10 Things WWE Fans Need To Know About KUSHIDA

7. He Is At Least As Good As Shane McMahon

Kushida Best In The World
wwe.com

The World Cup tournaments presented by WCPW in 2017 and WWE in 2018 were markedly different. Diametrically opposed, in fact.

WCPW held the group stages in various countries, booking participants from the globe over; using 64 (65) instead of the customary 32, this wasn't an entirely accurate approximation of the beautiful game's zenith, but it was close, and it was also very ambitious. From Hungary to Wales and Japan to Mexico, WCPW emulated the World Cup's romantic outsiders and dominant stalwart nations alike, and like the best World Cup finals, two deserving finalists tore the house down on a hot summer's night.

In contrast, WWE lazily opted for an All-American field, held the worked pro wrestling tournament in Saudi Arabia to spite Qatar's claim of holding a genuinely momentous sporting event (!), and had Shane McMahon win it to heat up his upcoming heel turn...

...which never happened, because WWE's short-term booking strategy often results in incoherent chaos.

Shane McMahon: Best Wrestler In The World! was a winking piss-take, but in KUSHIDA, WCPW selected a performer who could legitimately lay claim to the title. And, if he gets over on the main roster, we may yet see the World Cup Winners face off to determine the truth, once and for all. At WrestleMania, at the expense of a much better match.

Incidentally, Shane McMahon must have studied tape of his fellow, Best In The World-level talent; at WrestleMania 33, Shane-O used some very KUSHIDA-esque submission traps to subdue the Phenomenal One.

At least one McMahon is actually watching.

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Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!