10 Best Non-WWE Wrestlers Of 2016 (So Far)
3. Tetsuya Naito
Tetsuya Naito suffered for years as a face who wasn't quite accepted by the fans. He lingered in the upper midcard, but his lack of a reaction meant that the company couldn't chance pushing him to the top. Last year, though, he finally turned his back on the crowd, becoming a stellar heel and leading the Japanese branch of Mexico's Los Ingobernables stable.
If 2015 was the year Naito found himself, 2016 was the year he found success. Despite a loss to Hirooki Goto at Wrestle Kingdom, Naito pressed on. He won the prestigious New Japan Cup, qualifying him to challenge for the IWGP Heavyweight Title. He claimed his shot at Invasion Attack, defeating Kazuchika Okada for the belt.
Naito's long road to a world title had finally ended in victory.
Naito defended the belt against Tomohiro Ishii before dropping it back (some would say prematurely) to Okada, but the brevity of his reign doesn't diminish his accomplishments. Naito has made Los Ingobernables de Japon the cool new thing in wrestling, as proven by New Japan's recent U.S. tour with Ring of Honor.
The then-champion captivated audiences, drew the longest lines at autograph signings, and pretty much proved that Los Ingobernables are 2016's version of Bullet Club.
There's still plenty of mileage left in Naito's character, and his skills are as honed as ever. Many consider him a favorite to win the upcoming G1 Climax tournament, which would allow him to challenge Okada for the belt once again, this time at the Tokyo Dome in the biggest match of the year.