Keni'chiro Arai

Keni'chiro Arai (新井 健一郎)(born July 7, 1972 in Nerima, Tokyo, Japan) is a Japanese wrestler for Dragon Gate. He is currently in the Tozawa–juku stable. He was previously a member of Seikigun, Shin M2K, and Final M2K.

Biography

Keni'chiro Arai, also known as Araken, is a second term graduate of Ultimo Dragon's Toryumon Japan group, and has been a mainstay on the roster ever since. He participated in FMW before joining Toryumon. He debuted as a heel, but turned face within the year and has remained so since then. He is known for his love of the Hanshin Tigers baseball team, and for his very hard head. Arai frequently no-sells attacks to the head when wrestling. Earlier in his career, he played an alcoholic, and would spit beer in his opponent's faces, but this aspect of his character was quietly dropped.

Arai started as a midcarder, but gradually lost card position over the years, until he was fighting mainly in opening matches and rarely winning. However, his career changed for the better when he joined the cram school based stable Tozawa-juku in early 2007. It saw the first ever alteration of his character, and he formed a tag team with Taku Iwasa that gave his career a resurgence. The two won the Open the Twin Gate championship from inaugural champions Naruki Doi and Masato Yoshino on February 8, 2008, successfully retaining the titles twice before dropping them to Ryo Saito and Susumu Yokosuka on May 5. However, he would find championship success again the following month, for on June 28, he – along with Iwasa and newest Tozawa–juku member Shinobu – would capture the Open the Triangle Gate Titles from Shingo Takagi, YAMATO and Gamma. Unfortunately for them, they lost the titles in their first defense on July 12, losing them to Yasushi Kanda, YAMATO and Gamma.

In wrestling

*Finishing and signature moves:*"Hanshin Tiger Suplex" (Tiger superplex):*"Tobidashichuii" (Swan dive headbutt, sometimes while diving off of his tag team partner's shoulders):*"Rakusekichuii" (Diving jawbreaker):*"Tozawa–juku Hiden: Kokyuuyama" (Swan dive double foot stomp)

Championships and accomplishments

*Dragon Gate:*Dragon Gate I-J Heavyweight Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Taku Iwasa:*Dragon Gate Open the Triangle Gate Championship (1 time) – with Taku Iwasa and Shinobu:*Dragon Gate Open the Twin Gate Championship (1 time) – with Taku Iwasa

*Toryumon Japan:*UWA World Trios Championship (2 times) – with Masaaki Mochizuki and Dragon Kid (1) and with Dragon Kid and Naruki Doi (1):*NWA World Welterweight Championship (2 times)

External links

* [http://dragongate.puroresufan.com Dragon Gate at Strong Style Spirit]