8 Struggling WWE Stars Who Would Excel In NJPW
6. Luke Harper
Luke Harper was recently cleared to return to in-ring competition after a lengthy spell on the sidelines. It’s tough to tell what WWE have planned for him at this point, however.
Bray Wyatt and Erick Rowan have continued their affiliation on SmackDown, but Braun Strowman was split from the group in the 2016 Draft, and it’s unclear whether or not WWE intend to push forward with The Wyatt Family as a long-term going concern. Wyatt and Rowans’ split gets teased on a bi-weekly basis, and there’s every chance Bray will cut his henchman loose before long.
Whether operating as a Family member or alone, WWE are yet to find a way to best utilise Harper’s tremendous abilities. Strong, hard-hitting, and shockingly light on his feet, Harper has become one of the best “big men” in the sport. He combines these athletic elements with a strong sense of psychology and expert selling to make him a hugely-compelling in-ring performer for a company that doesn’t always value great wrestling skills, and he’d be a great success in NJPW.
Harper would immediately stand out from the crowd in Japan. His look is unique enough in WWE, but there’s nobody even remotely close to him in NJPW. Moreover, the incredibly limited Bad Luck Fale currently operates as NJPW’s sole monster character, and as menacing as the big Tongan is, he can’t do half of what Harper can in the ring.