10 Wrestlers Neville Must Face After Leaving WWE

5. Hiromu Takahashi

Hiromu Takahashi
NJPW

His year has tailed off in recent months, but Hiromu Takahashi was on fire at the start of 2017.

He became IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion by defeating KUSHIDA at NJPW's Wrestle Kingdom 11 on January 4th, and embarked on a long string of high-quality title defences against the likes of Dragon Lee and Ricochet before losing it in May. Takahashi has since devolved into a borderline comedy act, with his gimmick largely focused around Daryl, his stuffed cat sidekick, but his in-ring chops can't be denied.

Hiromu is a lunatic. He's extremely reckless with his body, and his matches always feel like they're about to come off the rails, but they never do. Big bumps, head drops, wild dives: his resume is peppered with them, and this element of danger brings a level of nervous excitement that can't be recreated in a company like WWE.

This match should be insane, and while Neville would need to work his tail off to keep up with Takahashi, he should be up to the task. Expect a crazy, hard-hitting spotfest, with Neville turning to his underrated power game (something he rarely gets to showcase in WWE) to ground his livewire opponent.

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Andy has been with WhatCulture for eight years and is currently WhatCulture's Wrestling Channel Manager. A writer, presenter, and editor with 10+ years of experience in online media, he has been a sponge for all wrestling knowledge since playing an old Royal Rumble 1992 VHS to ruin in his childhood. Having previously worked for Bleacher Report, Andy specialises in short and long-form writing, video presenting, voiceover acting, and editing, all characterised by expert wrestling knowledge and commentary. Andy is as much a fan of 1985 Jim Crockett Promotions as he is present-day AEW and WWE - just don't make him choose between the two.