Has Kenta overshadowed Devitt

[J.D Lethal]

As the title states there are two big star from Japan KENTA and Prince Devitt that are now signed with WWE. With the signing of KENTA,I'm getting the impression that Devitt has already been forgotten about. In the chats and forums it already seems like he has been pushed down and/or forgotten. Devitt i mind is as a big JR heavyweight star in Japan,worked with the better promotion in NJPW,Holds a win over the KENTA and is the founder of the one of the better stables throughout Japan.

Now don't get me as KENTA hater,i love the man and his work for years now. But lets be fair before KENTA was signed the world wanted the Real Rock N Rolla,and it feels like such a shame that he is being forgotten before he even steps foot in a WWE ring.

I'm seeing all the worry about KENTA being Sin Cara'd or Yoshi'd but am i the only seeing that Devitt is on the edge of getting Drew Mac'd?(Not the being beat up by his wife part) please let me know how you guys feel on this.

 

[OYDK]

I don't really care about how the IWC percieves the SIGNING of KENTA or Devitt because the hype means nothing until these 2 prove themselves in a WWE ring. Is Devitt being overshadowed by KENTA right now? Maybe, but that in no way means that Devitt is getting "Drew Mac'd" because neither guy has made their debut... Let's not make this bigger than it is and act like Devitt's reached his popularity peak because, again, HE HASN'T EVEN STEPPED INTO A WWE RING YET. All in all, it doesn't matter if Devitt has been forgotten about because hype means absolutely nothing in the WWE. It may keep you hot and over with the crowd for the first few weeks but eventually, both men will have to prove themselves in the ring and that is where we'll see who shines and who flops.

 

[BigBombB]

Devitt will be the bigger payoff, hands down, not even a question. While KENTA is certainly a solid pick-up, his lack of height and the general treatment of WWE with foreign workers will inevitably see him stuck in a rut. Maybe he will come in, beat some ass, and they can talk about how CM Punk was just a thief who stole moves. But then what? Does that lead to a KENTA vs. CM Punk feud? If not then what is the point of even signing him?

Devitt has nothing but upside, is a brilliant businessman, and is a major throwback to the cruiserweight greats of WCW. There simply is not another star in the world that offers the package he offers coming out of the gate and this should be viewed as one of the biggest signings in WWE history. Here is a guy that does not need WWE, that is in the prime of his career, and can easily fit anywhere on the card. If you're not excited for Devitt then you should be. As for KENTA? Meh.

 

[Blade]

KENTA was always going to get the bigger fanfare because he's a bigger star. In both Japan and America, more people know who KENTA is. And because he's Japanese, WWE are going to flaunt him to gain favour with the Japanese market.

With that said, I think Devitt is going to be more successful in WWE. He's got more charisma, and he can talk well, without being an Irish stereotype like Sheamus. Devitt is quite similar to Seth Rollins, but with a slight edge on the microphone, and more personality.

Down in NXT, with Triple H in charge, Devitt will flourish, and should move on to have a pretty good career on the main roster, despite the lack of hype surrounding his signing. With KENTA, it's impossible to tell.

It goes to show that hype means nothing in the WWE. Look at all the guys who were hyped up before their debut: Sin Cara, Drew McIntyre, Goldberg, Scott Steiner, etc... Not one of them went on to have long term success in WWE. But then you look at guys who came out of nowhere to become major stars, the likes of Stone Cold, John Cena, Batista, Jeff Hardy. Where were their vignettes and press conferences?

What I'm trying to say is, Devitt not having any hype surrounding him might turn out to be a good thing. He has no pressure on him like KENTA does.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

From what I understand, both men are known to be very hard workers with strong work ethics and good backstage attitudes. Those are qualities that just about anyone wants out of an employee regardless of the business.

KENTA is the bigger star, as has already been mentioned. He's well known in Japan and the United States. He easily ranks among the biggest stars in Japan right now, WWE is well aware of this and the fact that he's Japanese only adds to his popularity and standing in Japanese mat circles. Based on what I've seen, I think Devitt has the greater overall potential of making the transition. Both guys are fully capable of wrestling various styles, but KENTA not speaking English fluently may definitely be a factor whereas Devitt is pretty strong on the mic with a good deal of charisma.

The Sin Cara comparisons are understandable given that WWE was hoping to hook Mexican viewers by bringing Mistico into the company. Mistico is one of the biggest names in Mexican wrestling just as KENTA is in Japanese wrestling and WWE hyped the crap out of Sin Cara signing with them. They're probably gonna go the same route with KENTA at some point. Triple H was ultimately the guy who signed Mistico, but he didn't have the level of executive power then that he enjoys now. He wasn't in charge of WWE's developmental system, nor was he in charge of talent relations as he is now. As a result, I think there's a better chance of either of them avoiding being placed as characters that are cultural stereotypes or parodies. As Blade mentioned, that lack of hype thus far might be more beneficial to Devitt because he doesn't have the sort of pressure on him that KENTA will have. WWE and fans themselves were expecting a lot from Sin Cara and, frankly, Sin Cara wasn't able to deliver. He crashed and burned, botching spots left and right and that's pretty bad if you're a wrestler who relies so much on high spots. Everyone's gonna mess up now and then, but it happened almost every match featuring Sin Cara. I thought it was a perfect example of reality not living up to the hype.

Ultimately though, it's all up to Vince when it's al said and done. When some wrestlers come up from NXT to the main roster, it's obvious that Vince has different ideas for them than we saw under Triple H when they were in NXT. For instance, Paige as the Anti-Diva in NXT put her on the map and got her a lot of attention. On the main roster, she's been cast as the young, innocent rookie who holds a ton of promise, but is green, a little star struck and naïve.

 

[capnwillie]

Why is this up for discussion before either of them wrestle a single match for NXT/WWE? The important thing is that both are signed, now each have a ball in their court. That being said, I think Devitt will have an easier time adjusting right out of the gate. He's a native English speaker, so of course he will have fewer obstacles in the promo department. He can cut a good promo already, just check YouTube for examples. Additionally, his Irish brogue isn't too thick. I'd say he'll be able to cut a better promo than fellow Irishman Sheamus to be quite honest, at least with a little spit and polish.

KENTA will still be able to hang as long as he doesn't get saddled with some tired "Japanese Guy in America" gimmick. His ring work is remarkable, for sure. I'm hoping to see WWE package him in a suitable manner. The best way I could figure to push him properly would be somewhat similar to Tajiri minus a huge chunk of the comic relief aspects (see: Japanese Guy In America.) Feature his kicks and strikes, but don't have him spitting mist. If he can tighten up on his English (which is already passable) he could be able to cut short promos without much trouble but that can always be worked around with a manager or ally who can handle the microphone work.

I think it is good in general that WWE is showing more interest in International wrestlers because of how the business has changed and is still changing. Presenting them without racial stereotypes is the real challenge going forward. Del Rio is a great example of this as he brings a really good style and a lot of hustle into his work and isn't a masked luchador, a matador, a low riding vato or a landscaper. The only overtly "Mexican" thing about ADR is the fact that he is Mexican. Hopefully they can apply the same sort of presentation to guys like Kenta and Devitt.

 

[GeneralKarim]

Does it matter that he "overshadowed" Devitt?

Ultimately, I don't think Kenta will amount to much in the WWE. At 33 yo he won't become this big star in WWE all of a sudden. He'll probably be booked a tad better than Sin Cara, but that's not saying much. As mentioned, he doesn't speak english too good so he'll be a more hyped up version of Yoshi Tatsu then, maybe a bit less cheesier than him.

Devitt turns 33 in a few days so again, I dont think he will amount to much if/when he debuts on the main roster. They have enough young guys atm to carry the load and bringing in 33 yos who have a legacy of their own in another place built up from years and years of hard work only for them to come and start from scratch in WWE isnt worth it seeing the history of wwe.

For comparison look at most big players in the WWE who have championships and memorable feuds at like ~35-36 years of age and look at Cesaro who is pushing 34, isn't the most charismatic guy, averae on the mic, but way too good in the ring and he hasn't done basically anything and with the guys in front of him, I highly doubt he will, even tho I'm a big fan of him.