10 Worst Anti-American Wrestling Gimmicks
5. Kenzo Suzuki
Kenzo Suzuki presented an interesting twist on the usual generic hatred of America espoused by any migrant heel that suddenly appeared on the WWE roster.
Having allegedly dodged the name 'Hirohito' and a place on a Raw card that would soon inherit Muhammad Hassan, Suzuki rocked up on the blue brand as WWE's ugly portrayal of a sneaky man who couldn't be trusted.
His gimmick called for him to disavow Japanese cars, food and customs in favour of their United States equivalents. He'd deliver his promo with insincere smiles, whilst babyface commentator Michael Cole flatly diffused any possible chance the Japanese star was actually telling the truth and dared to just enjoy being in the country. He had to hate America. That's what foreigners do.
The persona lead to an odd couple tag title reign alongside Rene Dupree, in which his adoration of America became a source of comedy. The already-limited character was rapidly reduced to a punchline alongside real-life wife and geisha-inspired valet Hiroko.
The duo split after losing the tag team titles, leading Suzuki to unsuccessfully attempt to dethrone United States Champion John Cena. An injury shortly afterwards would put him out of action for months, with both husband and wife receiving their release before Kenzo had even made his televised in-ring return.