#3 Hideo Itami
Hideo Itami was supposed to be the key to unlocking the Japanese market for the promotion. Itami was one of the best wrestlers on the planet when WWE came knocking and was unveiled as a WWE Superstar in front of the Japanese fans, which was done by none other than ‘The Hulkster’ himself!
Needless to say, a lot was expected from Itami, but unfortunately, things haven’t worked out for him in the promotion.
From suffering multiple injuries to inadvertently hurting his fellow Superstars, it hasn’t been the best of times for Itami. While he was expected to be brought up to the main roster within a year of joining NXT, Itami now finds himself on 205 Live, which should be a cause for concern.
Itami isn't the only Japanese Superstar that wasn’t used properly in a major North American promotion. Okada suffered a similar fate in Impact Wrestling, but when he returned to Japan, he quickly ascended to the top and is one of the biggest names in the business today. Itami should follow in his footsteps, if he intends to revive his flailing career.