Ultimo Dragon in WWE, why did he fail?

[nickcave]

He was brought in in 2003 with a lot of hype on the heels of Rey Mysterio, why did he fail to connect with the audience the way that Rey Rey did?

[Lancers]

The WWE has a difficult time promoting multiple cruiserweights that wear masks simultaneously. There's a common story out there that Kevin Dunn suffered a brain aneurysm trying to tell the wrestlers apart once while watching CMLL on Telemundo.

[BigJerichool222]

Because he didn't really care; he just wanted to wrestle at WrestleMania and MSG.

[Deleted]

I have it on good authority that Sin Cara assumed the Ultimo Dragon gimmick/costume for WMXX.

[Deleted]

It was reported back then, and I've heard it many times since, that Vince wanted another Rey Mysterio and apparently someone put Ultimo Dragon's name forward as just that, he was signed and when he debuted....Vince quickly realized he was not another Rey Mysterio and thus was depushed quickly.

He had enough standing though to keep his job and stay with the company for a year - he got a spot in the WM20 cruiserweight gauntlet match (a lifetime dream of his was to wrestle in MSG) - and then when his contract was up he wasn't not resigned and he walked.

[Amazing Kitsune]

He fell because his cape was too long.

[JTG Fan]

He never really had a chance to connect with anybody doing jobs on Velocity.

[Deleted]

I wouldn't say he failed. I mean, sure, if you measure him against Rey he doesn't measure up but Rey is a MAJOR exception for that sort of wrestler in the WWE. The WWE used him as a solid, midcard cruiserweight and it didn't feel like they intended to use him for anything bigger. He served that role well and was solid enough every time he was out there. He got to wrestle in MSG and hopefully walk away happy.

[Clash, Never a Meter Maid]

He didn't. He got to work Mania and MSG like he wanted to and then he bolted.

[carp (SPC, Itoh Respect Army)]

The question isn't why he failed. The question is, why did they hype him and then put him in at MOST two Smackdown matches?

I also love how everyone has so bought into this narrative of why wrestlers fail that it's just assumed that if he didn't last, it means he must not have "connected with the audience." As if that's the only or even main reason why that would happen.

[Boo!]

His gimmick had kinda been done, hadn't it? You had Rey Mysterio and maybe the whole point of 'unique flying masked little guy' was that there was only one.

[Bear Skin Rug]

Dec 26, 2013 20:54:52 GMT -5 Lancers said:

The WWE has a difficult time promoting multiple cruiserweights that wear masks simultaneously. There's a common story out there that Kevin Dunn suffered a brain aneurysm trying to tell the wrestlers apart once while watching CMLL on Telemundo.

Dec 26, 2013 23:41:25 GMT -5 Boo! said:

His gimmick had kinda been done, hadn't it? You had Rey Mysterio and maybe the whole point of 'unique flying masked little guy' was that there was only one.

Kevin, is that you?

[El Pollo Guerrera]

I've always believed that Ultimo Dragon is at his best when he's facing other cruiserweights, and the pool wasn't that deep in the WWE. He just didn't seem to mesh well against larger opponents.

[Deleted]

Because he wasn't like 6'7, 270 and was Japanese and you know how Vince loves them.

I swear; Vince must've thought Tajiri was Latino.

[They Killed the Giggler]

Too Asian

[mizerable]

I'll say one thing, I have a theory that a LOT of Rey's early success had a lot to do with his very catchy theme song. A lot of other things fell into play as well, but he was definitely one of those cases where when you heard his music, you reacted.

Ultimo Dragon's music on the other hand was extremely shitty. Is that supposed to be a dragon roar?

[carp (SPC, Itoh Respect Army)]

Dec 27, 2013 0:59:52 GMT -5 mizerable said:

I'll say one thing, I have a theory that a LOT of Rey's early success had a lot to do with his very catchy theme song. A lot of other things fell into play as well, but he was definitely one of those cases where when you heard his music, you reacted.

Ultimo Dragon's music on the other hand was extremely shitty. Is that supposed to be a dragon roar?

...you mean the one that rhymed "Mysterio" with "here we go"? Uh, yeah. ...great song.

Also, I kinda thought Ultimo Dragon's theme was the very best in the wrestling theme subgenre of Embarrassing Stereotypical Asian-Sounding Ding-Dongy Thing. Beats TAKA's, which had been the champion.

[mizerable]

Dec 27, 2013 1:03:06 GMT -5 carp (SPC, Itoh Respect Army) said:

...you mean the one that rhymed "Mysterio" with "here we go"? Uh, yeah. ...great song.

Also, I kinda thought Ultimo Dragon's theme was the very best in the wrestling theme subgenre of Embarrassing Stereotypical Asian-Sounding Ding-Dongy Thing. Beats TAKA's, which had been the champion.

I'm not saying I liked Mysterio's song...but I always heard people singing along whenever I went to an event or saw a PPV at a bar or something. So they must have done something right.

It's funny too, since Dragon mentioned he wanted to wrestle in MSG, and was able to do it twice during his short WWE career, having his WWE debut there, of all things.

[Capt Lunatic]

Because he didn't see the stairs.

EDIT: Okay, I re-read the thread title...I don't think he failed. He was only there for a year so he could do two things. He did them both. Also you may be forgetting he was the WWF Light Heavyweight champion.

[JCBaggee]

I'm sure there would have been a way to make it work. If only he could have grown a gnarly beard....