10 Wrestlers WWE Could Poach From NJPW Next
10. Hiroshi Tanahashi
One of two men on this list who can legitimately claim to be the best wrestler on the planet, Tanahashi is the torchbearer of New Japan Pro Wrestling's resurgence, a master craftsman whose pioneering ring style has reconditioned puroresu fans.
No longer relying on sickening head and neck-first impact moves, his postmodern, reversal-stuffed approach is a logical development - why wouldn't a wrestler learn their opponent's move-set inside and out in order to avoid such excessive punishment? - which hasn't compromised match quality.
The last 5 minutes of any given NJPW main event are utterly breathless; organically built within a framework premised upon effective selling, the dramatic finishing sequences more often than not allow fans to believe that even the lowliest challenger might stand a chance of emerging victorious - without fearing for their livelihoods in the meantime.
In the post-Misawa landscape, that is both welcome and necessary, and a string to the bow of his PG WWE prospects.
As respected as Tanahashi is, facets of his act may not translate all that well to the mainstream U.S. audience - in WWE, you're more likely to find a Social Outcast playing the air guitar than a top-level talent. While one could argue that he is growing a little stale, there's also the matter of Tanahashi's loyalty, and his standing as the face of the company, both of which render his joining WWE more unlikely than not.