10 Best NJPW Wrestlers In WWE
4. Vader
Only a fool would argue that Vader's best work took place inside a WWE ring, but he was pushed strongly early on.
'The Mastodon' would've likely become WWE Champion if not for Shawn Michaels' backstage politicking. WWE's original plans had him dominate everybody, including HBK, but Shawn didn't want to lose at SummerSlam '96. This led to the bookers concocting a contrived multi-restart finish that somehow ended with Shawn pinning Vader clean, thus prompting a big slide down the card for a man once considered wrestling's most fearsome monster.
If it weren't for Michaels, Vader would've likely embarked on a run comparable to those he had in Japan and WCW. Still, he was presented as a big deal early on, hence his positioning here.
A three-time IWGP Heavyweight Champion, he ultimately goes down as one of the biggest wastes of talent in WWE history. A stiff, menacing wrestler, he eventually became one of the most successful gaijin performers in puroresu history, and his reputation was forged on the back of his initial five-year NJPW run. This was parleyed into his spell with WCW, and later, his WWE signing in 1996.