Kenta Kobashi

Kenta Kobashi
Kobashi in 2007
Born (1967-03-27) March 27, 1967 (age 57)
Fukuchiyama, Kyoto, Japan
Spouse(s)
Mizuki Mai
(m. 2010)
Children1
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s)Kenta Kobashi
Blaze[1]
Billed height1.86 m (6 ft 1 in)[2]
Billed weight115 kg (254 lb)[2]
Billed fromKyoto, Japan
Trained byDory Funk Jr.
Giant Baba
Kazuharu Sonoda
Masanobu Fuchi
DebutFebruary 26, 1988
RetiredMay 11, 2013

Kenta Kobashi (小橋 健太, Kobashi Kenta, ring name: 小橋 建太) (born, March 27, 1967) is a Japanese professional wrestling promoter and retired professional wrestler. He started his career in All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW) in 1988, where he became one of the promotion's top stars, holding the Triple Crown Heavyweight Championship three times, and winning the Champion Carnival in 2000. Kobashi left All Japan in June 2000, taking part in a mass exodus led by Mitsuharu Misawa, which led to the formation of Pro Wrestling Noah.

Widely regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time,[3][4] Kobashi worked for Noah for thirteen years, and had the longest singular GHC Heavyweight Championship reign of all time, holding the championship for 735 days between 2003 and 2005. Overall, Kobashi was a four-time world champion and an eight-time tag team champion.

Kobashi spent many of the later years of his career sidelined due to various injuries. He underwent numerous surgeries on his arms and legs in the early-mid 2000s before retiring from in-ring action in May 2013. Kobashi continues to make sporadic appearances in both Noah and All Japan, while also promoting his own shows under the Fortune Dream banner.

  1. ^ "NOAH Halloween with NOAH « Events Database « CAGEMATCH - the Internet Wrestling Database".
  2. ^ a b "Pro Wrestling Illustrated 500 - 2004 : 4 Kenta Kobashi". Pro Wrestling Illustrated. Sports and Entertainment publications LLC. October 2004. p. 22. December 2004.
  3. ^ Podgorski, Alexander (May 16, 2015). "10 Reasons Kenta Kobashi Is The Greatest Wrestler Of The Modern Era". WhatCulture.com. Retrieved September 22, 2023.
  4. ^ Djeljosevic, Danny (April 28, 2022). "10 Things You Should Know About Japanese Wrestling Legend Kenta Kobashi". TheSportster. Retrieved September 22, 2023.