10 NXT Call Ups To WWE Main Roster – 5 We Will See And 5 We Won’t
6. WON'T - Kushida
Oh Kushida. Why did you have to leave New Japan?
NXT’s biggest signing since Shinsuke Nakamura, Marty McFly’s Japanese cousin had the red carpet rolled out for him. An international press conference dedicated to his contract signing was shortly followed up by the standard NXT appearance in the crowd, at TakeOver: New York. WWE was making a big deal about the arrival of the 6-time IWGP Jr Heavyweight Champion.
This writer, personally, never thought Kushida was a great fit for NXT. The WWE’s booking of Japanese stars has been spotty over the years. NXT isn’t exempt from this either; for every Asuka, there was a Hideo Itami. While many fans were hopeful that WWE management would have respect for the ‘Time Splitter’s’ immense talents, they were soon let down.
A brief program with WALTER during the first month of NXT on USA caught the attention of many, but clearly not management. Apart from sporadic filler matches, Kushida became an afterthought. Reforming the popular Time Splitters tag team with Alex Shelley for the Dusty Tag Team Classic was a breath of fresh air for the star, but they lost to The Grizzled Young Veterans in an average Round 1 affair. A main event against Adam Cole on NXT TV in February was the last thing of note the Japanese star has done on the yellow brand.
Already dead in the water, don’t be surprised if Kushida has returned to Japan before he’s promoted to Raw or SmackDown.