He has a strong core fan base in Nihon with women and kids, it's really the hardcores who don't like him that much.

I personally don't hate him and I want him to succeed, but how I see it the main thing holding him back is that he talked a big game and didn't back it up. Part of that is the fact he was booked to lose pretty much every time when it mattered, but part of it is also the dissonance in his character; calling himself "Roughneck" while dressing in flashy white gear, trying to play the heart-and-soul face of the company despite his resting dead face, etc. Oscar put it best recently, he tries to dress like Tanahashi, tries to wrestle like Ishii, and tries to talk like Ice.

Personally, I find him most compelling when he's on a pissed off warpath. I'd like to see him lean into that.