10 WWE Stars And Their New Japan Equivalents

Kevin Owens and Katsuyori Shibata don't look alike or wrestle alike, but they do fill similar roles in their respective promotions - namely, both men are outsiders who are very, very dangerous.

Owens was reigning NXT Champion when he made a surprise appearance on Raw, laying out United States Champion John Cena. The two feuded, with Owens scoring the first win, but subsequently failing to capture Cena's title. That stunted his momentum, but he's since come into his own as a two-time Intercontinental Champion and one of the roster's most valuable players. He's a threat to any title and one of the best workers in the company.

Shibata was groomed to be a future NJPW star in the early 2000s, but he left the promotion for several years to pursue an MMA career. Finally returning to the fold in his 30s, he found New Japan to be a very different place. Nevertheless, the ultra-stiff combatant known simply as "The Wrestler" fought his way back to the top, capturing a pair of NEVER Openweight Titles and the IWGP Tag Team Championship with Hirooki Goto.

Expect both men to make a serious run at a world title within the next 12 months.