10 Biggest Secret GENIUSES In Modern Wrestling

3. Kairi

Danhausen AEW
NJPW/STARDOM

After several abortive attempts, finally there’s a wrestling pirate we can stand behind. Move over, Paul Burchill - Kairi combines nautical excellence with in-ring talent like nobody we’ve ever seen.

It shouldn’t work - it risks being cutesy if not downright embarrassing - but the former NXT Women’s Champion star taking to the ring with some or all of a captain’s hat, ship’s wheel, and telescope somehow adds up to one of the much-missed black and gold brand’s best gimmicks. The joy is in the execution: Kairi may look sweet on the way to the ring, but when she gets in there, she’s a killer.

Smartly, she shifted gears just enough when moving to New Japan (where she holds the distinction of being the first IWGP Women's Champion). She continued to use her real life penchant for yachting, but notched up the intensity, adding krakens and the like to her entrance presentation and becoming a surly sea dog.

Kairi delivers every time and boasts one of the most instantly delightful gimmicks in the business. As a recent free agent, she could offer an immense amount wherever the winds might blow her.

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Yorkshire-based writer of screenplays, essays, and fiction. Big fan of having a laugh. Read more of my stuff @ www.twotownsover.com (if you want!)