Being a fan of professional wrestling is often very similar to being a sports fan. With both, you get shocking results, glorious highs, depressing falls from grace, and a fair share of scandals to boot. Although it may not seem the most immediate similarity, pro wrestling can also has its own version of the drama that comes with athletes switching teams, through the medium of the talent raid. If executed at the right moment, talent raids can often change the entire landscape of the business. Several times over the past few decades, the shift of pro wrestlers has signified (or even prompted) a mass shift in fan opinion, whether between two mainstream promotions, or from one smaller independent company to a larger one. Here's a look at the biggest talent raids in wrestling history. Som spread out over the course of a few years, others executed immediately but the end result was the same.
8. WWE Take Bullet Club (And Nakamura)
We first look at the raid that inspired this list. Earlier this year, in the immediate aftermath of NJPW's annual 'Wrestle Kingdom' mega-PPV, news broke that four New Japan workers had signed contracts with WWE. Not just any old midcarders, either: Bullet Club members Ken Anderson and Doc Gallows, then-IWGP Intercontinental Champion Shinsuke Nakamura, and AJ freakin' Styles. So far, only Styles has made his debut, striding out to rapturous reception in this year's Royal Rumble match. Gallows and Anderson haven't been seen since, and although Nakamura has been pencilled-in for a match at NXT TakeOver: Dallas, some fans are getting understandably edgy with regards to WWE's use of their new acquisitions. There's a genuine worry that the four newcomers will find themselves diluted beyond recognition in WWE's PG environment but, although some changes will be necessary, with the right handling, Styles and co. could usher in a new era of exciting, martial arts-inspired wrestling.
