10 Unlikely Wrestling Faction Members That Totally Worked

10. Akira Tozawa (Alpha Academy)

Eyes rolled when Chad Gable added Akira Tozawa in as a "junior member" of his Alpha Academy team with Otis in October 2023. This was a true, 'creative has nothing else for you' moment, or so it seemed. Then, something wonderful happened. Tozawa started to contribute using little more than excellent facials during promos.

His work in-ring also sold the underdog mentality of the Academy whilst Gable and Otis were still a babyface team. Later, adding Maxxine into the fold did the same, but Akira's part in things shouldn't be overlooked. He constantly seemed lost and like he was seeking a family during earlier skits, then disenfranchised by Chad's behaviour near the end.

Check out the pic above for some proof.

Realistically, Tozawa should've been a nuisance to fans already enjoying Alpha Academy. Instead, he worked within the group's happy-to-be-here framework, then expertly put across how awful Gable was being to everyone throughout the leader's heel turn.