WWE is the biggest sports entertainment company in the world. New Japan Pro Wrestling is the biggest professional wrestling company in the world. Whilst it’s highly unlikely that the two companies would ever see their stars come face to face in the ring, it’s definitely not something that we can’t all dream about.
WWE may have a bigger global brand than New Japan, but fans of the sport of professional wrestling are more likely to choose New Japan for their wrestling fix. That’s not to say that WWE doesn’t have some amazing in-ring talents, it’s just that they are seen as more like TV entertainers than professional wrestlers at times.
Not since the days of the Monday Night Wars, when WCW pushed the WWE to its limits, have we seen a potential challenger at the top of the pro wrestling world for WWE, in the coming years that could very well be New Japan.
Let’s match up some of the best talents from the WWE with their counterparts from New Japan and see how good a match card we can produce.
#1 The New Day vs The Elite
A match between two of the greatest factions in the current world of professional wrestling, with the WWE represented by The New Day and The Elite representing New Japan.
These six men have taunted each other on social media, and Kenny Omega even went at it with Xavier Woods, albeit in a Street Fighter video game tournament.
Also read: 10 Things you didn't know about New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW)
All of the men involved are good in the ring, but what stands them all apart from their peers has to be the fact that they are some of the most entertaining men in the entire world of wrestling. If you think that the matches between them would be good, then you can only imagine how amazing the back and forth promos could be.
They may all be about having fun, but all of these men are more than capable of giving us a five-star match inside the ring.
#2 Neville vs Will Ospreay
The WWE’s King of the Cruiserweights vs potentially the best high flyer in the entire world right now, how could you not book this match?
Neville has taken the WWE Cruiserweight division by storm in the last couple of months but has done it on his own terms. Neville is definitely a Cruiserweight, but he uses a lot of the hard striking style that is loved around the world by many fans.
Ospreay, at only 23 years old, has already taken the world by storm with some of his matches in New Japan and around the world. He is on track to become the greatest high flying wrestler in the world at such a young age and has an incredible future in front of him.
These two men could put on a high flying masterpiece that could steal any show that it was part of.
#3 John Cena vs Hiroshi Tanahashi
The two men who could be called the Franchise of their respective companies, this would be a clash for the ages. John Cena is probably the most recognisable sports entertainer in the world right now, while Tanahashi rivals Cena’s fame in his native Japan.
If two men had to be put forward to represent their respective companies, for the fact that they have been such important parts of both federations for such a long time, then Cena and Tanahashi would be the men that the majority of people would choose.
This would be a tough match to call. Cena always seems to have great matches with whoever he faces, and Tanahashi has proved in the past that he is one of the best Japanese wrestlers of all time.
#4 Seth Rollins vs Kazuchika Okada
Kazuchika Okada is the current top dog in New Japan, he holds the IWGP Heavyweight Championship and it doesn’t look like anyone can take that belt away from him anytime soon. Seth Rollins has become one of the biggest stars in the WWE, after starting out making a name for himself across the world on the indy circuit.
This would be a clash of two of the best professional wrestlers in the world. Okada is a great brash heel who has made himself indispensable to New Japan, whilst Rollins has become a massive fan favourite in the WWE.
Rollins would relish the challenge of stepping up to face Okada, in what could probably be the most important match that could take place between these two companies.
#5 Brock Lesnar vs Katsuyori Shibata
This would be the match where both men would literally just batter their opponent for as long as people wanted them to. Both Lesnar and Shibata have prior experience in the world of MMA and that is more than evident in their professional wrestling exploits.
Lesnar would be throwing Shibata around with massive suplexes, Shibata would be throwing different kinds of punches, kicks and headbutts at Lesnar, and neither man would take a step back.
This would be a million mile an hour, hard-hitting, take no prisoners kind of match that could go on for hours. Out of all these New Japan vs WWE matches, this may be the one that I would personally want to see the most.
If you’ve never seen a Katsuyori Shibata match then I suggest you check him out!
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One of Samoa Joe's colleagues had harsh words for him HERE
