page_title: Akira Raijin
section_title: Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (2008–2011)
hierarchical_section_title: Akira Raijin / Professional wrestling career / Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (2008–2011)
caption_attribution_description: English: Wrestler Kiyoshi (real name Akira Kawabata) making his way to the ring at a Maximum Pro Wrestling show in Collingwood, Ontario
context_page_description: Akira Kawabata is a Japanese professional wrestler, currently working under the ring name Sushi. He is a two-time holder of the Gaora TV Championship. He is best known for his work in All Japan Pro Wrestling under the ring name Akira Raijin and is also known for working in North America for the Total Nonstop Action Wrestling promotion under the ring names Kiyoshi and Suicide.
context_section_description: In the later half of 2008, Kawabata signed a two-year deal with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling after an appearance on Border City Wrestling's (BCW) 15th anniversary show. He was given a heel gimmick, Kiyoshi, which resembled his mentor Great Muta, together with similar face paint and mannerisms. In his debut match on December 18, 2008, he defeated Consequences Creed with a moonsault to advance to the semifinals in a tournament for the vacant TNA X Division Championship. On December 25, he lost to Chris Sabin, failing to advance into the finals of the tournament.
  On the March 5, 2009 episode of TNA Impact!, Kiyoshi, accompanied by the tag team No Limit (Yujiro and Naito), was unable to defeat the TNA X Division Champion Alex Shelley in a match for the title. On the March 14 edition of TNA Xplosion, Kiyoshi defeated Shark Boy with his signature Lightning Flash. On the March 26, 2009 episode of Impact!, Kiyoshi, accompanied by the tag team of No Limit, unsuccessfully challenged Suicide for the TNA X Division Championship. Kiyoshi and No Limit then aligned themselves with Sheik Abdul Bashir.
  After No Limit left the company in May 2009, the duo of Kiyoshi and Bashir went on to form an alliance with The British Invasion of Doug Williams, Brutus Magnus and Rob Terry as well as Eric Young, known as World Elite. The members represented anti–American faction of countries, with Williams, Magnus and Terry representing Great Britain, Bashir representing Iran, Young representing Canada, Kiyoshi representing Japan and Homicide, who joined the group later, representing Puerto Rico. During the summer of 2009, Kiyoshi gradually faded out his Great Muta look and debuted a new look, complete with new ring attire and altered hair style. The World Elite split in early 2010, with Kiyoshi wrestled his last match so far for TNA on February 16, 2010, in an X Division three-way match, taped for Xplosion, where he and Homicide were defeated by Amazing Red. Kawabata spent the next four months wrestling part-time in Japan for All Japan Pro Wrestling.
  Kawabata returned to TNA on June 14, 2010, now under a mask portraying the face character of Suicide, losing to Magnus in a match taped for Xplosion. At the July 12 tapings of Xplosion, Kawabata picked up his first victory as Suicide, defeating Eric Young.
  After Kawabata's original two–year contract with TNA expired, it was announced on September 28, 2010, that he had signed a two–year contract extension with the promotion. On the October 8, 2010, edition of Xplosion Kawabata returned without the Suicide gimmick, working as Kiyoshi and forming a new tag team with compatriot Okada. They were defeated in their first match together by Ink Inc. (Jesse Neal and Shannon Moore). On October 13, Suicide's profile was removed from TNA's official website, seemingly signaling the end of the gimmick. Kiyoshi and Okada had a rematch with Ink Inc. at the December 7 tapings of Xplosion, but were once again defeated. Shortly afterwards, Kiyoshi's profile was also removed from TNA's official website.
caption: Kiyoshi in full pre-ring garb making his way to the ring
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