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#8 Hideo Itami
Hideo Itami was a huge wasted opportunity for WWE.
Itami became one of the biggest and best wrestlers in all of Japan during his time with Pro Wrestling Noah, where he was a GHC Heavyweight Champion, a three-time GHC Junior Heavyweight Champion, a three-time GHC Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champion, a GHC Tag Team Champion, and a winner of the Differ Cup, Global League and many more.
Itami was the hottest free agent in the world at the time of his signing with WWE in the summer of 2014. So much of a huge deal was made about it in fact, that WWE sent Hulk Hogan to Japan to have the then KENTA sign his contract live in the ring, to much press coverage. Although he took in in an impressive win/loss record early on, he suffered two near back-to-back injuries that would keep him sidelined for over a year and a half in total.
He unsuccessfully challenged Bobby Roode for the NXT Championship at NXT Takeover; Chicago in 2017. He would then have a miss guided heel turn that saw him pretty much being kept out of storylines, and only showing up on NXT for random matches. He was moved to 205 Live later that year but was used in a similar position until he received his requested release in 2019 over his frustration and position with the company.
