10 Best NJPW Wrestlers In WWE

6. Finn Bálor

AJ Styles IWGP Heavyweight Champion
NJPW

NXT success came easy for the former Prince Devitt.

Signed in 2014, he soon became the developmental brand's top star. The fans took to him immediately, and soon, the Irishman was competing for top honours, winning an NXT Championship contenders' tournament just four months later. Bálor took the belt from Kevin Owens at the second time of asking, besting his rival at The Beast in the East in July 2015. A lengthy 292-day reign followed, and by the end, Finn was primed and ready to explode as a main roster babyface.

That's exactly what he did. Joining Raw as part of the 2016 WWE draft, he became the company's first ever Universal Champion less than a month after debuting. This should've been the making of him, but alas, an injury incurred at SummerSlam robbed him of the gold, and he hasn't enjoyed a consistent main event push since then.

Finn remains immensely popular. A big title run isn't out of the question, but for now, his greatest success came in Japan, where he reinvented the concept of a foreign heel as Bullet Club's founding leader.

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Andy has been with WhatCulture for eight years and is currently WhatCulture's Wrestling Channel Manager. A writer, presenter, and editor with 10+ years of experience in online media, he has been a sponge for all wrestling knowledge since playing an old Royal Rumble 1992 VHS to ruin in his childhood. Having previously worked for Bleacher Report, Andy specialises in short and long-form writing, video presenting, voiceover acting, and editing, all characterised by expert wrestling knowledge and commentary. Andy is as much a fan of 1985 Jim Crockett Promotions as he is present-day AEW and WWE - just don't make him choose between the two.