Debuting in 2005, KENTA wrestled a plethora of times in independent promotion Ring of Honor. It's entirely possible that WWE agents getting their hands on his Ring of Honor matches initially put him on the map to the company, as they were main event caliber performances against numerous competitors who are significant players in WWE at-present. In fact, what made KENTA's American excursions so intriguing is that his hybrid style of wrestling became so popular that many developing young American wrestlers count him as a significant influence in their in-ring development.