Kenta Signs With WWE In Major Hulk Hogan Angle

By Grahame Herbert / July 13, 2014

Justin Roberts TwitterKenta has officially signed with the WWE; his signing coming as part of a Hulk Hogan 'contract announcement' angle at the WWE Live Event in Osaka, Japan on Saturday. Hogan was the special ambassador who officiated the contract signature, with Jimmy Hart also taking part in the proceedings. A WWE statement now confirms that Kenta will train at the WWE Performance Centre in Florida, later becoming a part of the NXT roster.

€œKenta is an incredible performer who brings the crowd to its feet when he steps into the ring,€ said Paul Levesque, Executive Vice President, Talent, Creative and Live Events. €œWWE€™s signing of Kenta reflects our continued dedication to creating a diverse roster that appeals to our global fan base.€

In looking at this angle, it was obviously a nice touch for the Japanese audience: Kenta has been a major star in his homeland, this was a chance for the Japanese fans to wish him well in his next endeavour. The booking of Hogan as the contract officiator added even more prestige to Kenta's moment, as Hogan is still a big name in Japan, and putting him alongside Kenta will have drummed up some mainstream publicity over there. Domestically, the Kenta and Hogan angle is a way to excite the US audience too; it illustrates that this isn't your typical foreign talent coming in, he has been endorsed by Hogan and will be something a bit special. By making Kenta something of interest from the outset, he will become a compelling reason to watch NXT, and when he finally debuts on the main roster, it will also mean so much more - this is after all Hulk Hogan's big signing. You'd have to imagine that WWE will use footage of the contract signing this coming week on Raw. Of course the deal was actually worked out many months ago, it just made sense to leave the announcement to now, when WWE are in Japan and a bigger fuss can be made of it. Kenta is an athletic pro wrestler, similar in style to CM Punk and Daniel Bryan, however, his look and lack of microphone skills are going to be a serious challenge to overcome if he's to become a star in North America. What do you think of Kenta's signing? Share your thoughts below in the comments thread.