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In what may be the biggest story or non-story in wrestling this year, WWE and NJPW have been in talks about a potential working relationship. The biggest promotion in the business working with the biggest promotion in Japan brings a lot of excitement to fans everywhere for the dream matches that may come as a result.
There have been exchanges on social media and previous runs with opposing companies that may have finally come to fruition. With competitors on both sides teasing what may come, there is an opportunity to cash in on money-making matchups and feuds that are years in the making. Even AEW President Tony Khan has chimed in on the WWE/NJPW talks with a hilarious promo.
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From battles between former friends to reigniting legendary rivalries, the potential in a WWE and NJPW relationship is something that has caused conversation in the wrestling community. In this article, let's take a look at the ten WWE vs. NJPW must-see dream matches.
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#10 Sheamus vs. Minoru Suzuki (WWE vs. NJPW)
Minoru Suzuki is a legend in Japan and has become one of the top heels in all of NJPW. His ruthless, sadistic style in the ring has made him one of the most feared competitors in the business today. He has shared the ring with a number of WWE Superstars from AJ Styles to Riddle with everyone who has experienced his arsenal remembering their time with the leader of Suzuki-Gun.
Given his brutal nature, there are not many who can match his style in WWE quite like Sheamus. The current United States Champion is known for his stiff strikes and his enjoyment in dishing out punishment to his opponents. Sheamus has made a name for himself with hard-hitting contests and has been one of the most consistent in-ring performers of the past year.
This clash would certainly deliver a banger in every sense of the word. Minoru Suzuki is not only known for delivering pain, but for his weird obsession with receiving pain as well. His sadistic demeanor would love to be in the squared circle with a WWE Superstar who can match him strike for strike. Sheamus seems like the perfect opponent. Both men would never be the same after this confrontation.
#9 The Usos vs. Guerillas of Destiny (WWE vs. NJPW)
The Usos just had their first WWE tag team match in over a year since Jimmy's return from injury. The brothers have been one of the best tag teams in the company's history, winning six championships during their career. The storyline developing with their cousin, Roman Reigns, have made them even more compelling as characters and added layers to them as performers.
The Guerillas of Destiny are the NJPW equivalent of The Usos. The Bullet Club members have won a record-breaking seven IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Championships. They have also been known for their trash talking with Tama Tonga being one of the best on the mic in the entire promotion. Tonga also uses social media expertly, even teasing this potential dream match.
These two tag teams have different styles and arsenals that would mesh very well in the ring. Their opposing characters would also be interesting and make for the most intriguing tag team encounter in the WWE vs NJPW relationship. For the two premier teams from the two companies, this would make for a fun matchup.
WWE has plenty of tag teams that could combat with some of the tandems in NJPW. However, when it comes to characters and performers, The Usos vs. G.O.D. would make for an interesting combination that would have legs for a series of contests.
#8 WALTER vs. Tomohiro Ishii (WWE vs. NJPW)
The WWE vs. NJPW potential partnership will bring plenty of hard-hitting clashes, but this one would be the banger to end them all. Tomohiro Ishii has been viewed by New Japan fans as one of the best wrestlers in the world for his consistent output of tremendous encounters over the past decade.
For many, he is greatly underappreciated and may go down as the greatest wrestler to never win the IWGP Heavyweight Championship. His classics with Katsuyori Shibata, Kazuchika Okada, and Kenny Omega are among the greatest to ever happen in a NJPW ring.
For WWE, there is no one quite like WALTER. The longest reigning champion of the modern era has had a dominant run in NXT UK as their champion. Although he does not have many contests every year, he usually produces not only the match of the night but one of the best matches of the year every time out.
Whether it be this year against Tommasso Ciampa at NXT TakeOver: Stand and Deliver or his all-time great match with Tyler Bate at NXT UK TakeOver: Cardiff, he has already made a legacy that stands up to anyone in WWE history.
These two individuals would be an absolutely brutal affair that would have stiff chops and awe-inspiring strikes. No one in WWE can withstand the punishment that WALTER puts on his opponents, but Ishii has proven throughout his career that he not only can but will keep coming for more. This would truly be a once in a lifetime type encounter that would have to be seen to be believed.
#7 Cesaro vs. Shingo Takagi (WWE vs. NJPW)
No one in WWE has had more upward momentum in 2021 like Cesaro. Coming off the heels of his first WrestleMania singles win over Seth Rollins, he followed up with another incredible performance opposite the WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns at WrestleMania Backlash. He has truly broken through and feels like he could stay in the main event scene for the next few months.
In NJPW, Shingo Takagi has had a transformative year himself. The Los Ingobernables member made it to the finals of the New Japan Cup and got his first opportunity at the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship in a Wrestling Observer rated 6 star classic against Will Ospreay. With another title match on the way, his in-ring mastery has been and will continue to be on showcase in a big way in 2021.
These two underrated superstars work with a chip on their shoulder trying to prove their naysayers wrong. While Cesaro has slowly worked his way up the ladder in WWE over the course of his 8-year run with the company, Shingo has broken through just three years since joining NJPW. Although both have had runs in ROH crossing paths in a six-way matchup, they have never gone one-on-one.
This would surely be a sensational encounter depending on the time dedicated. Both have versatile styles and unreal strength based on their sizes. It would create many eye-opening displays and exchanges in a singles contest. Any WWE vs. NJPW partnership or supercard would feel incomplete if the fans were not able to see these talents in the ring together.
#6 Randy Orton vs. Kota Ibushi (WWE vs. NJPW)
Randy Orton's name has been in the headlines not just for his awesome work with Riddle as R-K-Bro on WWE Raw, but Jim Ross called the former 14-time world champion "the best wrestler in the world today". Many fans and wrestlers, including Chris Jericho, countered with AEW World Champion Kenny Omega. However, it truly is a subjective argument.
There is one name in NJPW that will forever be connected to Omega, former IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Kota Ibushi. Omega and Ibushi were apart of one of the most ground-breaking tales ever told in wrestling with their Golden Lovers partnership, break up and reunion. That relationship is not what makes a confrontation with Randy Orton intriguing, though.
With the WWE vs. NJPW relationship, a clash of styles like this one would be a compelling change of pace. While Randy Orton is slow and methodical, Ibushi is one of the fastest competitors in wrestling today. Orton enjoys picking and choosing his spots, which makes the sudden RKO outta nowhere awesome to watch. On the other hand, Ibushi uses break neck pace to create masterpieces in the ring.
These two wrestlers would create magic together. Ibushi has a brilliant mix of hard-hitting, impactful strikes mixed with a high flying style all to his own. That would work well with Orton possibly catching him out of mid-air with an RKO like he has done to so many in the WWE. That would not be enough to put down "The Golden Star" though.
Ibushi has shown over the years to be able to go to a place where he gets in a trance and can take incredible amounts of punishment before dishing out wince-inducing strikes. He delivers some of the stiffest kicks in the business today.
Ibushi also possesses the Kamigoye knee strike finisher that has put down so many in NJPW. This WWE vs. NJPW might be the hardest to pick a winner due to the difference in the two men's arsenals.
#5 Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Tetsuya Naito (WWE vs. NJPW)
Our next entry in this WWE vs. NJPW list is a matchup that has taken place in the past, but the dynamic would be very different now. Shinsuke Nakamura is one of the greatest competitors to ever step foot in New Japan. The former IWGP Heavyweight Champion was the promotion's top star for quite some time.
However, his run with the Intercontinental Championship might have surpassed all his work before that. "The King of Strong Style" elevated the secondary title to be viewed as on par with the top title. He thrust the gold to the main event spot on big events and made it prestigious. When Nakamura left for WWE, a big void was left in the Intercontinental Championship scene.
This is where Tetsuya Naito stepped in. During Nakamura's run in NJPW, Naito was "The Stardust Genius". He was a white meat babyface, more akin to a lesser version of Hiroshi Tanahashi. For the final year of Nakamura in New Japan, Naito returned from an excursion, an evolved version of himself. Forming the Los Ingobernables de Japon stable, his Tranquilo demeanor changed him forever.
With Shinsuke off to WWE, Naito defeated Kazuchika Okada to win the IWGP Heavyweight Championship just a few months after his departure. After dropping that title, he would win the IWGP Intercontinental Championship later that same year. Naito became the standard bearer of this title, bringing it back to the level of prestige that Nakamura gave to the gold.
This confrontation has totally changed now. Nakamura has had success in WWE, winning the NXT, Intercontinental and United States Championships during his run with the company, but to many fans, he has never felt like "The King of Strong Style" of the past. In many ways, Naito took and filled Nakamura's spot in NJPW perfectly.
Naito's LIJ stable has become the top faction in all of NJPW and a legit merchandise mover for the promotion. His success rivals that of Nakamura's and would create resentment from both men. Both men possess hard-hitting strikes and a unique charisma that would keep fans engaged in this WWE vs. NJPW encounter. It would be a match that no one could keep their eyes off of for sure.
#4 Seth Rollins vs. Will Ospreay (WWE vs. NJPW)
Our next entry on this WWE vs. NJPW list is a matchup that is two years in the making. In 2019, Seth Rollins was the WWE Universal Champion, one of WWE's top babyfaces and was very adamant about his company's status as number one in wrestling. This drew a response from NJPW's own Will Ospreay, with the two wrestlers going back and forth.
Rollins has since become a sinster heel as the Messiah on WWE Raw and now SmackDown, while Will Ospreay has broken through in NJPW to win the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship this year. This would be a highly anticipated matchup based on their social media exchanges as well as similar in-ring styles.
Both men share a wide range of abilities in the squared circle. They can exchange strikes with the hardest hitters, can go hold for hold with the best technical wrestlers and take to the air with a large amount of smoothness. There are not many WWE vs. NJPW matchups that would bring as much high octane action as this one right here.
While Seth Rollins feels like he has taken a step back from where he was in 2019, Will Ospreay has definitely stepped up in importance to NJPW as well as an overall performer in character and promo work. The exchanges on the mic may be as interesting as what will occur in the ring. With both men playing heels at the moment, it would be intriguing to see what role they play in this WWE vs. NJPW encounter. The lead up might be the most unpredictable part to this story.
#3 Finn Balor vs. Jay White (WWE vs. NJPW)
Here is another WWE vs. NJPW that has been talked about for years. The Bullet Club is one of the most influential factions of the past decade in wrestling. The group was founded by Finn Balor during his time in New Japan as "Prince Devitt". The gaijin stable took the wrestling world by storm in 2013 and has continued on in different variations since then.
The latest version of the Bullet Club is led by the current NEVER Openweight Champion "Switchblade" Jay White. The former IWGP Heavyweight Champion has been a revelation to NJPW and was even in the midst of talks of him being signed to WWE earlier this year.
The 28-year old has already headlined matches with Kota Ibushi at the Tokyo Dome at WrestleKingdom 15 and Kazuchika Okada at Madison Square Garden at the G1 Supercard. He is the only quadriple champion in NJPW history, winning every singles title available to him. Many have reported that Vince McMahon himself is high on "Switchblade" for a reason.
The story here writes itself. Finn Balor has gone on to great success in WWE, being a former two-time NXT Champion as well as being the first Universal Champion. What some may not know is that Balor is also responsible for bringing Jay White into New Japan during his run with the promotion. This would be like a teacher vs. student matchup.
The Jay White that Finn Balor would face here is not the young man that he discovered in the past. This is a more ruthless and cunning Jay White that will stop at nothing to prove himself as the very best. Balor has also undergone changes over the past year. He has re-discovered the "Prince" within and has looked to be one of the best in WWE and the entire business.
This WWE vs. NJPW matchup has layers upon layers to it. There are many questions to ask going into this one. Will the two men show respect to one another and have a competition to just prove who is the best? Which leader does The Bullet Club pledge their allegiance to? All those questions make this a huge match that would not look out of place in the main event.
#2 John Cena vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi (WWE vs. NJPW)
John Cena is one of the biggest stars in WWE history. Any conversation of dream matches with other promotions would be lacking without having one with the 16-time world champion. With reports saying he will return at Summerslam, there are plenty of stars in the company ready to have their own dream matches with "The Face That Runs The Place."
As far as WWE vs. NJPW dream matches, though, there is one that has been talked about for almost a decade now. The New Japan equivalent to John Cena has always been "The Ace" Hiroshi Tanahashi. Tanahashi is a record 8-time IWGP Heavyweight Champion and is the man most responsible for the revival of the promotion in the 2010s.
"The Ace" has long been the unquestionable top babyface in the promotion and certainly the most popular. His appeal cannot be measured and has even seen him cross over to the mainstream in films in Japan. Similar to how John Cena has now moved from WWE to the silver screen and is about to star in Fast 9 this year.
These two have had parallel careers and would be a strong psychology-based matchup on many levels. Their in-ring work has grown greater over time for both men. Cena has revamped his arsenal and added moves when facing the likes of AJ Styles and Kevin Owens in the past. Tanahashi has used his signature High Fly Flow finisher less and less, relying on more storytelling in big-time matches.
This would be a headline encounter anywhere in the world. It is the Face of WWE vs. the Ace of NJPW. Top Babyface vs. Top Babyface makes this an ideal main event at WrestleMania or WrestleKingdom. This is the definition of a money matchup, but there is one other WWE vs. NJPW dream match that would probably be higher on the card.
#1 Roman Reigns vs. Kazuchika Okada (WWE vs. NJPW)
The final entry of WWE vs. NJPW dream matches is the biggest possible encounter with the individual companies' top stars. Kazuchika Okada is one of the wrestlers who has become synonymous with New Japan Pro Wrestling, being a former 5-time IWGP Heavyweight Champion.
Whether it was his star-making feud with Hiroshi Tanahashi or his ground-breaking series of matches against Kenny Omega, Okada has taken NJPW to new heights. To so many fans around the world, the first NJPW wrestler that they have seen would be "The Rainmaker".
In WWE, there is no bigger superstar right now than Roman Reigns. The current Universal Champion has found new levels of greatness with his Tribal Chief character. He has improved on the mic and in the ring. Overall, "The Head of the Table" has evolved as a performer.
In the past year, Reigns has put on Match of the Year candidates with Kevin Owens, Cesaro, Edge and Daniel Bryan. There is no character more compelling on a weekly basis in WWE or wrestling than Roman Reigns right now. That is what makes this such a high-profile contest in many ways.
The Tribal Chief would do the heavy lifting as far as promo work, while Okada would dictate the pace in the ring. "The Rainmaker" has brought new eyes to NJPW over the past decade with his ability to put on some of the best matches ever seen against a wide range of opponents. From Tetsuya Naito and AJ Styles to Tomohiro Ishii and Will Ospreay, Okada has a huge catalog of classics.
Roman Reigns has had emotionally driven encounters in WWE, including his series of matches against his cousin Jey Uso. He is a whole new beast for the longest reigning IWGP Heavyweight Champion of all time to mix it up with. Reigns vs. Okada is a main event match in the Tokyo Dome or Madison Square Garden.
There are no bigger stars in either company than Roman Reigns and Kazuchika Okada. The storytelling and drama in this encounter would be off the charts and unlike any other matchup between the two promotions could produce. That is why this is the most must-see WWE vs. NJPW dream match of them all.
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