10 WWE NXT Flops Who Should Have Been Huge

At this stage, it’s impossible to label Hideo Itami’s NXT run as anything other than a complete failure. Once one of Japan’s most respected wrestlers, the former ROH and Pro Wrestling Noah star retains a significant fanbase, but his act hasn’t translated at all. The former KENTA feels very much like a watered down version of his old self, and while his heel turn could rectify this, time is running out for the 36 year old.

Itami arrived in 2014, and has been plagued by injury problems ever since. A severely dislocated shoulder suffered in May 2015 kept him out of action for over a year, and he succumbed to major neck damage soon after returning, sidelining him for another seven months. His most recent comeback began in April 2017, and Itami challenged Bobby Roode for the NXT Championship at TakeOver: Chicago, but was unsuccessful.

Injuries aren’t Hideo’s only issue, however. WWE’s in-ring restrictions have curbed his aggressive, hard-hitting wrestling style, and Daniel Bryan’s use of stiff kicks and running knees coupled with CM Punk’s adoption of the Go 2 Sleep have robbed him of his best moves. He has since recovered the G2S, but Itami clearly isn’t the competitor he used to be, and his pre-debut hype feels like a distant memory.