10 WWE vs NJPW must-see dream matches

#2 John Cena vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi (WWE vs. NJPW)

.@JohnCena offers @WWE Champion @AJStylesOrg a show of respect before their battle for the WWE Title at #RoyalRumble Jan. 29. #SDLive pic.twitter.com/IYRlQDsK0u

— WWE (@WWE) December 28, 2016

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.

2 years ago today:Hiroshi Tanahashi and Kazuchika Okada went to a 30 minute time limit draw in G1 Climax 28!With the point gained from the draw, Tanahashi won A Block and went onto the final!A 5 star match!#njpw @tanahashi1_100 pic.twitter.com/mTs2KNvxLy

— Ciaràn (@CiaranRH) August 10, 2020

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.