WWE Is Succeeding with Its Early Presentation of Hideo Itami

WWE has stitched a fine red carpet for Hideo Itami, setting him up for success.

To introduce the Japanese star previously known as KENTA to NXT and WWE fans, the company has taken to providing plenty of fanfare and presenting him in small doses. It's a strategy that is working in its early stages. 

Diehard wrestling fans knew who Itami was long ago. The kind of fans who scour YouTube for every drop of greatness produced in wrestling rings around the world had already seen his work at Pro Wrestling Noah.

That small segment of the population was not whom WWE had to worry about when it brought Itami aboard; they were already pumped.

The rest of the audience likely saw him as a faceless newcomer. His name had little power. His résumé was blank in their eyes.

WWE made sure that fans knew that Itami signing with the company was a big deal and not just the run-of-the-mill indy signing.

Back in July, Hulk Hogan sat with him in the ring in Japan. The new signee then put his name to paper in front of the crowd, in front of the cameras. 

That was WWE's first smart move with handling Itami.

The fact that this kind of hoopla over a signing never happens signaled to fans that Itami was special. The moment said "take notice." 

Breaking from tradition, the company referred to him by his pre-WWE name, at least at first. Rather than ignore his background, it embraced it.

In an article on WWE.com, WWE spoke with Seth Rollins, Daniel Bryan and others about the man who would soon be named Itami.

In the piece, Triple H called him "one of the biggest stars in Japan." Bryan said, "Some of the best matches I've ever had have been against KENTA. He's going to make everybody step up their game."

Luke Harper and Sami Zayn didn't get that kind of treatment. Their pasts weren't mentioned, much less lauded.

While the company took their time with having Kalisto debut and putting Solomon Crowe on TV, it didn't wait long to bring Itami into Full Sail University. Again, fast-tracking him from the Performance Center to NXT proper served as a notice that he was not like every other prospect.

At NXT Takeover: Fatal 4-Way, Ric Flair was supposed to introduce Itami in his debut. Flair, though, had to undergo surgery that weekend, per WWE.com. That would have been a great honor to have a Hall of Famer usher Itami in.

William Regal did the honors instead. Regal doesn't have the pedigree that Flair does, but it was clear that WWE was trying to make this moment as significant as possible.

Like Hogan and Triple H before him, Regal talked up the kick-happy star. 

Rather than just pretend that Itami was a new wrestler on the scene, WWE brought him out as KENTA. He told the crowd that he would be changing his name to honor a hero of his. That was a logical move, similar to how Michael McGillicutty became Curtis Axel.

To integrate Itami in the NXT mix right away, the company had him collide with the longest-reigning tag team champs in NXT history, The Ascension.

Viktor and Konnor attacked him, spoiling his debut and kickstarting his career. There would be no uncertainty about where he was headed; a battle with two barbarians, two top prospects, awaited.

He showed himself to be mighty powerful during that brawl as well. Fans have spent the last few months watching The Ascension run over people. Even by himself, Itami had The Ascension reeling.

His first NXT match came on Sept. 18, a quick, impressive win over Justin Gabriel.

As far as guys involved with WWE developmental go, Gabriel is one of the bigger stars around. He's been tag team champ and competed at WrestleMania. Defeating him doesn't have the kind of career-boosting power that knocking off, say, Chris Jericho does, but this was a good way to first show Itami in action.

The Ascension attacked him afterward, continuing that storyline.

It's clear that a showdown with that ominous duo awaits, meaning that Itami won't be taking on the kind of no-name foes that The Ascension did. He's instead headed straight for two top challengers.

Itami came out to distract those bruisers on Thursday's NXT. His presence was enough to draw their focus off The Lucha Dragons, costing them a chance to regain their titles.

The result of this is sure to be a collision between Itami and The Ascension, a feud that will require one more warrior. That's where Fergal Devitt (now Finn Balor) comes in.

Balor, like Itami, is a much bigger star in Japan than he is in the U.S. Pairing them together makes a lot of sense. They have similar fast-paced styles, both have a Japanese-heavy résumé and are experienced, polished wrestlers who don't need to hang around NXT for years.

Let them join forces, thrill fans with their kicks and dives and blow the diehard fans' minds.

WWE has worked to build up anticipation for Itami with how it has inserted him in to the NXT mix. The post-signing hype and other decisions have helped create buzz for him.

So far, it's working. There is an electricity around him as he quickly climbs up the NXT ranks. He already feels like a bigger star than many of his peers.

In Japan, fans are certainly interested in him, even with the name change. According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter (subscription required) (h/t Wrestling Inc), Itami has been one of the most searched terms in Japan this week, even beyond some of the wrestlers in New Japan Pro Wrestling.

Expect more of that and more appreciation from U.S. fans as Itami's NXT tenure continues. WWE is making sure that he is not another story of a Japanese wrestler flopping in the states. 

It is clearly committed to translating his stardom to its own stage.