10 WWE Match-Ups That Were Better In Another Promotion
6. Hideo Itami Vs. Kassius Ohno
Before signing with WWE, KENTA was the crown jewel of Japanese promotion, Pro Wrestling NOAH, and now, after leaving WWE he sits as one of NJPW's top heels. During his NOAH phase he was a welcome guest at many international shows, one of which for wXw, where he fought Chris Hero
Hero, later known in WWE as Kassius Ohno, epitomized indie wrestling. Even people that only watched WWE could still recall Chris Hero's name. By the time he took a regular job at NXT, Ohno was a well-travelled veteran, lending a hand to the younger talent by dispensing wisdom, or putting them back in their place as the brand's gatekeeper.
When these two met in wXw in front of a rowdy German crowd, they proved just how tough they were. Whether it was Hero's booming elbows or KENTA's killer kicks, the crowd had plenty to gasp at. KENTA supplemented his brutal offense with some high flying moves, as if his normal move set wasn't brutal enough.
Their WWE encounter was just innocuous. It worked, sure, but it pales in comparison to what they both were capable of back in Germany in 2011. Sometimes WWE's stability can take the venom out of a worker's performance.