KENTA, perhaps the most influential Japanese junior heavyweight wrestler of the last decade, spoke about his recent extended workout at the WWE Performance Center. He revealed that the workout was not a tryout and that WWE was not interested in signing him now. He states that for the immediate future, his home is Pro Wrestling NOAH. However, he speaks at length about how he wants to go to WWE and how the company actually inspired him to stay in wrestling. The video is only two-plus minutes, but it is well worth the view.
I don't know much about the politics of Japanese professional wrestling, but from the sounds of his voice and the words he chose to use, I'm not sure KENTA will be staying with NOAH for too much longer. If this cruiserweight showcase program comes to fruition for the WWE Network, WWE would be stupid not to sign him. He wants to go, has already accomplished nearly everything he could do in NOAH, and would be a chance for the company to reverse its terrible, self-induced track record with Japanese superstars. I would be less excited if WWE just signed him to go to NXT, however, because of that track record.
I am generally against the segregation along weight class lines because I find the practice very limiting for storytelling. However, if the show is branded correctly, and they follow a similar model as the early WCW Cruiserweight Championship division, I think they can loose KENTA against guys like Adrian Neville, Evan Bourne, and other various signees and allow him to get over without saying a word. But as of right now, none of those ideas are more than just ideas. I'm just tossing stuff against the wall and seeing what's going to stick. However, given the glowing way he spoke about WWE, I would not be shocked to see KENTA in a WWE ring by the end of 2015.
I don't know much about the politics of Japanese professional wrestling, but from the sounds of his voice and the words he chose to use, I'm not sure KENTA will be staying with NOAH for too much longer. If this cruiserweight showcase program comes to fruition for the WWE Network, WWE would be stupid not to sign him. He wants to go, has already accomplished nearly everything he could do in NOAH, and would be a chance for the company to reverse its terrible, self-induced track record with Japanese superstars. I would be less excited if WWE just signed him to go to NXT, however, because of that track record.
I am generally against the segregation along weight class lines because I find the practice very limiting for storytelling. However, if the show is branded correctly, and they follow a similar model as the early WCW Cruiserweight Championship division, I think they can loose KENTA against guys like Adrian Neville, Evan Bourne, and other various signees and allow him to get over without saying a word. But as of right now, none of those ideas are more than just ideas. I'm just tossing stuff against the wall and seeing what's going to stick. However, given the glowing way he spoke about WWE, I would not be shocked to see KENTA in a WWE ring by the end of 2015.