5 Indie darlings who were heavily underutilized in WWE 

#1. Hideo Itami (KENTA)

KENTA's WWE run was mired with injuries

Widely touted as WWE'S biggest international signing at that time, KENTA arrived in WWE in 2014. The Pro Wrestling Noah standout was already an established name in the independent circuit before his signing with the world's biggest wrestling promotion. Apart from Noah, KENTA's work in Ring of Honor earned him widespread notoriety in the North American market. KENTA's hard-hitting style, which included an array of stiff kicks endeared him to wrestling fans all around the world.

But, despite all the hype, Itami's run in WWE was saddled with a string of unfortunate injuries. Itami first suffered a shoulder injury in May 2015 which ruled him out in-ring action for over a year. Just a few months after returning, Itami would suffer another injury, this time to the neck, which kept him off the squared circle for the next six months.

Many believed that Itami's move to 205 Live in November 2017 would infuse new life into his character and that he would become the focal point of the purple brand at some point. But that sadly didn't happen as Itami was never allowed to shine properly on the purple brand as well. He was released by the company in February of this year. He recently made his debut for New Japan and is currently competing in the 2019 G1 Climax.