SB KENTo

SB KENTo in June 2022

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Nagoya, Aichi, Japan

**Kento Kobune** (小舩賢登, *Kobune Kento*, born February 6, 2000 in Nagoya, Aichi, Japan), better known as **SB KENTo** (SBケント, *SB Kento*) is a Japanese professional wrestler, better known for his work at Dragon Gate (DG), where he is a former one-time Open The Twin Gate Champion, a former two-time Open The Brave Gate Champion and a one-time Open The Triangle Gate Champion.

Kobune was trained in the Dragon Gate Dojo and made his debut in December 2019. Kobune worked as a rookie alongside Madoka Kikuta and Taketo Kamei, before being placed on Dragon Gate's mid-card under a year. In November 2020, Kobune turned heel joining the villainous R.E.D and subsequently won the Open The Triangle Gate Championship at Gate of Destiny, before renaming himself to "SB KENTo" (SBケント, *SB Kento*), or SBK, for short. KENTo's breakthrough led to him being named the Rookie of the Year. The following year, KENTo became the youngest Open The Brave Gate Champion in Dragon Gate's history at 21 years old. At the end of 2021, KENTo simultaneously held the Open The Brave and Open The Twin Gate Championships, holding both titles for three weeks. In July 2022, KENTo, was sent to a excursion to further his wrestling training and gain international experience. However in June 2023, his contract was terminated following a suspected breach of his contract.

## Professional wrestling career

### Dragon Gate

#### Early career (2019–2020)

Kobune trained for his professional wrestling career in the Japanese promotion Dragon Gate's wrestling school called "Dragon Gate Nex", wrestling several exhibition bouts before making his officially debut teaming with Naruki Doi in a winning effort against Taketo Kamei and YAMATO on December 22, 2019. As it is customary for most professional wrestlers, Kobune spent most of his matches losing to other and more experienced wrestlers, which would help put over other wrestlers while at the same time giving Kobune some in-ring, televised, experience. Over the following months, Kobune began impressing with his performances, leading him to be resembled to Naruki Doi in his early career.

#### Heel turn and major push (2020–2022)

On November 3, 2020, at Gate of Destiny, Kobune turned heel revealing himself to be R.E.D's newest member, replacing Diamante, who was sidelined with an injury. Afterwards, Kobune, and his R.E.D stablemates Kazma Sakamoto, and Takashi Yoshida defeated Team Boku (Naruki Doi, Punch Tominaga, and Ryotsu Shimizu) to win the Open The Triangle Gate Championship. Two days later, Kobune renamed himself to "SB KENTo", or SBK, for short. Afterwards, KENTo began picking up wins over Dragon Gate veterans, leading him on November 15 at Kobe Pro-Wrestling Festival, Dragon Gate's biggest show of the year, submitting Masato Yoshino as part of a title defense of the Open The Triangle Gate Championship, during which R.E.D made their first title defense against Dragon Gate Generation (Ben-K, Yosuke♥Santa Maria and U-T) and Toryumon Generation (Dragon Kid, Kagetora and Masato Yoshino). On December 20, at Final Gate, R.E.D forced Toryumon Generation to disband, after defeating them in No Disqualification Losing Unit Disbands match, with KENTo submitting Dragon Gate veteran Dragon Kid for the victory.

During this time, KENTo began feuding with stablemate Takashi Yoshida, after showing his dislike towards him, claiming that KENTo was a regular "green boy" (rookie). This led to on January 13, 2021, KENTo, Yoshida and Sakamoto losing the Open The Triangle Gate Championship to the newly reunited Natural Vibes (Genki Horiguchi, Kzy, and Susumu Yokosuka), after KENTo accidentally hit Yoshida with a box attack. Afterwards, Yoshida who was furious with KENTo, tried to kick him out of R.E.D, before Yoshida was the one to be kicked out of R.E.D. In February, KENTO was involved in a feud with R.E.D stablemate KAI against Dragon Kid and YAMATO, where Kid seeked revenge against KENTo for the disbanding of Toryumon Generation. This led into a match on February 5, where KENTo and KAI faced Dragon Kid and YAMATO. The match ended by disqualification after KENTo removed Kid's mask. However, dissatisfied with the outcome of the match, Kid and YAMATO faced KAI and KENTo in a rematch, which Kid pinned KENTo. On March 4, KENTo faced Kid in a winning effort. Afterwards, YAMATO attacked him, until KAI appeared, which led to YAMATO facing KAI in a losing effort. After the match, YAMATO kept attacking KAI, until Dragon Gate's General Manager Takayuki Yagi announced that KENTo would be forced to team with Kid and KAI with YAMATO in a *Mask vs. Hair* Steel cage survival tag team match on May 5, at Dead or Alive. At Dead or Alive, after Dragon Kid escaped, KENTo allowed YAMATO to escape and win the match for his team, in order to face Kid in the *Mask vs. Hair* match, which he lost, leading KENTo to be forced to shave his hair. Later that month, KENTo took part in the 2021 King of Gate, winning his block with a record of three wins and two losses, advancing to the semifinals of the tournament. On June 3, in the semifinals, KENTo lost to the eventual tournament winner Kzy.

On August 1 at Speed Star Final, KENTo submitted former Open The Brave Gate Champion Keisuke Okuda during a six-man tag team match. Later that night, KENTo appeared on Kagetora's backstage interview, challenging him to a title match for the Open The Brave Gate Championship, while proceeding to provoke him. Seven days later, KENTo defeated Kagetora to become the youngest Open The Brave Gate Champion in history at 21 years old. Following the match, KENTo was challenged by former champion Keisuke Okuda to a title match. The following day, KENTo and Okuda's title match ended in a no contest. Afterwards, Dragon Gate's newest General Manager Ryo Saito stripped KENTo of the championship, before announcing a rematch between the two on September 11 to crown a new Open The Brave Gate Champion. On September 11, 2021, KENTo defeated Okuda in a rematch to win the Open The Brave Gate Championship for the second time. On December 26, at Final Gate KENTo and R.E.D stablemate H.Y.O defeated Naruki Doi and Takashi Yoshida to win the Open The Twin Gate Championship, becoming a double champion in the process. On January 12, 2022, KENTo lost the Open The Brave Gate Championship to the returning Dragon Dia in 90 seconds. The following day, KENTo and H.Y.O lost the Open The Twin Gate Championship to Dragon Dia and Yuki Yoshioka.

Following Eita's departure from R.E.D on February 5, KENTo and H.Y.O decided to rename the stable to "Z-Brats", in order to distance themselves to concept of R.E.D that was created by Eita. At Memorial Gate in Wakayama, after Dia and Yoshioka successfully defended the Open The Twin Gate Championship, KENTo and H.Y.O challenged them to a rematch, which they accepted. Meanwhile, KENTo and H.Y.O had also been feuding with Eita and Yosuke♡Santa Maria, after H.Y.O and KENTo kicked Eita out of R.E.D. On March 3, Eita and Maria defeated H.Y.O and KENTo. Afterwards, Maria attacked by H.Y.O and KENTo, before Eita made the save. Maria then persuaded Eita to form a team, before also challenging for the Open The Twin Gate Championship, setting up a title match at the event. After failling to regain the Open The Twin Gate Championship alongside H.Y.O on March 23, KENTo challenged Dia to a rematch for the Open The Brave Gate Championship at Dead or Alive, which he accepted. At Dead or Alive, KENTo unsuccessfully challenged Dia in a rematch for the Open The Brave Gate Championship. Later that month, KENTo took part in the 2022 King of Gate, being eliminated in the first round to Madoka Kikuta.

#### Departure (2022–2023)

On July 30 in the first night of Kobe Pro-Wrestling Festival, KENTo won a Dragon Scramble match to become the number one contender to the Open Brave Gate Championship. The following day, KENTo unsucessfully challenged fellow Z-Brats stablemate H.Y.O for the Open The Brave Gate Championship. Afterwards, it was announced that KENTo would be sent to a learning excursion to Mexico and the United States for an indefinite period of time, at his request.

In May 2023, Wrestling journalist Dave Meltzer of the *Wrestling Observer Newsletter* reported that KENTo was longer working for Dragon Gate, alongside rookie Takuma Fujiwara. Later that month, it was revealed that they were contacted by the Dragon Gate office and asked to not associate the two wrestlers with the company going forward. On June 17, Dragon Gate confirmed that KENTo and Fujiwara's contracts were terminated "with their consent", following a suspected breach of their contract. According to Dragon Gate, there were unsuccessful efforts to "find a mutually satisfactory path" towards resolving the conflict, which led to the decision.

## In wrestling

* **Finishing moves**
	+ Brainbuster
	+ Bridging cross-arm German suplex
	+ Fisherman driver
	+ *SB Shooter* (Sharpshooter)
* **Signature moves**
	+ Calf kick
	+ Dropkick
	+ *Genmaicha* (Hangman's neckbreaker dropped onto the knee)
	+ German suplex
	+ Gutwrench suplex
	+ Knife edge chop
	+ *SB Crash/SBL* (Standing fireman's carry takeover, sometimes spun into a cutter)
	+ *SBK Chant* (Slap or stomp to an opponent's back leaning against the corner with theatrics)
	+ Sleeper hold
	+ Spinebuster
	+ Standing frog splash
	+ Standing moonsault
	+ Stepover cross armbreaker to a standing opponent
	+ *Tarzan Heart* (Cross-legged STF) - adopted from Masato Yoshino
* **With Diamante**
	+ **Tag team finishers**
		- *MCC* (*Super Torre* (Diamante) / Jumping cutter (KENTo) combination)
* **Entrance themes**
	+ "Dragon Storm 2019 (Instrumental Version)" by Dragon Gate
	+ "Delight Extra Realize" (2nd version) by YO-HEI (used as part of R.E.D.)
	+ **"SBK"** by Goodbye Mozart

 Championships and Accomplishments

* **Dragon Gate**
	+ Open The Brave Gate Championship (2 times)
	+ Open The Twin Gate Championship (1 times) – with H.Y.O
	+ Open The Triangle Gate Championship (1 time) – with Kazma Sakamoto and Takashi Yoshida
	+ Rookie of the Year Award (2020)
	+ Best Bout Award (2020) R.E.D vs. Toryumon Generation on December 20
	+ Royal Sambo (2021)
* **Wrestling Observer Newsletter**
	+ 4½ Star Match (2020) R.E.D vs. Toryumon Generation on December 20

## Notes

1. ↑ This was a steel cage tag team match, where KENTo teamed with Dragon Kid and faced KAI and YAMATO.