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Ring of Honor champ Adam ColeIn the past few years, WWE has changed its policy of recruiting high–profile performers from the independent circuit. With the former Uhaa Nation (now Apollo Crews on NXT) now challenging for the NXT title, and the likes of Tommaso Ciampa and Johnny Gargano being given air time on the show, the landscape in the company is surely changing.Few years ago, WWE was adamant about creating its own superstars, with the exceptions of CM Punk and Daniel Bryan.Independent companies had an amazing 2014, and with the American audiences now having a variety of options to choose from (WWE, TNA, Lucha Underground and Ring of Honor all having TV deals in place), the demand for professional wrestling has risen in the past year.This also led to the companies bringing the best of talents from around the globe, in an effort to put on the best product possible, with WWE NXT producing the goods with some of the best grapplers on the planet.However, there are certain performers who still haven’t performed under the WWE banner, and in this article, we take a look at five superstars who should be recruited next by the WWE.
#5 Kyle O\'Reilly
Often regarded as one of the best talents in the world today, Kyle O’Reilly made a name for himself in the tag team division, alongside Bobby Fish. He won the Ring of Honor world tag team titles on three occasions along with Fish, and also won the prestigious NJPW Junior Heavyweight and Super Junior tag team titles, showcasing his impressive in – ring skills.
O’Reilly previously teamed up with Adam Cole, and has proved to be one of the best performers in the tag team division. O’Reilly, with his skill set and his adaptability can become a major singles competitor, or as a part of a tag team in the WWE.
O’Reilly once again highlighted his versatility during his time in Japan, and nearly won the 2015 Best of Super Juniors tournament, reaching the finals where he was defeated by Kushida.
#4 ACH
Much like Uhaa Nation, ACH has been one of the hottest prospects on the independent scene for a while now. With his amazing high – flying skills and his high octane offense, ACH has become one of the most entertaining grapplers on the planet.
It was reported on numerous occasions that ACH was invited for try outs in the WWE, but it hasn’t materialized yet.
However, ACH has created a name for himself on the independent circuit, and his exploits in Ring of Honor and Pro Wrestling Guerrilla have made him a major star on the independent circuit.
Earlier this year, ACH debuted for AAA, where his team came in third place in the Lucha Libre World Cup in Mexico. However, with NXT bringing in some of the most exciting talents from around the world, one feels that it is only a matter of time before ACH signs with the company, and showcases his talent to the entire world.
#3 Kazuchika Okada
When you talk about Japanese wrestling, it can be argued that currently, there is no other Japanese performer who has had a better past couple of years than the “Rainmaker”, Okada. After putting on some of the best wrestling matches against the likes of Tanahashi and AJ Styles, Okada won everything there is to win in Japan.
Okada is also the current IWGP Heavyweight champion of the world, and won the prestigious G1 Climax tournament in 2014, and the New Japan Cup in 2013. Okada was also named the MVP of Japanese wrestling in 2013.
After his not so successful run in TNA, Okada returned to Japan in 2011, and has since taken the Japanese wrestling by storm. WWE, with dearth of Japanese talent in the company, signed Kenta aka Hideo Itami, but with Itami unfortunately getting injured, WWE still needs a major Japanese star to cater to the Asian audience.
At 27 years of age, Okada is at the peak of his wrestling career, and can be the perfect addition to the NXT roster.
#2 Adam Cole
If there has been one performer who has been consistently performing at the highest possible level on the independent circuit, it has to be Adam Cole. After initially teaming up with Kyle O’Reilly as a part of the “Future Shock” team, Adam Cole later pursued his singles career, and soon won the ROH World Television title.
He then went after the ROH world title, putting on classic matches against the likes of Jay Briscoe and Jay Lethal.
Cole finally won the ROH world title in 2013, and held the title for a record 275 days, before finally dropping it to Michael Elgin. Cole’s run saw him competing against the likes of Chris Hero and Matt Hardy, as Cole impressed everyone with his first title run.
However, Cole’s momentum was halted because of a shoulder injury he suffered in December last year, and he returned to competition in May earlier this year.
Adam Cole is also a former PWG world champion, and has been on WWE’s radar for quite a while. At the age of 26, Cole is still relatively young, and WWE might finally pull the trigger and soon sign one of the most charismatic individuals on the independent circuit today.
#1 Zack Sabre Jr.
At number one on our list is Zack Sabre Jr., who is arguably the greatest technical wrestler to have come from the United Kingdom since Dynamite Kid many years ago. Starting in the business at a young age is never easy, but Zack has impressed everyone with his impeccable style of wrestling, and particularly his technical wrestling skills.
Sabre Jr. has also added the strong style technique to his arsenal, and has been a regular performer for Pro Wrestling Noah.
Sabre Jr. has already worked with big names, such as Prince Devitt (Finn Balor of WWE), El Generico (Sami Zayn) and Bryan Danielson (Daniel Bryan). He also put on one of the greatest matches in Triple X Wrestling’s history, along with Bryan Danielson back in 2008.
Since then, he has wrestled all across Europe and Japan, and was also named the best technical wrestler for the year 2014, by Wrestling Observer Newsletter.
With WWE looking for more British wrestlers, he can become the new breakthrough star in the WWE. Sabre Jr. has all the potential in the world to succeed, and if given the opportunity, he can become one of the greatest technical wrestlers in professional wrestling history.
