When you think of modern Japanese pro wrestling - NOT sports entertainment - Hideo Atami sits somewhere near the top of a list of international superstars. Itami has successfully parlayed his brutal kicking style, seen so frequently during his time in Pro Wrestling NOAH (as KENTA), to the more polished NXT platform. But perhaps Itami's most well-known import is the infamous Go To Sleep finisher, which Punk adopted and brought to the big stage (in place of the indieriffic top rope Pedigree he used in Ring of Honor). Considering the two legitimately respect one another (why else would Punk knick the GTS?), much of their feud could be built around simply who's the best technical wrestler. Stylistically, both employ similar hybrid styles, mixing in chain wrestling with powerful strikes. We'd also get to discover who executes the GTS finisher with better mastery, a topic which was briefly discussed in a twitter exchange between the two. The feud would also act as a platform to make Itami relevant once more, as he's now recovering from an injury that's stalled any momentum he once had. Most would be quick to denounce the matchup as unlikely, given Punk and Itami's very different statuses. Yet Itami needs a showcase against someone like Punk to exhibit how he's not only different, but also how alike he is to the top-tier talent emulating his style, including fan favorites Daniel Bryan and Samoa Joe. Itami is an interesting opponent for Punk, considering they'd both likely be positioned as babyfaces. For once, we could just watch two great wrestlers wrestle. A unique concept or what?
