10 Wrestlers WWE Could Poach From NJPW Next
Who's going to join Swagsuke in Stamford?
With the recent acquisitions of Shinsuke Nakamura, AJ Styles, and his fellow Bullet Club alumni Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson, the message from WWE is clear: the eyes of Stamford, Connecticut are firmly fixed on the east - and New Japan Pro Wrestling especially.
Styles and Nakamura in particular, both of whom have contested sure-fire Match of the Year contenders in what must be record time, have made a monumental impact thus far. This should have NJPW officials worried. While WWE could historically be fairly accused of depicting their ethnic talents in a stereotypical and unflattering manner, this appears to no longer be the case.
Kazuchika Okada, for example, would not be asked to reprise a variation of his insulting Okata character from TNA and The Rainmaker clothesline would not be rechristened ‘Pearl Harbour’. Of equal importance, in stark contrast to very recent history, his success elsewhere would actually propel him forward rather than hold him back. There must be very few misgivings to head west in this day and age.
With the brand extension looming, the next raid appears to be a matter of when, not if. In this feature, I will examine the prospects and credentials of NJPW’s major names in order to gauge the feasibility of their popping up in NXT – or even Raw or SmackDown – in the near future…