Ex-NXT Star Calls WWE Run "Most Frustating Of My Life"
"I’ll always remember the humiliation".
Current New Japan star KENTA called WWE the "most frustrating" period of his entire life during an interview with Sports Illustrated.
The former NXT man, who suffered injuries and struggled to really get started throughout his five-year run with the company, also said that he'd "always remember the humiliation in America".
Ouch.
WWE rebranded the internationally-renowned KENTA as Hideo Itami, but he never managed to reach the heights he or they expected. KENTA found that especially agonising because he knew he had the skill set to become a major player in the organisation. It just wasn't meant to be.
Below is another snippet from the interview with SI.
"It may have been possible [in WWE] to satisfy myself as I was in the “world’s largest organisation”, but as a wrestler I now prioritise what I want to do. I can do what I want and where I want to now".
It's clear from reading KENTA's comments that he wanted out of WWE for a while and is much happier back home in Japan. Now, he's involved in NJPW's eight-man tournament for a crack at IWGP United States Champion Jon Moxley.