According to PWInsider.com, there are rumors circulating about the future of one of the biggest stars in Japan. The sight announced that, as of this morning, Kenta Kobayashi will be leaving Pro Wrestling Noah on May 17th. This has led to rumors circulating that Kenta MIGHT be heading to WWE for a couple of reasons:
1. Kenta has been with Pro Wrestling Noah from the beginning - Kenta began wrestling with All Japan Pro Wrestling as a junior heavyweight but left when Mitsuharu Misawa left the company to form Pro Wrestling Noah. Allegedly, Kenta left because AJPW didn't consider or treat the junior heavyweight division with any degree of relevance in the early 2000s. Misawa stated that it would be a big deal in his, so that's where Kenta's been since 2000. In Pro Wrestling Noah, Kenta has been GHC Heavyweight Champion 1 time, GHC Junior Heavyweight Champion 3 times, GHC Tag Team Champion 1 time and GHC Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champion 3 times.
2. Kenta received an "informal tryout" earlier this year with WWE - I'd forgotten about this, but Kenta spent a week at the WWE Performance Center training with some of the NXT talents. Upon his return to Japan, he downplayed his time there, but wrote a blog stating that he'd always wanted a spot in WWE. He informed the media that he wasn't seeking a deal with WWE but he'd be interested if one was offered.
This doesn't automatically mean that he intends to sign or already has signed with WWE. Kenta's been extremely loyal to Pro Wrestling Noah and I'd imagine that he's done pretty well for himself financially. Loyalty is one thing, but you don't stay with a company for nearly 14 years if you're not making a good amount of money. So, one would assume that he's either retiring, though unlikely since he's only turned 33 last month, or someone has made him a big money offer that he just can't say no to.
IF he does sign or already has signed with WWE, however, I'm not sure how happy he'll be. If he left AJPW over dissatisfaction of how they were using their junior heavyweights circa 2000, it couldn't have been any worse than what WWE has done. While a hefty portion of WWE's roster can fit into the Cruiserweight/Light Heavyweight/Junior Heavyweight division, WWE doesn't have one and that's not too likely to change. Even if they did, it's no secret that WWE hasn't exactly treated it as a priority the handful of times the division has been reinstated over the decades.
1. Kenta has been with Pro Wrestling Noah from the beginning - Kenta began wrestling with All Japan Pro Wrestling as a junior heavyweight but left when Mitsuharu Misawa left the company to form Pro Wrestling Noah. Allegedly, Kenta left because AJPW didn't consider or treat the junior heavyweight division with any degree of relevance in the early 2000s. Misawa stated that it would be a big deal in his, so that's where Kenta's been since 2000. In Pro Wrestling Noah, Kenta has been GHC Heavyweight Champion 1 time, GHC Junior Heavyweight Champion 3 times, GHC Tag Team Champion 1 time and GHC Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champion 3 times.
2. Kenta received an "informal tryout" earlier this year with WWE - I'd forgotten about this, but Kenta spent a week at the WWE Performance Center training with some of the NXT talents. Upon his return to Japan, he downplayed his time there, but wrote a blog stating that he'd always wanted a spot in WWE. He informed the media that he wasn't seeking a deal with WWE but he'd be interested if one was offered.
This doesn't automatically mean that he intends to sign or already has signed with WWE. Kenta's been extremely loyal to Pro Wrestling Noah and I'd imagine that he's done pretty well for himself financially. Loyalty is one thing, but you don't stay with a company for nearly 14 years if you're not making a good amount of money. So, one would assume that he's either retiring, though unlikely since he's only turned 33 last month, or someone has made him a big money offer that he just can't say no to.
IF he does sign or already has signed with WWE, however, I'm not sure how happy he'll be. If he left AJPW over dissatisfaction of how they were using their junior heavyweights circa 2000, it couldn't have been any worse than what WWE has done. While a hefty portion of WWE's roster can fit into the Cruiserweight/Light Heavyweight/Junior Heavyweight division, WWE doesn't have one and that's not too likely to change. Even if they did, it's no secret that WWE hasn't exactly treated it as a priority the handful of times the division has been reinstated over the decades.
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