10 Most Baffling WWE Signings Ever

8. Kenzo Suzuki

Every so often, WWE will try to sign a piece of foreign talent, hoping above all else that their home country will respond favourably and start following the company as a result. In some cases, such as The Great Khali and Alberto Del Rio, this works to a degree, but then there are those who simply don't really fit in with the way the promotion do things, and end up sticking out like a sore thumb instead. Kenzo Suzuki was signed in 2004, right in the middle of a time when WWE seemingly didn't know which direction to turn. Star power at the top of the card was starting to become pretty limited, and the fallout of the wildly-successful 'Attitude Era' had been harsh. Suzuki was introduced as pretty much a standard foreign heel, exhibiting the Anti-American traits commonly expected. Right off the bat, Suzuki didn't look comfortable in WWE, and an awkward tag-team alongside Rene Dupree did little to remedy things. The pair would win the WWE Tag-Team Titles, but fans had a hard time really becoming invested in anything the Japanese grappler was doing and he departed the company in June, 2005.
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Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.