10 Wrestlers Who Are In The Wrong Company

3. Tetsuya Naito

Tetsuya Naito NXT
NJPW

Shouldn't be in NJPW because...

This will prove controversial - arguably the most popular star in New Japan still, his failure to win this year's G1 Climax broke many a heart - but the following argument is written from a position of fear for his body, more so than his creative prospects. Tetsuya Naito is in decline. His body is not what it was; as a consequence, he entered more than one subdued performance in the tournament. Even one of his better matches - against Tomohiro Ishii, obviously - felt like a slight diminished return of their previous, incendiary encounters. It feels, far too often, like Naito is compensating for that missing surge by taking multiple disgusting bumps to his neck, satisfying the bloodlust of crowds where he once took them on ride, and not just the drop.

Should be in NXT because...

To preserve his body, albeit in a system that will restrict his ring style but not his character, Naito should make a shock jump to NXT, in which he will be received as a God and feel as brand new and electric as he did in 2016. He can prioritise his flexing, totally unique psychology in Full Sail under NXT's mentality of high melodrama without, and this honestly isn't too histrionic, killing himself.

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!