A.J. Styles, Shinsuke Nakamura Signing with WWE Would Be Catalyst for New Era

In need of a spark, something to help push it into its next hot period, WWE is rumored to be adding A.J. Styles and Shinsuke Nakamura, two men capable of setting off wildfires.

With as much talent as those wrestlers possess and with how much buzz they would create, a shift is in the works should WWE take them on. Suddenly, the marquee would be crowded, and electricity would surround the product.

SummerSlam would be more intriguing with those two around. WrestleMania would feel bigger with them on the card. The reasons to watch Raw would increase, too.

WWE is rumored to not only be plucking Styles and Nakamura from New Japan Pro Wrestling but also signing Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson of the Bullet Club. It's the kind of story that a fan might dream up, creating a fantasy card in his head. But it's gathering steam.

The news first broke on MLW Radio (subscription required), and Wrestling Observer Radio then followed up (subscription required) and confirmed the report.

WWE.com has since acknowledged the rumors. Joey Styles tweeted the link to an article that talked about WWE's reported interest in these four wrestlers:

"

Are @AJStylesOrg @ShinsukeN @Machinegunka @Machinegunka and @ImpactDOC coming to @WWE? https://t.co/1z3tz7IDKF pic.twitter.com/WhqW15bL9c

— Joey Styles (@JoeyStyles) January 5, 2016"

The fact that WWE brought this up makes it feel like it may actually happen and a fantasy scenario could really unfold. It's enough to leave the fanbase giddy. It's a wrestling fan's second Christmas.

Will Pruett of ProWrestling.net summed up how many fans must feel:

Styles was the longtime centerpiece for TNA before moving on to Japan, Ring of Honor and elsewhere. He improved on these new stages, creating masterpieces in the ring.

He's been red-hot for the last two years, looking every bit like the top-of-the-card star that some doubted he could be.

Nakamura is a one-of-a-kind performer who has charisma to spare. To watch him wrestle is to watch a master at work. Aaron Oster aptly described Nakamura in Rolling Stone as "part Michael Jackson, part Freddie Mercury and all awesome—a showman inside the ring and out."

One could easily argue that Styles and Nakamura are the two best in-ring performers working today. They have spent the last few years filling their resumes with stellar matches while continuing to up their games. 

WWE has brought in top-notch performers recently, but this would be an infusion of talent on another level.

On his blog, former WWE writer Kevin Eck called the potential signings "a huge get for the company." That's understating the situation. Nabbing both Nakamura and Styles would be a game-changing move.

Consider how much hiring Scott Hall and Kevin Nash boosted WCW in the '90s. Those men became the backbone of WCW's strongest angle and the primary reason it was able to top WWE's ratings.

And this would be bigger than that. It would be more akin to the NBA grabbing up Julius Erving and Rick Barry in their primes, WWE bringing in Sting when he could still go or signing Mitsuharu Misawa when he was at the top of his game.

Should the NJPW and WWE worlds collide as they are reportedly poised to do, it will signal a departure from the status quo.

It will represent a change in philosophy. Rather than leaning on preconceived notions of what a star wrestler looks like, these signings would signify that WWE is fully on board with the idea that talent should be valued above all else.

In the past, Styles would be considered too small to be a top guy for the company. He would be less of a commodity thanks to making his name with TNA.

Nakamura wouldn't have gotten a second look from WWE. Vince McMahon doesn't have a history of seeking out Japan's biggest names.

Fans would have had to enjoy those wrestlers in a separate environment from WWE. And as much talent as the sports entertainment giant boasts, it couldn't say it had the very best in its employ. Adding Nakamura and Styles changes that.

The company's talent level would earn an instant, significant bump.

If this outside-the-box move works, it will open the door for other Japanese stars to cross over. It will have WWE looking at TNA's best differently. 

With Nakamura and Styles available, WWE Creative will have an easy job ahead of it. The writing team will be flush with options.

As Bleacher Report's Matt Camp broke down, Gallows and Anderson could rejoin Finn Balor at NXT, recreating a WWE version of the Bullet Club:

Beyond that, the possibility for dream matches would be everywhere. Nakamura against John Cena, Seth Rollins, Balor or Daniel Bryan (if he ever gets cleared) are all huge marquee matchups. Styles vs. Dean Ambrose, Kevin Owens or Cesaro all promise to be classics.

All of WWE's peaks featured a glut of talent.

Hulk Hogan had Hall of Famers all around him in the Rock 'n' Wrestling Era. Steve Austin led the way, but The Attitude Era flourished because the roster also featured a surplus of top talent from The Rock to Triple H.

And now with a collection of young talent ready to charge ahead into the next era, WWE could also have two top-tier wrestlers in Styles and Nakamura to aid them in getting there. It's hard not to feel lightning flash inside one's stomach when thinking of that possibility coming true.