10 Best Male Japanese Imports In WWE History

When Ultimo Dragon showed up in WCW, draped in gold like a Christmas tree of championship belts, WCW fans knew they were getting something special. So when the accomplished superstar finally made his way over to WWE in 2003, WWE fans unfamiliar with the Japanese high-flyer were in for a treat.

Making his TV debut at Madison Square Garden, much like Tiger Mask some 20 years prior, Ultimo Dragon made an immediate impact on the WWE audience, wowing the crowd with his aerial ability. Despite an impressive start and much fanfare upon his entry to the company, Dragon failed to maintain the momentum and was soon relegated to the Smackdown roster’s B-Show, Velocity.

Seemingly left as an afterthought by WWE creative, Dragon spent a large portion of his WWE career appearing on Velocity and would never hold the WWE Cruiserweight Championship. Despite a TV victory over Rey Mysterio, Dragon's WWE accolades are slim; however, the matches themselves were always of a high standard.

Nevertheless, following weeks of build up, Ultimo Dragon’s initial arrival in WWE was a big deal and his debut in Vince McMahon’s company was presented as being a historic occasion. Sadly, he was never used to his full potential after that and was gone within a year of his debut.