5 Gaijin wrestlers from New Japan who have the best chance to win the IWGP Heavyweight title

If the WWE and New Japan Pro Wrestling share one common trait, it's that they traditionally have the same five to seven stars hold the top titles in the company. Every now and then, a well-deserving, veteran workhorse like Kofi Kingston is finally given a run with a title.

Other than that, the WWE, Universal and IWGP Championships are usually held by a rotation of a select few in both companies. The Universal Championship has been held by mainly Brock Lesnar with runs from Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns mixed in. Finn Balor held the title for a day and Goldberg held it for a month. Kevin Owens held the title before unceremoniously dropping it to the WCW stalwart.

While people often find things in one promotion that they don't find in another promotion, when it comes to top titles, NJPW and the WWE book them similarly. Who has been the main IWGP Heavyweight Champ over the last four years? Kazuchika Okada. He had a reign of 720 days.

Mixed in between his various reigns were runs from Kenny Omega, AJ Styles, Hiroshi Tanahashi and Jay White. But when all is said and done, the man who always holds the gold the longest is Okada.

A person not native to the country is called a "gaijin" and when it has come to the IWGP title, only eight such men have held the title. The most recent holders were Styles, Omega and White. But White, the most recent foreign-born holder of the title, didn't defend the title once en route to dropping it back to Okada.

So if one thing is certain regarding the booking of the title, it's that not many gaijin have chances to win the title. Of the current roster, here are the five men with the best chance at becoming the next gaijin IWGP Heavyweight Champion in NJPW.

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#5 Juice Robinson

The Juice has experienced a lot of success since leaving the WWE

WWE just isn't for every wrestler. When Robinson was CJ Parker in NXT, he was traditionally used to put over every and any other wrestler. He was a heel with a similar gimmick to what Daniel Bryan had become late last year, but it didn't stick.

Once he left and landed in NJPW, he was an instant hit. The crowd loved him due to his different look and he proved how skillful he was. He beat Kenny Omega for the IWGP United States title, and has held it twice.

While he isn't on the same level of stardom that Omega was during his time with NJPW, Robinson is one of the more popular wrestlers not from Japan. It might be a long-shot, but Robinson might pull down a reign in the future if his star continues to rise.

#4 Jay White

White briefly held the belt earlier this year

This one might be considered cheating since White already won the title earlier this year. He took the belt from Hiroshi Tanahashi after "the Ace" of NJPW won the title from Omega at Wrestle Kingdom 13.

The whole series of switches was for two reasons - Omega was leaving the company and they wanted to get the title back around Okada's waist. As if he hadn't already held the title long enough.

White only held the belt for 54 days and didn't get to defend it once. He was positioned as the new leader of the Bullet Club since the Elite was on their way out of the company. While the spot atop the group has helped to elevate his status, his reign was short-lived. He still is in a prominent position as the leader of the Bullet Club, so he might still have a shot to add a another reign to his resume.

#3 Jeff Cobb

Cobb has fit in perfectly in NJPW with his hard-hitting style

While he isn't the same size as other "big-hoss" types since he's about 6 feet tall, Cobb is special. His high-flying sets him apart and truly earns him the name "Mr. Athletic". He showcased his skills as Matanza Cueto in Lucha Underground, but he was killed off at the end of the final season.

Since then, he moved on to NJPW and Ring of Honor. He's already won titles in both promotions but has primarily been battling for the Never Openweight title in NJPW. He's wowed in matches with Tomohiro Ishii and others, and is usually a safe bet to give the audience a great match.

His star probably isn't on the level with where the likes of Styles' or Omega's were, but he's being slowly built up. Another smaller hoss, Scott Norton, wasn't as huge a success in the United States, but he won the title twice back in the late 90s and early 2000s. Cobb will probably move up the ladder slowly, but him holding the main title in NJPW isn't too far-fetched.

#2 Will Ospreay

Ospreay is one of the best wrestlers in the world

If Kenny Omega left the moniker "the Best Bout Machine" behind in NJPW, then Ospreay has picked it up and run with it. Every one of his matches in the Junior Heavyweight Division has been amazing, as have his title defenses and challenges for that title.

He recently declared himself a heavyweight and moved up, just like Omega did. Ospreay is already one of the most popular wrestlers in the promotion and it's no surprise. Some older wrestling purists might consider him simply a "jumpy, flippy guy", but he's so much more. He mixes in his strikes with his high-flying and is a great all-around wrestler.

Ospreay has been moved along slowly but is already one of the top guys in the company. He's fought everyone regardless of weight and is someone that could one day win the IWGP Heavyweight Championship. It's how Omega was originally built up, so perhaps Ospreay takes the same path en route to the top of the promotion.

#1 Jon Moxley

Moxley has certainly been able to spread his wings since leaving the WWE earlier this year

Even though the likes of White, Cobb and Ospreay are great wrestlers in their own rights, Jon Moxley is a much bigger star. When stars leave the WWE, they are often booked towards the top of their newer promotions. Moxley was already one of the top stars in the WWE, so his booking as a top guy in both AEW and NJPW has continued.

His departure from the WWE sent a ripple effect across the industry, and WWE's loss was AEW and NJPW's gain. He debuted after the main event of AEW's first official show, Double or Nothing, and won the IWGP US Championship in his debut for NJPW. He's already been treated as a big deal and as things currently sit, is someone whose star power can rival almost anyone's in the WWE.

Moxley still holds that title and will face Omega at All Out at the end of August. If there is one gaijin wrestler associated with NJPW that should and might be considered for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship, it has to be Moxley. As I said, he's a bigger star now than before he left WWE, and NJPW would be wise to capitalize on it.