Another 10 Superstars Who Had Better Careers Outside WWE

5. TAKA Michinoku

As I€™ve mentioned in another article, WWE€™s history with Japanese wrestlers is spotty at best. Despite being some of the hardest workers and most technically-gifted athletes in the business, Japanese stars have historically been given unusual gimmicks, usually playing off racial stereotypes. TAKA was no exception; despite a great debut against The Great Sasuke, and becoming the first recognized WWF Light Heavyweight Champion, TAKA was soon relegated to silly gimmicks and comedy roles. He then became involved with Kaientai€™s feud with Val Venis, which involved the infamous kidnapping and later €œcastration€ segments. Later, as part of Kaientai, he would famously be paired with Funaki, and would cut promos where his voice would be dubbed over, in the same way as English voices were dubbed in old Japanese films. Despite the humor involved in these skits, he was basically a jobber, and lost any and all future attempts to win any championships. It€™s a shame that the WWE didn€™t use him in a better way. He could€™ve been a major player in WWE€™s Cruiserweight division, and would€™ve been a great opponent for the likes of Rey Mysterio, Ultimo Dragon, and the Guerreros. If only the WWE gave him a chance to really shine, he would€™ve been well worth the investment.