Aaron Henare is an athlete
who's doing well for himself
in Japan.
But unlike many NZ ex-pats
in the land of the rising sun,
the 26-year-old is thriving
in professional wrestling rather
than rugby.
As Te Rina Kowhai reports,
Henare is contracted
to a Japanese wrestling
promotion company
that's second only to America's WWE.
A warrior from Ngapuhi
and Ngai Takoto.
He's a pro wrestler competing
at places like the Tokyo Dome,
a place which can draw on average
40,000 people at just one event.
For the last 3 years,
the 108 kg wrestler has been taught
through the Japanese style
dojo system.
He says it was wrestlers
like 'The Rock'
that got him into the game.
Every month this wrestler returns
to this dojo fale in Otahuhu,
to train wrestlers here in NZ.
Apart from his Japanese appearances,
Henare next month will tour
in Melbourne and Sydney
for the Southern Showdown.
Te Rina Kowhai, Te Karere.
