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Can new acquisitions from New Japan Pro Wrestling help the WWE?

When “The Phenomenal” AJ Styles debuted at the Royal Rumble last month, it confirmed rumors that the WWE snatched up a handful of New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) Stars. Shinsuke Nakamura and reportedly, Karl “The Machine Gun” Anderson and Luke Gallows, are on their way to Connecticut to join Styles. 

The hype is understandable, as you don’t get groups of wrestlers switching brands nowadays. Just imagine the Lakers getting Steph Curry, Kevin Durant and two other stars in one fell swoop. Well, that’s not much of a stretch for the Lakers but you get what I’m saying.  

Styles has started his WWE run feuding against Myspace enemy Chris Jericho. Their matches have been fun to watch, but is this really the best use for a top tier free-agent you just acquired?

With that in mind, we kick around some best case scenarios for this new batch of talent.

The Formation of The Bullet Club in The WWE

Never heard of the Bullet Club? Here’s some cliffsnotes to bring you up to speed: In NJPW the Bullet Club is a renegade faction, Japan’s answer to the NWO or DX. The originator was none-other than the NXT champion, Finn Balor. Anderson and Gallows are members of the group, with Styles being the most recent leader (until the club turned on him in his final NJPW match).

The group is so popular in Japan, that it’s an honor for fans to get beat-up by them:

Balor’s been using the group’s hand sign and teasing fans on social media of a possible reunion. The WWE is grooming Finn for big things and roping him in with a group won’t do much for him at this point. However, having him moved up to the main roster to battle Styles and the WWE version of Bullet Club (or whatever name the brain-trust comes up with) would be a great feud. You’d get headlining matches between both highflyers and that type of rivalry is what the WWE’s product is currently lacking.

New Group to Battle The Wyatt Family

Styles, Anderson and Gallows are all seasoned wrestlers, so there’s no point wasting them down in NXT. On the main roster, these outsiders (not Hall and Nash) can come in and battle the beard-loving, Manson family of the WWE: The Wyatt’s. Bray and his monsters have been wasted in feuds that do nothing for their characters and longevity (Hint: Bray’s battle with the Undertaker). Nobody cares if they destroy Ryback, Kane or The Big Show. The Wyatt’s need a rivalry.

Styles, Anderson and Gallows are short a guy, but adding Samoa Joe to the mix (his time in NXT has expired) and that’s a WrestleMania feud I’d pay to see.

Pitting these two groups against each other immediately helps everyone involved. Styles, Anderson and Gallows would be established as a formidable faction in the eyes of the WWE Universe, while the Wyatt’s would get worthy challengers, providing quality matches and compelling storytelling. And the PROMOS…just imagine the promo goodness we would get from these guys as they go back and forth, week to week.

Showcasing the Enigmatic Nakamura

Outside of passionate wrestling fans, the American audience probably hasn’t heard the name Shinsuke Nakamura; and that’s a crying shame. Known as “The King of Strong Style”, Nakamura is probably the most popular Japanese wrestler going today. He is walking charisma, as no other wrestler comes close to touching his style or appeal.

If a mad scientist were creating him, he’d mix in some Michael Jackson with a dash of Mickey Rourke craziness and a touch of Bodhi from Point Break. That’s a grab-bag of chaos, but trust me you’re gonna love it. Just check out his entrance:  

Now as great as he is, the reason why people are hesitant about him coming to WWE directly lies with the creative team. The WWE doesn’t have a great track record using Japanese wrestlers.  Yoshi Tatsu, Ultimo Dragon and Taka Michinoku are just a few names that were poorly utilized. Some point to the language barrier as a big reason why they never clicked.

The NXT success of Hideo Itami and Asuka, however, may point to a change in that trend.

Nakamura is so different from anyone else that you can’t help but watch what he does. Introducing him as an enigmatic loner, who comes and goes as he pleases, would create buzz.

He’s set to make his debut at NXT TakeOver: Dallas, against Sami Zayn. Hopefully his NXT run will be like Kevin Owens’ stint: brief. At 35, the man needs to be on the main roster. If health wasn’t an issue, ideal first feuds would have been with Daniel Bryan, Cesaro or Seth Rollins.

Pitting him against Kevin Owens or Roman Reigns makes sense.  Owens is one of the company’s top heels and has battled Nakamura in the past. Having them beat the hell out of each other could build for a nasty Austin versus Hart type of feud.

Throwing him straight into the title picture against Reigns might be a radical move, but probably a necessary one. In order for the WWE to really get Nakamura over, they can’t play it safe. He has to go after the championship or battle one of the WWE’s special attractions: Brock Lesnar (the two have fought in Japan) or The Undertaker’s Dad (my affectionate name for the Deadman).

Business as Usual

As interesting as all of these possibilities are, the most likely scenario is that these wrestlers come in and fall into the pack. Instead of becoming big draws, the WWE might just use them as filler until their top guys return from injury.

Luckily for the men, the WWE’s Superman John Cena is on the IR shelf. If he weren’t, he’d greet them with “You want some, come get some!” followed by a five knuckle shuffle.  

Nakamura in turn would go off script and deliver his devastating BOMAYE knee strike!

Let’s keep our fingers crossed. 

 

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