10 WWE Stars And Their New Japan Equivalents

Speaking of veterans, few men are as associated with long WWE careers as Kane and The Big Show. Both titanic remnants of The Attitude Era, their popularity during wrestling's hottest period has translated into, for the most part, healthy crowd receptions. That ensures that they'll have job security for as long as they want it.

Two similar stalwarts in New Japan are Hiroyoshi Tenzan and Satoshi Kojima, a pair of 45-year-olds with six IWGP Heavyweight Title reigns between them. Like Kane and The Big Show, Tenzan and Kojima broke out in a time when wrestling was more popular, and they're still viewed as stars today. They're also inextricably linked - the pair, as TenKoji, have been teaming for more than a decade and have won the IWGP Tag Team Titles five times.

The difference comes in their usage - Kane and Big Show seem to frustrate hardcore fans, as even in their old age, they're often given TV time or pushes at the expense of hotter talent. For proof, look no further than the 2015 Royal Rumble - both men were eventually eliminated by Roman Reigns, but not before clearing out crowd favorites Dean Ambrose and Dolph Ziggler. TenKoji, by contrast, typically wrestle other veterans and lower-level workers in undercard matches.