10 First Years In WWE That Went From Amazing To Awful
7. Hideo Itami
A figure of sympathy rather than fear for almost all of his troubled NXT tenure, the former KENTA has repeatedly been victimised by rotten luck and bad timing during his career with the developmental brand.
Arriving in 2014 when a name change was still a requirement, he lost his globally renowned moniker unlike many that followed. His eclectic babyface charisma was apparent initially, with a suited and booted beatdown of angry ex-Tag Team Champions The Ascension setting the stall out for his first feud and the maiden appearance of another debutant from Japan.
But Finn Bálor's emergence inadvertently marked Hideo's first major setback. Paired together to defeat Konnor and Viktor at the phenomenal NXT TakeOver: R Evolution supercard, Itami's aura was dwarfed by Full Sail's first look at 'The Demon'. Commanding all the attention with the character, Itami was unable to escape from his shadow right up to an unfortunate injury the following May.
It was during that time when NXT became the wrestling world's favourite destination. Bálor and NXT Champion Kevin Owens tore it up in Japan, whilst women's and tag divisions went from strength to strength and contributed to a 2015 TakeOver: Brooklyn that for many was the culmination of several years' worth of careful development.
Hideo was gone for over a year, then had his return parked after only three months with yet another knock. NXT, and the industry at large had moved on, and a recent heel turn feels like the company's last gasp effort to salvage value from the fallen star.