The pro wrestling world rejoiced when news hit that Kenta Kobayashi had signed with WWE in 2014. Even being renamed Hideo Itami by the company couldn't derail the excitement surrounding the guy, and fans remain convinced he's capable of doing huge things for WWE, should the creative team let him. A similar level of buzz didn't really follow Kenzo Suzuki, another Japanese grappler who joined WWE in 2004. Originally, Suzuki was earmarked to play Hirohito, an anti-American dictator, but those plans were scrapped in favour of the more straightforward persona he would debut as on Smackdown. WWE's brand extension was in full swing, so the group needed all the star power they could muster on Smackdown. Fans found it difficult to connect to the less-than-charismatic Oriental star however, and even though he was given a run as a WWE Tag-Team Champion alongside Renee Dupree, Suzuki would never fulfill what WWE hoped their new international employee would. Who knows if a run as Hirohito would have changed anything, but Suzuki wasn't a great fit for WWE, and stood out like a sore thumb.
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.
