10 Failed WWE Stars Who Re-Invented Themselves In Japan

9. Kenzo Suzuki

Fun fact: when WWE hired Kenzo Suzuki, they chose him over Hiroshi Tanahashi. Let that sink in for a minute. WWE tried to make Suzuki into a Japanese stereotype, complete with oriental music, martial arts attire, and a geisha companion. It didn€™t work out well for him at all, and the most notable things he achieved were a short run with the WWE Tag Team Championships and a storyline where he was obsessed with Torrie Wilson. Zenzo lacked the charisma needed to be a top star, and was released before ever making his RAW debut after being drafted to the red band in April 2004. Since then, he has returned to his native Japan, where he's managed to find more success, mainly due to the different mentalities of the bookers there. Though he wasn€™t the most athletic or technically-skilled guy (especially by Japanese standards), he still managed to work well when it counted, which led to successful singles and tag team title runs, as well as a shot at the Triple Crown Heavyweight Championship. Could WWE have made better use of Suzuki during his WWE career? Yes, but only if they didn€™t include the stereotypical elements of his character. Then again, they chose him over Tanahashi who was, and is, a Japanese Eddie Guerrero. That says quite a bit about their talent-scouting abilities back then, to be honest.