior Heavyweight Champion Naomichi Marufuji to a time-limit draw
– On November 28, 2008, KENTA defeated Eddie Edwards to retain the GHC Junior Heavyweight Title
– On January 25, 2009, KENTA defeated Kotaro Suzuki to retain the GHC Junior Heavyweight Title
– On March 1, 2009, KENTA defeated Katsuhiko Nakajima to win the GHC Junior Heavyweight Title, having lost it to him less than a month previously
– On April 3, 2009, KENTA defeated Davey Richards to retain the GHC Junior Heavyweight Title
– On June 4, 2009, KENTA defeated Ricky Marvin to retain the GHC Junior Heavyweight Title
– On September 21, 2009, KENTA defeated Atsushi Aoki to retain the GHC Junior Heavyweight Title
– On May 25, 2011, KENTA & Yoshinobu Kanemaru defeated Atsushi Aoki & Kotaro Suzuki to win the vacant GHC Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Titles
– On August 18, 2011, KENTA & Kanemaru defeated Atsushi Aoki & Takashi Sugiura to win the NOAH Two Day Tournament
– On August 24, 2011, KENTA & Kanemaru defeated Atsushi Aoki & Kotaro Suzuki to retain the GHC Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Titles
– On October 8, 2012, KENTA & Mayback Taniguchi defeated Magnus & Samoa Joe to win the GHC Tag Team Titles
– On November 23, 2012, KENTA defeated Takashi Sugiura to win the Pro Wrestling NOAH Global League
– On January 27, 2013, KENTA defeated Takeshi Morishima to win the GHC Heavyweight Title
– In February 2013, KENTA won the Torneo Latinoamericano de Lucha Libre
– On March 10, 2013, KENTA defeated Maybach Taniguchi to retain the GHC Heavyweight Title
– On April 28, 2013, KENTA & Yoshihiro Takyama won the NOAH Global Tag League, defeating Katsuhiko Nakajima & Kensuke Sasaki in the final
– On May 11, KENTA was involved in Kenta Kobashi’s retirement match, teaming with Go Shiozaki, Maybach Taniguchi & Yoshinobu Kanemaru in a loss to Kobashi, Jun Akiyama, Keiji Mutoh & Kensuke Sasaki
– The following day, KENTA defeated Takashi Sugiura to retain the GHC Heavyweight Title
– On June 2, 2013, KENTA defeated Toru Yano to retain the GHC Heavyweight Title
– On July 7, 2013, KENTA defeated Naomichi Marufuji to retain the GHC Heavyweight Title
– On August 4, 2013, KENTA defeated Mohammed Yone to retain the GHC Heavyweight Title
– On September 7, 2013, KENTA defeated Shane Haste to retain the GHC Heavyweight Title
– Just over a week later, KENTA defeated Haste’s tag team partner Mikey Nicholls to retain the GHC Heavyweight Title
– On October 5, 2013, KENTA defeated Katsuhiko Nakajima to retain the GHC Heavyweight Title. This defence made KENTA the first man to successfully defend the title 8 times in a calendar year
– On December 7, 2013, KENTA defeated Yuji Nagata to retain the GHC Heavyweight Title
– In January 2014, KENTA underwent a trial at the WWE Performance Centre. He claimed that he was not chasing a WWE contract, rather, he wanted to experience a WWE workout
– On April 30, 2014, KENTA announced his resignation from NOAH under growing speculation that he would be signing with WWE
– On May 17, 2014, KENTA wrestled his farewell match, teaming with Naomichi Marufuji to defeat Katsuhiko Nakajima & Takashi Sugiura
– In July 2014, KENTA inked a deal with World Wrestling Entertainment. The signing was officially announced in-ring during WWE’s tour of Japan
– In September 2014, KENTA debuted in NXT as Hideo Itama
– Itami made his NXT debut at Takeover: Fatal 4-Way. He was introduced to the crowd by William Regal before fighting off an attack from The Ascension
– Over the coming months, Itami feuded with The Ascension, eventually debuting Finn Balor as his partner
– At NXT Takeover R:Evolution, Itami & Balor defeated The Ascension (Konnor & Viktor)
– In January 2015, Itami entered the NXT Title Contenders Tournament, defeating Tyler Breeze before losing to Finn Balor
– In March 2015, Itami entered the Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal Qualifying Tournament, defeating Jason Jordan, Adrian Neville & Finn Balor on his way to victory
– At WrestleMania, Itami appeared in the Andre The Giant Battle Royal, but was soon eliminated by The Big Show
– In May 2015, Itami suffered a shoulder injury which would rule him out for over a year
– Itami returned to action at an NXT live event on June 30, 2016
– In October 2016, Itami suffered a neck injury as a result of a botched powerslam from Riddick Moss
– Itami returned to action at a live event in March 2017
– In November 2017, it was announced that Itami would be graduating to the main roster and competing on 205 Live
– On September 1, 2018, Itami returned to NOAH for one night only to compete against Naomichi Marufuji in Marufuji’s 20th Anniversary Match
– In January 2019, Itami requested and was granted his release from WWE. He officially left the company on February 22
– KENTA debuted for New Japan at Dominion 2019, announcing his intention to compete in the G1 Climax Tournament
– On the final night of the tournament, KENTA turned on Tomohiro Ishii & YOSHI-HASHI to join Bullet Club
– At Royal Quest 2019, KENTA defeated Ishii to win the NEVER Openweight Title
– At Destruction in Beppu 2019, Bullet Club (KENTA, Taiji Ishimori, Yujiro Takahashi, Bad Luck Fale & El Phantasmo) defeated Kota Ibushi, Will Ospreay, Togi Makabe, Tomoaki Honma & Robbie Eagles
– On September 28, KENTA defeated YOSHI-HASHI to retain the NEVER Openweight Title
– At Power Struggle 2019, KENTA defeated Tomohiro Ishii to retain the NEVER Openweight Title
– KENTA won the 2020 New Japan Cup USA Tournament, defeating David Finlay in the final
– At Power Struggle 2020, KENTA defeated Hiroshi Tanahashi
– KENTA wrestled his first match for AEW on February 4, 2021, teaming with Kenny Omega to defeat Jon Moxley & Lance Archer in a Falls Count Anywhere Match
– At NJPW’s 49th Anniversary Show, Bullet Club (KENTA, Jay White, Taiji Ishimori, Chase Owens & EVIL) defeated Hiroshi Tanahashi, David Finlay, Juice Robinson, Ryusuke Taguchi & Toa Henare
– At Power Struggle 2021, KENTA defeated Hiroshi Tanahashi to win the IWGP United States Title
– At NOAH The New Year 2022, KENTA, Takashi Sugiura & Kazushi Sakuraba defeated Daiki Inaba, Yoshiki Inamura & Masa Kitamiya
– At Wrestle Kingdom 16, Bullet Club (KENTA, Taiji Ishimori & El Phantasmo) defeated Hiroshi Tanahashi, Rocky Romero & Ryusuke Taguchi
– At The New Beginning in Nagoya 2023, Bullet Club (KENTA, El Phantasmo & Taiji Ishimori) defeated Hiroshi Tanahashi, Master Wato & Jado
– At Battle In The Valley 2023, KENTA defeated Fred Rosser to win the NJPW STRONG Openweight Title
– At NJPW’s 51st Anniversary Special, Bullet Club (KENTA & El Phantasmo) defeated TMDK (Zack Sabre Jr & Kosei Fujita)
– At the Impact/NJPW Multiverse United event, KENTA defeated Minoru Suzuki to retain the NJPW STRONG Openweight Title
– At Sakura Genesis 2023, Bullet Club (KENTA, David Finlay & El Phantasmo) defeated Tama Tonga, Hikuleo & Master Wato. Following the match, Finlay and KENTA attacked El Phantasmo, with assists from Gedo and Taiji Ishimori, kicking Phantasmo out of Bullet Club
– At Capital Collision 2023, KENTA defeated Eddie Edwards to retain the NJPW STRONG Openweight Title
– KENTA lost the NJPW STRONG Openweight Title to Hikuleo at Wrestling Dontaku 2023, but would regain it later that month at NJPW STRONG Resurgence