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Kushida’s misuse on WWE NXT 2.0 is painful to watch

By Raphael Garcia

TOKYO, JAPAN - JANUARY 04: KUSHIDA enters the ring prior to the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship match between KUSHIDA and Taiji Ishimori during Wrestle Kingdom 13 of New Japan Pro-Wrestling at Tokyo Dome on January 4, 2019 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Etsuo Hara/Getty Images)
TOKYO, JAPAN - JANUARY 04: KUSHIDA enters the ring prior to the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship match between KUSHIDA and Taiji Ishimori during Wrestle Kingdom 13 of New Japan Pro-Wrestling at Tokyo Dome on January 4, 2019 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Etsuo Hara/Getty Images) /
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There’s a lot that could be said about the misuse of talented performers across the WWE roster. Fans will all point to several examples of individuals that weren’t on television or losing consistently as the outcries for better continued. But it’s hard to look beyond Kushida as perhaps the most severe example of squandered talent on the WWE roster.

Six-time IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion. Two-time IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champion. Ring of Honor World Television Champion. WWE NXT Cruiserweight Champion. Ranked in the top 50 of the PWI 500 five times (2015-2019). Cagematch average ranking is 8.90. To steal a phrase from former WWE Champion, JBL, Kushida is a “wrestling god.” His resume is enough to validate that point.

Unfortunately, he’s tucked away on WWE NXT 2.0. His current role is basically an enhancement talent to top prospects on the roster. He’s recently dropped singles matches to the likes of A-Kid, Edris Enofe, and should be expected to lose to Von Wagner when they face off next week.

Kushida had a brief run as a threat on the NXT brand and what did he deliver? Match of the Year candidates against the likes of Johnny Gargano, Pete Dunne, Santos Escobar, and others. Many fans of Kushida will point to his near-endless catalog of hits, but his catalog since joining the WWE is packed with bangers as well. All of that seems like a time long ago and one that will never be seen again.

Some may question where does Kushida fit within the WWE? At 38-years old he’s past his stage of athletic prime, but his body of work shows that he hasn’t missed too many steps in the ring. As NXT 2.0 is focused much more on characters than professional wrestling, it’s hard to see how he fits on that brand. His place is on either WWE SmackDown or Monday Night Raw. He wouldn’t be a main-event guy on either brand but think about some of the weekly matches Kushida could have with names like Seth Rollins, Kevin Owens, Finn Balor, Ricochet, Damian Priest, and others.

The discussion is not about pushing Kushida to the moon, but instead about the best utilization for the entire promotion. Jacket Time feels like a callback to the days when gimmicks were little more than stereotypes to drive hate or comedy. This isn’t the best look for one of the men that could be considered one of the best performers in the industry today.

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The list of names that have seen better days with their booking and on-screen presentation is long within the WWE. Kushida is one of the first performers that come to mind when thinking about the misalignment between what he’s capable of and what he’s given wrestling fans in the past. Here’s to hoping that it changes, but all signs point to not holding your breath.

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