10 Wrestlers Who Are In The Wrong Company

4. Kento Miyahara

Tetsuya Naito NXT
All Japan Pro Wrestling

Shouldn't be in AJPW because...

Bluntly, he is too talented to limit his potential in a company that is unable to realise its own. All Japan Wrestling has moved on from its dark age and settled in an inconvenient spot in the wrestling hierarchy; much like Impact, the product is acclaimed and not without its loyalists, but it's impossible to make a significant impression in 2019 because there is too much excellent, must-see content. AJPW is good, but irrelevant. Miyahara is its standout: a master of nuance, he knows precisely how to build a match, when to explode, when to crumple, and how to frame everything with urgency and importance. The way he lunges into a pin the second his opponents beat the count illustrates this: Miyahara is always focused on winning, which in turn frames his performances as contests worthy of suspending disbelief.

Should be in NJPW because...

NJPW is the biggest company in Japan by a considerable distance, and Miyahara offers the same babyface mastery as its ailing Ace Hiroshi Tanahashi. NJPW won't push him to that level - but will push him, because a glittering history in another company is not looked upon as a weird transgression.

Contributor
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!