Akira Tozawa

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Akira Tozawa
Statistics
Ring name(s)
Born	July 22, 1985 (1985-07-22) (age 22) Kobe, Hyogo, Japan

Akira Tozawa (born July 22, 1985 in Kobe, Hyogo, Japan) is a Japanese professional wrestler for Dragon Gate. He currently is the leader of Tozawa-juku.

1 Career
2 Finishing and signature moves
3 References
4 External links

[edit] Career

Akira Tozawa was the third graduate of the Dragon Gate dojo to debut. He was being groomed to enter the stable M2K, but he did not progress very well, in a pattern that would continue for his entire career. After debuting he underwent a 10 match trial series, losing all 10 matches and being banished back to the DG dojo.

Tozawa returned in October 2005, teaming with fellow rookie Yuki Ono/Katsuo. However, he ended up teaming with Vangelis, a wrestler with a Nazi stripper gimmick. Keni'chiro Arai intervened, much to Tozawa's resentment, and when Arai deemed him ready to join M2K, Tozawa refused. He stated his intention to run a stable of his own, and created a cram school based stable, Tozawa-Juku.

Even though Tozawa-Juku bears his name, he is not necessarily the leader. He is regularly held off the Dragon Gate cards, has progressed little, and is far beneath his stablemates Taku Iwasa and Keni'chiro Arai in rank. Recently he has given up rank to Yuki Ono as well. As Ono's increased popularity and rank was in part brought on by a massive amout of weight gain (40+KG), Tozawa has begun to bulk up as well.

[edit] Finishing and signature moves

Tozawa-juku Hiden: Aburaburo shiki Taigatame (Tozawa sits on the victims' chest for a pinfall attempt)
Tozawa-juku Hiden: Hurray! Hurray! Tozawa! (Diving headbutt followed by Tozawa saying "HURRAY! HURRAY! TO-ZA-WA!")
Tozawa-juku Hiden: Tozawa Backdrop Hold (Belly to back suplex pin)
Tozawa-juku Hiden: Sankaigan Zanjyu (Tozawa drops down onto the upper chest of the victim)
Tozawa-juku Hiden: Iwaki (Running leaping double knee smash followed into a pin)
Apron kara Tozawa (Tozawa runs along the ring apron, leaps to the top rope and then performs a diving headbutt)
Tozawa Driver (Falcon Arrow)