10 WWE Superstars And Their Japanese Counterparts
They aren't as different as you think.
Professional wrestling has an extensive history in Japan. From its beginnings under Rikidozan, to the ratings war between All Japan and New Japan, to the noted differences in wrestling styles, many wrestling fans have turned to puroresu for an alternative to WWEs product. Japanese wrestling is known for far fewer over-the-top gimmicks, elements of mixed martial arts, more submission holds, and storytelling elements based off of fighting spirit. From this description, one would think that Japanese professional wrestling is a completely different entity from WWEs product. That said, there are more similarities between WWE Superstars and Japanese pro wrestlers than one might think. Despite Japans reputation for putting out some of the toughest athletes and best workers in the business, many Japanese wrestlers have more or less an equivalent in WWE. This article will look at 10 WWE Superstars, and it will determine which Japanese wrestler is the closest thing to that Superstar. Each entry will begin with a brief description of the WWE talent in question, and will follow with their supposed Japanese equivalent. It will then look at what the two have in common, followed by what makes them different from one another. These connections will be based off of their abilities, how theyve been booked during their careers, or how theyve been perceived by the fans. It will hopefully demonstrate that WWE and Japan aren't as different as originally perceived.