5 Great WWE Wrestlers Who Don't Fit NXT 2.0
2. Kushida
Kushida feels like a relic from a long-forgotten era.
In 2019, the former New Japan star debuted in the crowd at NXT Takeover: New York. This was the time when NXT were signing up great indie talent and setting them up as future stars for the company. Now, however, Kushida feels completely out of place.
He still gets a pop but it feels like it caters to a hardcore audience. The type of audience who followed him throughout his run in Japan. NXT 2.0 does not play to that audience anymore, instead focusing on the casual wrestling fans like a RAW or SmackDown.
While he has held his own in the strange little pocket universe that is the Cruiserweight division, it feels like Kushida's time in NXT has passed. It's very doubtful that he will challenge for the NXT Championship while the likes of Von Wagner and Bron Breakker are around that scene.
Let's just keep our fingers crossed that Kushida won't be relegated to 205 Live anytime soon.