PRO wrestlers have taken on some crazy storylines while performing.
However, Akira Tozawa took on a real-life issue and a professional issue during one wrestling series in 2008.
At this time, Tozawa was wrestling in Dragon Gate, a Japanese professional wrestling series.
He was struggling to attain the success of his peers like Shingo Takagi and BxB Hulk.
Even those considered his equal such as Yuki Ono were beginning to rise to a higher level.
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Tozawa's mentors and the reasons for his minimal success, Keni'chiro Arai and Taku Iwasa, confronted him about his weight.
In order to get it in check, he started a seven-match trial series to show the progression of his weight loss.
His series got attention, and Tozawa was winning fights. He won three in total and finally defeated his rival Don Fujii.
After finding his success, Tozawa took a chance and made the jump to American wrestling in 2010.
There, he got the career breakthrough he was waiting for and returned to Dragon Gate as a top-level competitor.
All the while, Tozawa stayed on top of his weight loss and gradually went from overweight to shredded.
The look has stuck for him and has become a part of his persona in the WWE ever since.
Tozawa has been a participant in the WWE since 2016, becoming a fan favorite along the way for his vicious striking and fun trash-talking.
He won the WWE Cruiserweight Championship in 2017 and has been a staple of the wrestling series' lineup ever since.
Tozawa now weighs in at a lean 156 pounds according to his WWE profile.
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He fights with Alpha Academy currently and is labeled a "junior member."
His most recent fights have been another effort to prove himself as a top fighter.