WWE NXT General Manager William Regal officially introduced former Pro Wrestling NOAH star KENTA on Thursday night at the 9/11 TakeOver event on the WWE Network. KENTA announced he would now be going by the name Hideo Itami.
Since 2006
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September 12, 2014
Video: KENTA debuts on WWE NXT, reveals his new name
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Labels: Hideo Itami, KENTA, The Ascension, William Regal, WWE NXT
September 11, 2014
Photo: Triple H with Kenta, Prince Devitt and Kevin Steen
You want a selfie? #NXTTakeOver #LetTheInternetExplode @FightSteenFight @fergaldevitt @KENTAK312 pic.twitter.com/JD8FcvhXxQ
— Triple H (@TripleH) September 11, 2014
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Labels: Hideo Itami, KENTA, Kevin Steen, Prince Devitt, Triple H, WWE NXT
July 17, 2014
Triple H on WWE’s signing of Kenta
On July 12, 2014, WWE made the huge announcement that the company had signed Japanese wrestling sensation Kenta. WWE Hall of Famer and pop culture icon Hulk Hogan presided over the ceremony, which took place in the ring at a Live Event in Osaka during WWE’s recent Japan Tour. Hogan, who became a star in Japan before Hulkamania ran wild at Madison Square Garden, mentioned Kenta in the same breath as Japanese legends (and Hogan contemporaries) Antonio Inoki, Riki Choshu and Tatsumi Fujinami.
Kenta has the potential to be as transformative as any of those stars. Rising to fame in Pro Wrestling Noah — an organization he helped build alongside owner Mitsuharu Misawa — Kenta caught the attention of American audiences during stints with independent organization Ring of Honor, where he wrestled Daniel Bryan and Seth Rollins in acclaimed bouts.
WWE.com spoke with WWE’s COO Triple H to learn more about Kenta’s unique style and the global ramifications of him joining WWE.
WWE.COM: When did Kenta first come on your radar?
TRIPLE H: I’ve known about Kenta for years. He’s one of the biggest stars in Japan. He’s a huge talent, obviously. I’m excited for him to try to bring his brand of sports-entertainment to WWE and see how he does.
WWE.COM: Had you seen his work or was it only word of mouth?
TRIPLE H: No, no, I was absolutely familiar with him. It’s funny, because WWE is a different world. You’ll hear players all the time talk about making the switch from college football to the NFL and the difference in the game. I think it’s the same when you come to WWE. I don’t care where you’ve been or how big you’ve been anyplace else. When you get here, it’s a whole different world. There’s no ceiling for anybody in WWE. You just have to come here and prove that you belong to be in the ring with the best in the world. If you can hang with them, that’s exactly where you’ll be. Kenta has all the tools to be able to do it — he’s proven that for years in Japan. Now let’s see what he can do in NXT. Adapt or perish.
WWE.COM: Who would you like to see Kenta wrestle in NXT when he goes down there for the first time?
TRIPLE H: There’s a massive amount of talent I’d love to see him work with down there. The obvious guys are Sami Zayn and NXT Champion Adrian Neville, but there are ton of guys down there like Tyson Kidd, Justin Gabriel and anybody in that class. NXT is the proving ground to get to WWE, and that’s where Kenta’s gonna have to prove himself. He’s gotta prove that he belongs in WWE.
WWE.COM: What is Kenta’s training status and when can we expect to see him on Raw?
TRIPLE H: He just signed with us. I was there when he had his tryout at the Performance Center and I met with him there. We’ve been working on this for a while. His training will start when he gets here. The thing is, you can be a big star anyplace else in the world. That gets you in the door. What you do once you get here is a whole different ballgame. He’s no different than anybody else once he walks through the door of the Performance Center.
WWE.COM: What makes Kenta different than other international stars WWE has signed in the past, and what does he do for WWE’s international appeal?
TRIPLE H: For the Japanese markets, it’s a huge opportunity to see one of their stars come try to make a name for himself in the US and on a global basis. We are a global company and we recruit globally. We are looking for the biggest and brightest athletes all over the world.
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Major Reason Why WWE Signed KENTA, Backstage Details on His Involvement in WWE’s Japanese Expansion
According to The Wrestling Observer, there is more than meets the eye when it comes to WWE signing KENTA, and him joining the company is more than a simple talent signing.
A major reason why WWE signed KENTA is because the WWE Network will be launching in Japan next year, and the company has wanted a top Japanese star to help with WWE’s expansion in Japan.
As we previously noted, KENTA will be reporting to Orlando this coming week, and is expected to be a regular on NXT TV by the fall. This coincides with WWE’s announcement that J Sports, a Japanese satellite channel, will begin airing NXT very soon.
Once KENTA arrives at the Performance Center in Orlando, another press conference is expected to take place.
July 12, 2014
WWE signs Japanese star Kenta to NXT
WWE today announced it has signed Kenta, one of Japan’s biggest stars, to its NXT division. The announcement took place during a signing ceremony at a WWE Live Event in Osaka, Japan with WWE icon and Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan presiding.
Kenta’s intense and straightforward in-ring style has led to his success in Japan, as well as during visits to the U.S. He is expected to reach new heights of global success with WWE.
“Kenta is an incredible performer who brings the crowd to its feet when he steps into the ring,” said Paul Levesque, Executive Vice President, Talent, Creative and Live Events, WWE. “WWE’s signing of Kenta reflects our continued dedication to creating a diverse roster that appeals to our global fan base.”
“I am humbled to join WWE’s NXT division and look forward to honing my craft with the global leader in sports-entertainment,” said Kenta.
Kenta will relocate to Orlando, Florida, where he will train at WWE’s state-of-the-art Performance Center to enhance his talents both athletically and creatively.
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June 28, 2014
Big WWE Signing Expected Next Month
Tokyo Sports in Japan is reporting that WWE will officially announce that former Pro Wrestling NOAH star KENTA has signed with the company during their tour of Japan next month with a press conference on 7/12.
The signing had been expected for some time.
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June 1, 2014
Rumor Mill - Three Big Names Expected To Begin Training With WWE Soon
The Wrestling Observer Newsletter is reporting that independent stars KENTA, Kevin Steen and Prince Devitt will begin training at the WWE Performance Center from August.
WWE has to clear all their visas, medical tests and many other factors before allowing them to join the developmental roster.
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Labels: Indy Wrestling, KENTA, Rumor Mill, WWE Performance Center
May 28, 2014
Triple H Talks About Future Plans for NXT, Tough Enough, Vince's Opinion on NXT, Merriman, More
Today, Triple H has been very busy promoting tomorrow's NXT Takeover live special on the WWE Network, not just to Michael Cole on WWE.com, but also to the wrestling media in an official conference call, which has been made publicly available on f4wonline.com. Below is all the news and interesting comments Hunter made during the 50 minutes Q&A session:
Triple H said they're considering eventually doing monthly NXT live specials for the WWE Network, but at the moment the plan is to stick with the quarterly format. He put the specials over as a great learning experience for all the NXT talent, down to the trainee cameramen, audio and lighting technicians, directors and producers, to work side by side with the WWE crew on a live television shoot, which is perfect preparation to get them ready for a position on the main WWE roster and build anticipation amongst fans for that moment.
Hunter admitted that just because an act works in the small, intimate setting of the NXT tapings at Full Sail University, it doesn't mean they will translate well in major arenas on a national scale, partly due to the extra pressure of finally getting to work in the big time.
He cites Cesaro as an example of someone who he had to pull aside after watching his NXT matches and tell him "Do that when you get to Raw, do that when you get to Smackdown, you work differently [here].", as he adapted to the transition.
The NXT Takeover name was inspired by the real-life takeover of WWE television by former NXT talent like The Shield, The Wyatt Family, etc.
It sounds unlikely that they will move to more regular NXT TV tapings and more live specials at the moment due to the increased costs involved, but it remains a work in progress.
Triple H claimed that the next step in the development of the WWE Performance Center is finding the right people and talent to make it as productive as possible and they are doing a series of global tryouts to find performers that not only can get over as stars in their local market, but also succeed internationally.
"I can look at Bray Wyatt and say Bray right now is just becoming comfortable. That's really how I feel and people can say, now listen, has he been knocking it out of the park since he walked in the door? Absolutely, but he is just now to me, from what I see and what I know of him, is just starting to get comfortable. That kid is nicking the surface of where he's gonna go, because he's just now starting to feel it and just now starting to get in the groove."
"Daniel Bryan's a prime example of that, he's not the same guy he was five years ago working [in Japan and on the independent scene], he had to transition too of becoming a character and a personality and a persona and you know that's where he is now. It didn't change what he does in the ring, it didn't change his skill level, it didn't change anything, but I've always believed that the business is a puzzle and there's a million pieces of it and one is skill in the ring, another is talking. There is all these different pieces, the more pieces of that puzzle you have, the better of a success you're going to be, and there were some pieces of the puzzle he had in spades and there are others he didn't have, and now he does and that's why you see his success. No different than anybody else, it's putting all those pieces together."
Triple H plans to continue mixing in some WWE talent on NXT broadcasts, as it helps their trainees develop, allows them to deliver more compelling storylines on NXT and also potentially reinvigorate the career of someone like Tyson Kidd who have suffered injury setbacks and been underutilized on Raw and Smackdown since their return. However, someone like Cesaro now seems to be deemed to be too big a star to be used regularly on NXT.
There's consideration being made to running NXT house shows and other NXT activities during the weekend of WrestleMania 31. The promotion will definitely be a big part of WrestleMania week.
Hunter claimed that Vince McMahon was surprised at the amount of interest in NXT on the WWE Network. Indeed, he was blown away by the audience figures and the social media buzz for NXT in general and NXT ArRIVAL in particular. He was expecting just a cool looking show, but felt they had launched a brand instead. Thus, NXT is expected to play a bigger and more prominent role on the WWE Network as the brand grows and evolves.
Regarding a new series of Tough Enough for the Network, it's being proposed to be shot at the WWE Performance Center, but it's not a 100% confirmed.
Regarding the WWE status of Christian and Rey Mysterio, they're both still recovering from injuries and Triple H hopes they're back as soon as they can.
Regarding physical training at NXT, the mindset is now different and they concentrate on training for active functional strength and for the performers to be as bulletproof and durable as possible, rather than pure bodybuilding to look as muscular and impressive as possible.
Triple H admitted that they do cut talent who are too engrained in a certain alternative style that they can't do something else or are unwilling to adapt to work in their environment and philosophy.
Regarding KENTA and Prince Devitt, Triple H had no comments on those rumors.
Hunter put over Charlotte as progressing very well and an amazing natural athlete. Regarding putting her in a match with Natalya as a continuation of the feud between her father Ric Flair and Nattie's uncle Bret Hart, he said: "Part of me when I do these things I just put my fan hat on for a minute and go, here's the people I've got to work with, what do I want to see? What would I like to watch? What would I tune into the Network to see from an NXT standpoint and that's kind of how we book it."
Regarding Shawne Merriman, Triple H said they're still in discussions with him. Hunter thinks he's a great guy, an amazing athlete and a very smart individual and he'd love to have him in NXT.
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Labels: KENTA, Triple H, Vince McMahon, WWE, WWE Network, WWE NXT, WWE Performance Center, WWE Tough Enough
April 30, 2014
Huge Pro Wrestling NOAH Superstar Leaves
KENTA announced today at a press conference at the NOAH offices that he will be having his final show being on 5/17.
KENTA is the biggest name in NOAH, and has had a WWE tryout week in January. The belief in Japan is that he is WWE/NXT-bound, at the Press Conference he said the following;
"There is only one life, and it is now or never to try something new in a different environment,"
If you didn't know, KENTA was trained by his name-sake, legendary Kenta Kobashi, and had outstanding matches back in 2005/2007 in Ring Of Honor with the likes of WWE Champion Daniel Bryan, Samoa Joe and Seth Rollins. While having won pretty much everything in NOAH and being #22 on the PWI Top 500 last year.
January 31, 2014
KENTA Talks About Why He's Been at the WWE Performance Center This Week
Pro Wrestling Noah star KENTA has blogged about why he was at the WWE Performance Center this week. Here is a translation from Japanese to English from yottsumepuroresu.blogspot.jp:
"I am sorry for having you all confused over the various information about my visit in the US.
As a matter of fact, I am in the States and enjoying the WWE training. But as for now, it’s not about getting a tryout or a contract.
It is indeed true that I have always been yearning for a spot in WWE, and I’ve always wanted to give it a try sometime. After all, you only live once. “I should have given it a try.” “I should have chosen another way.” I’ve had those regrets when I was in my middle and high school, and even after I got in to this business. I just did not want to regret later about something I haven’t tried, so I used my time off to participate in the WWE workout. The executives were at the workout, so perhaps I may have left a mark.
The place is full of competition and hungry guys. It’s not as simple as being good at Puroresu or having strength. There are so many guys with monster physique and guys who are way athletically superior to me. And even they don’t get into the big league. That’s how tough this place could be. I can easily imagine that surviving in this environment could be severe. And spending a few days in that environment became a really good experience for me.
I’m sorry to have caused the confusion, but one thing I can say for sure is that “I’m glad I came”. I would like to work even harder making use of this experience.
And lastly, I would like to thank [NOAH] President [Akira] Taue for letting me take this chance."
January 28, 2014
Top Japanese Star Gets a WWE Tryout
Pro Wrestling Noah star KENTA was at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando on Monday, working out in the ring. Word is that he was brought in for a tryout this week and that William Regal suggested WWE look at him.
May 11, 2013
Kenta Kobashi Retirement Match
Legendary Japanese wrestler Kenta Kobashi took part in his retirement match earlier today at Budokan Hall in Tokyo, Japan. According to a report by Dave Meltzer, the entire arena was sold out along with every closed-circuit showing the event in Tokyo. Kobashi, Jun Akiyama, Keiji Muto and Kensuke Sasaki def. KENTA, Go Shoizaki, Yoshinobu Kanemaru and Maybach Taniguchi when Kobashi pinned Kanemaru with a moonsault. The post-match interview was described as being "very teary eyed" in celebration of Kobashi's career. Kobashi thanked everyone saying he had the greatest career possible.
source: wrestling observer
December 9, 2012
Kenta Kobashi Announces His Retirement
Japanese pro wrestling legend Kenta Kobashi, best known for his time with All Japan Pro Wrestling and Pro Wrestling NOAH, announced on Sunday at the Pro Wrestling NOAH event at the Sumo Hall in Tokyo that he would be retiring. Kobashi stated he would like to wrestle one more match and stated he was not forced to retire.
source: wrestling observer
December 23, 2011
The 50 Best Professional Wrestlers of 2011 Named
For the eighteenth year, Power Slam magazine presents The PS 50, which ranks the 50 best-performing wrestlers in the industry. Rankings in The PS 50 are basted on grapplers’ in-ring showings over a 12-month period (December 1, 2010 through November 30, 2011).
1. Hiroshi Tanahashi
2. Randy Orton
3. Davey Richards
4. Prince Devitt
5. Shingo Takagi
6. Christian
7. Kurt Angle
8. C.M. Punk
9. Kota Ibush
10. Takashi Sugiura
11. KENTA
12. Go Shiozaki
13. PAC
14. Akira Tozawa
15. Hirooki Goto
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Labels: Indy Wrestling, KENTA, Puroresu, TNA, Wrestling News, WWE
October 31, 2011
Mitsuharu Misawa defeats Kenta Kobashi for the All Japan Triple Crown in Tokyo, Japan. With this win, Misawa tied Stan Hansen's record for most Triple Crown title reigns at four (Misawa would go on to have five, which has since been tied by Toshiaki Kawada).
October 31, 1998
Ivory defeated Lita for the WWF Women's title.
October 31, 2000
Former Intercontinental Champion Christian quits World Wrestling Entertainment, becoming arguably the first major star to make the decision to leave WWE for TNA. Christian would fulfill his remaining appearance (the Taboo Tuesday PPV) before leaving WWE.
October 31, 2005