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It's almost a given that the match quality in the independent scene, NJPW, and Ring of Honor can be light years ahead of that in the WWE. In theory, signing talent off the indy scene may bring a wider variety of styles to brands such as NXT, but sometimes success doesn't follow.
Movesets are limited, characters are watered down, and even some of the biggest names are pushed aside to avoid getting trademarked.
Below is a list of five modern wrestlers who may or may not be better off outside the WWE.
Honorable Mention - Dolph Ziggler
Although he's currently still with the WWE, Dolph Ziggler has to be one of the most gifted but wasted talents on the entire roster. The more notable earlier stints on his career took place during his pairings with Vickie Guerrero, AJ Lee and Big E, and as a face around Survivor Series 2014. It's a shame to see a guy with an amazing offensive arsenal, ability to sell, and talk, go to waste.
The high of Ziggler's WWE career could be noted as his Money in the Bank cash in as a heel after WrestleMania 29. After a short reign, Ziggler's career started to go downhill.
During the Team Cena vs. Authority angle, Ziggler's momentum was at an all time high. But creative failed to capitalise on his popularity once again. If somebody had to take the title for the best homegrown all around talent, you have a contender right here.
Fast foward to his more recent matches with the Miz. Arguably the best in his entire WWE tenure, with a stipulation of his career being on the line at one point as well. His storytelling against the Miz was at it's best, along with the high stakes in-ring action. It's just sad to see him lose over and over until his character has no credibility left.
Currently, Ziggler is going under a repackage on Smackdown Live and is rumored to face Bobby Roode in the near future. By the looks of it, his career in the WWE may be coming to an end. Make no mistake about it, Ziggler would have no problem finding work on the indy scene, in New Japan, or even Ring of Honor. Given the versatility of his style and how strong his character work is.
Other honorable mentions: Ricochet, Abyss, EC3, Low Ki, The Young Bucks, Rey Mysterio, and Pentagon Jr.
#5 John Morrison/Impact
Yet another star that WWE dropped the ball on, some may say that Morrison's promo skills back in his WWE stint were not up to par, but that has changed over the years. After leaving, Mundo competed for various indy promotions, starred in several seasons of Lucha Underground, and recently appeared for GFW wrestling.
For a guy the weight of a lower heavyweight, Morrison can wrestle a style that makes it seem like gravity doesn't exist. During his time in WWE, he was never able to breach the mid-card ceiling and was relegated to the Intercontinental and Tag Team championships.
Not that the two respective belts are worth less, but Morrison was never given high profile singles matches to showcase his talent at it's peak. A definite dream match would be Morrison against AJ Styles.
His character and athleticism may be at it's prime now, but a move back to WWE does not seem optimal for Morrison. Even on NXT, the current overflow of independent talent would most likely result in him getting lost in the shuffle. For now, you can tune into his work on GFW Wrestling.
#4 Will Ospreay
The winner of the Best of the Super Juniors 2016 tournament, and one of the best in the world today; the term best wrestler is subjective but there's no doubt that Ospreay is up there. At the young age of only 24, his list of accomplishments are immense as it is.
Ospreay's high flying and fast paced style is reminiscent to that of Neville's independent work before WWE. Citing AJ Styles as one of his idols, Ospreay has the talent to become just as good as the two stars listed above, if no, possibly even better. At such a young age, Ospreay has many years left in his career.
While he is one of my personal favourites, I feel that his style would not work well in a WWE ring. Not that it isn't realistic, but his arsenal would be so heavily restricted. Moves such as his 630 senton and OsCutter may not fly in the WWE. Just take a look at what happened to Neville's moveset compared to his indy work.
For now, his work over in Japan, Australia, and the UK continues to amaze wrestling fans. It's always a treat to see him and Ricochet try to outdo one another. Maybe at a later age Ospreay would be a better fit for the WWE as I cannot see them properly using his talent when his athleticism is at where it is now.
#3 Cody Rhodes
There's not much to say about Cody. Other than his tag match with Goldust against the Shield at Battleground, the WWE dropped the ball by not using him properly as well.
The fact that Rhodes expresses his disinterest to return to the WWE is no surprise. His talent was wasted and he was given a gimmick that he did his best to make work, but was ultimately pointless.
With the G1 special in America not long ago, Cody showcased his ability by holding his own against Kazuchika Okada in a match for the IWGP title. Along with this, his Ring of Honor matches against Christopher Daniels and Jay Lethal have been some of his better pieces of work, and not to mention his bouts against Kurt Angle.
The way it's been going now, Cody looks to be better off working as a freelancer and for ROH/NJPW. He also seems to be having the time of his life wrestling and starring on the Young Bucks "Being the Elite," Youtube series. His addition to the Bullet Club only further elevated his character. Don't expect to be seeing him back in a WWE ring for a long time.
#2 Kazuchika Okada
The past year has been the year of Okada. AJ Styles' WWE debut and first year was incredible in its own right, but even that cannot compare to Okada. Ranking at #1 in the PWI puts him at the top of the list as the best all around wrestler in the world.
By putting on stellar match after stellar match, Okada will go down as the best worker in Japan right now, and most likely all of professional wrestling. While only 29 years of age, Okada seemingly has not even reached his prime years. Some may argue that now is his prime and that it may last for a very long time.
New Japan has invested a huge amount into Okada and would do their best to keep him at all costs. The language barrier may also prove to be troublesome if he ever signed with WWE.
Not to take away from the talent of the WWE locker room, but the wrestlers in NJPW are capable of putting on much higher quality matches for several reasons. With all his star power, the WWE would most waste Okada's talent through poor booking and the lack of credible opponents.
#1 Kenny Omega
No. 1 in our list is a man who is right up there next to Okada. "The Cleaner" Kenny Omega has had an amazing year as well. Putting on six-star classics against Okada, winning the IWGP US title, and just the sheer quality of his matches in the G1 Climax over all, Omega is also up there as one of the best in the world.
Character and wrestling wise, Omega is the full package. With a heavy arsenal of high-flying and hard-hitting moves, the man has it all. His promo work resembles that of a video game villain, which makes his heel work that much more sinister. Although, at times, the Japanese can't help but cheer for his talent.
I can't imagine seeing Omega in a WWE ring anytime soon for several reasons. For starters, he's still got a good amount of time left on his current New Japan contract. In addition to this, Omega has not won the big prize yet. The one title that's been at his fingertips but never in his hand has been the IWGP heavyweight title, which is considered the most prestigious belt in the world.
Until Omega drops the US title and comes full circle by winning the heavyweight belt, I do not see him signing with the WWE anytime soon. For all you know, they may restrict his signature V - Trigger knee even though he executes it fairly safely.
Fun fact: Omega is also fluent in Japanese, which he's made clear several times by cutting short promos in Japanese after matches in the previous and current year's G1 Climax.
