10 Japanese Wrestlers Who Were Totally Wasted In America
8. Ultimo Dragon
There are two versions of Ultimo Dragon in America. The first is in WCW, where he was part of the fantastic Cruiserweight Division facing off against the likes of Dean Malenko and Eddie Guerrero, and even winning the World Television Title. That Dragon wasn’t too bad.
It’s Ultimo’s WWE run that was a waste. Signing in 2003, it was thought that Dragon would be able to follow in the footsteps of Rey Mysterio by wowing audiences across the world. That didn’t happen. Bouncing around the mid-card, Dragon never got off the ground and was even shoved in a tag-team with Mysterio in an attempt to capitalise on the latter's popularity. Yet, nothing seemed to work.
Ultimo Dragon’s WWE run will sadly be remembered for one thing and one thing only: him tripping on his way to the ring at WrestleMania XX. It’s such a nothing moment, and it honestly could have happened to anyone, and for most, it would have been but a footnote in their career. The fact it is seen as a major moment in Dragon’s run in WWE sums it up.