10 WWE Hires That DOOMED Other Wrestlers
9. Finn Bálor (Hideo Itami)
One-time Japanese wrestling sensation and all-round star rating machine KENTA arrived to much WWE fanfare in 2014. People who knew of his work in NOAH and ROH licked their lips at the thought of seeing him on the burgeoning NXT brand, but it ended up being a disastrous five-year stay.
WWE didn't help things by debuting the also-excellent Finn Bálor around the same time. Worse, Finn introduced everyone to his killer 'Demon' gimmick, and that immediately outshone his renamed pal Hideo Itami. Poor KENTA had no chance of getting over on his own after fans saw Bálor's alter ego.
Then, injuries compounded poor booking and he was f*cked.
A 2016 return and move to 205 Live proved to be another false dawn for the man. A return to his homeland and return to form with New Japan was very much needed, but WWE deserve a slap for thinking Hideo could surpass (or even match) Finn's fantastic persona in the first place.