10 WWE Stars And Their New Japan Equivalents

10. Zack Ryder And Tomoaki Honma

On the surface, there may not seem to be much linking Zack Ryder and Tomoaki Honma. While Ryder is good, Honma is routinely considered one of the most underrated workers on the planet. Still, the similarity comes in each man's reception, and WWE can learn something from how New Japan handles Honma.

Both Ryder and Honma became hugely popular without their employer planning it. in Ryder's case, his YouTube shows made him a star to Internet fans (which is redundant, since all fans are on the Internet), while Honma's great performances and never-say-die attitude earned him a following. Crowds would routinely chant both men's names, often giving them a better reception than the top stars.

In Ryder's case, a brief push led to a vindictive burial and about four years of floundering. He's rarely on major TV shows, and when he is, he gets a great reaction and loses. With Honma, the company tried a more gradual path, and it's worked - New Japan tries to present wrestling realistically, so they wouldn't simply reverse Honma's pattern of losses.

Nevertheless, they slowly built up more and more wins for the star, with he and partner Togi Makabe winning the World Tag League tournament last year, then capturing the IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Titles.

Today, Honma is a solid midcarder poised for a decent showing in the G1. Ryder is rarely seen.