10 Wrestlers Banned From Using THEIR OWN Moves

9. KENTA

Nakamura Samoa Joe Muscle Buster
WWE

There's no such thing as a curse; it's a bullsh*t supernatural phenomena, much like ghosts, werewolves and Kane.

That said, KENTA is justified in believing in them. Brought into NXT amid much fanfare, as the face of WWE's new drive to become a proper wrestling company on the side, his run was a disaster. He had already peaked, and suffered two separate serious injuries before making it to Vince McMahon's world. Because this was Hideo Itami, he barely made it there, only appearing on Kickoff shows as part of the 205 Live crew. Itami didn't even get a real botched main roster run.

Compounding this horrendous luck, he wasn't allowed to use his own finish for ages, and it was the coolest and most plagiarised of the 21st century. CM Punk had become synonymous with the Go To Sleep in WWE, and the company, pelted by chants of "CM Punk!" whenever they botched something - which was rather a lot - were wary of inviting yet more. WWE did soften on this, and Itami finally started to hit it after some lovely teases, but he wasn't allowed to hit the ground running with it from the off.

KENTA himself would likely appreciate the irony of the following entry...

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Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and surefire Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!