5. Shinsuke Nakamura
If WWE wanted to add someone to their roster with credibility as a true tough guy, and someone who had MMA training and experience, Shinsuke Nakamura was their man. One of the few people to survive NJPWs Inokism phase, Nakamura was the youngest ever IWGP Heavyweight Champion, and had garnered a reputation as a tough MMA-style fighter. So good was his reputation in this regard that then-Vice President of Talent Relations Jon Laurinaitis and Dean Malenko wanted him to come over to WWE on a foreign excursion in 2006. Unfortunately, nothing came of it; not because WWE wasnt interested, but because NJPW needed him badly to help deal with the whole Brock Lesnar World Title situation. As such, WWE lost a chance to use a really skilled Japanese wrestler. In recent years, Nakamura has become known as the King of Strong Style, a reference to his stiff fighting style and submission abilities. He is also well-known for being one of the most charismatic and animated Japanese wrestlers in recent memory, able to work well against both faces and heels in NJPW. Seriously, his entrance at Wrestle Kingdom 9 is one of the best, and says a lot about his gimmick: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dDve4VZRQmw WWE couldve had a great star with this guy, but unfortunately didnt sign him when they had the chance. While the discussion of Japanese wrestlers in WWE will always bring up the treatments of such stars as Yoshi Tatsu and Tajiri, maybe, just maybe, if they had a guy like Makamura, who had credibility as a legit fighter, things couldve been different.