10 Things WWE Fans Need To Know About KUSHIDA

2. Vince McMahon Probably Won't Like Him...

Kushida Best In The World
WWE.com

Hardly a hot take, but KUSHIDA - a short Japanese junior heavyweight boasting little in the way of charisma and verbal skills - is about as removed from a Vince McMahon guy as one can get.

KUSHIDA's chances of main roster stardom are as slight as he is, unfortunately, which while expected - and thus not disappointing - is still depressing as sh*t. KUSHIDA vs. Daniel Bryan or Samoa Joe are veritable dream matches. KUSHIDA vs. Buddy Murphy and Akira Tozawa are fire prospects, too, but it's so difficult to get pumped about anything on 205 Live because the heat just isn't there, and the brand is hardly going to ignite back on cold, wet Tuesday nights in Stoke.

So yes: KUSHIDA is not going to star on RAW or SmackDown, especially since he is turning 36 in May, and will be pushing 40 if he spends the customary amount of time in Orlando.

But is this so heartbreaking? Few mourned his departure from New Japan precisely because these are his money-making years, and we can't begrudge him of taking the payday, such was his sacrifice. So go forth, KUSHIDA. Hide underneath the ropes in the Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal, enjoy the various tourist attractions the U.S. has to offer, preferably don't have your accent mined for problematic laughs.

But first...

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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!