10 More WWE Superstars And Their Japanese Counterparts
2. Bret Hart
Bret Hart was always a technical genius when it came to wrestling. He was a master of ring psychology, and always knew the appropriate time to use one wrestling move versus another. During a period when most of WWF’s top Superstars were big, muscular men who preferred charisma over technique, Bret Hart was a breath of fresh air, and his success led to a change in WWF, where the smaller guys were more desired than the muscular big men.
Not only that, Hart carried an entire company on his back during a terrible low period. When WWF had to suffer through Vince McMahon’s steroid scandal, Bret Hart was saddled with carrying the company on his back as WWF Champion. The scandal, the mass exodus of top-level talent, and increasing competition from WCW, all put a strain on the Hitman, but he was a workhorse, and kept the company going strong during a period where it could’ve closed.
Japanese Counterpart: Yuji Nagata
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e5SaE5uOD_A
The only real difference between Bret ‘the Hitman’ Hart and Yuji ‘Mr. IWGP’ Nagata was that Nagata had more experience in martial arts and used kicks more. Other than that, the two of them are virtually identical.
Nagata is an excellent submission wrestler who, like Hart, is known for his incredible versatility in the ring. He can fit any role, and perform well in said role without any difficulty. He can work either as a face or a heel, he can work a technical match or brawl with the hardest-hitters, he can do opening matches as well as main-events, and he can be as serious as Lance Storm or as wacky as Santino Marella. If there was ever a man who exemplified the term ‘Jack of all trades and ace of them, too’, it’s Nagata.
Furthermore, like Hart, Nagata had to carry his company on his shoulders during an incredible down period. NJPW suffered from the consequences of the failed ‘Inokism’ experiment, which led to an exodus of top-level talent and a dramatic plunge in fan interest in New Japan. It was left to Nagata to carry the company through a terrible period, but he worked any and every style needed, and kept working for NJPW no matter how grim things looked. The fact that so few people give him the credit he deserves for working so incredibly hard to save his company from ruin is borderline criminal.
So here you have two incredible wrestlers who carried their respective promotions during the worst of times. If you want to see some excellent matches, you should watch the best of both wrestlers; you won’t be disappointed.