10 More WWE Superstars And Their Japanese Counterparts

3. Brock Lesnar

Ric Flair The Great Muta
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Brock Lesnar is synonymous with badassery. An incredibly successful collegiate amateur wrestler and major champion in UFC, Lesnar has all the tools needed to demolish anyone and everyone around him. There’s a reason he’s considered a special attraction by WWE: they know that he has more legitimacy than anyone else in WWE, and his big name status makes him an incredible draw for the company, which is why he only shows up on rare occasions.

The only flaw Lesnar really has (if it can even be considered as such) is that he doesn’t talk very much, preferring to have Paul Heyman do it for him, which works incredibly well. Other than that, Lesnar is a flawless Superstar.

Japanese Counterpart: Minoru Suzuki

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BSjrgptMvLA

Minoru Suzuki is what Lesnar would be if he could talk without needing Heyman.

Like Lesnar, Suzuki is an incredible athlete who combined MMA with wrestling. Unlike Lesnar, however, Suzuki began his career in MMA and transitioned into wrestling later on in his career. Suzuki holds an impressive 46-29 record in MMA, and his time spent in Pancrase, the first MMA organization in Japan, only amplified his already monumental legitimacy as a fighter.

However, Suzuki brings another element to the ring that Lesnar doesn’t. While Lesnar prefers to be the silent monster that lets his actions speak for him, Suzuki is more than willing to talk down to his opponents and insult them in any way possible.

Think of Suzuki as that enormous d*ckhead who thinks he’s better than everyone else and lets them know about it at every opportunity. However, unlike most big-mouthed heels who talk big, Suzuki backs it up with his legitimacy and sense of danger about him. Because of that, he can smack-talk anyone he wants freely, because he, his opponent, and the fans know that he can destroy them without breaking a sweat.

Thus, you have two different kinds of badass. You have the silent badass who towers over almost everyone and can break them in half without so much as speaking (Lesnar), and you have the loud-mouthed, cocky jerk who would find any way possible to insult you on the microphone, before ripping you in half like a phonebook. Both of them are incredible athletes, and one would have to be insane to try taking either one of them on.

Contributor

Alexander Podgorski is a writer for WhatCulture that has been a fan of professional wrestling since he was 8 years old. He loves all kinds of wrestling, from WWE and sports entertainment, to puroresu in Japan. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Queen's University in Political Studies and French, and a Master's Degree in Public Administration. He speaks English, French, Polish, a bit of German, and knows some odd words and phrases in half a dozen other languages.