Daniel Bryan and 5 WWE Superstars Most Likely to Make the Jump to NJPW
There is life after WWE.
Chris Jericho has proved that time and again, most notably with his band Fozzy. Jericho lives his life outside the squared circle as a rockstar then, and when he gets the itch, he comes back to Vince McMahon's company. Of course, one day he will stop coming back, and chances are he will be just fine.
But until that day comes, he's still scratching his itch.
New Japan Pro-Wrestling delivered Jericho versus Kenny Omega in a Wrestle Kingdom match that fans will likely be talking about for years to come. Jericho showed once again that he's still among the elite in the business and made his case for being the best in the world.
But will he be the only WWE Superstar to make an appearance in New Japan?
The list of wrestlers that WWE would allow to venture outside the company is surely very short. Indeed, if a performer is under contract with Vince McMahon, chances are he or she would only work in a WWE ring and nowhere else. The circumstances would have to be right and WWE would have to be onboard with any such move.
If a wrestler is no longer under the WWE banner, as in Jericho's case, then they would have free rein to go wherever they please.
The likelihood of anyone actually wanting to leave WWE and go somewhere else may or may not be slim, but situations change everyday. The best always rise to the occasion and when one door closes in the business, another door could always open.
These Superstars call WWE home, but that could change at any time.
Curtis Axel
1 of 5
Curtis Axel is the epitome of untapped potential.
He's been given chances in WWE, that much is true. Paul Heyman was his mouthpiece and Axel seemed to be on the right track at one time. But in terms of booking and solidifying him as a top hand, WWE has never truly shown any commitment to the son of Curt Hennig.
At some point, would Axel want something different?
This all comes down to Axel himself. He's on TV, he's connected to The Miz and he gets opportunities to work more often than not. But he remains the butt of the joke, the goofy henchman that is just there to prop The Miz up.
It's pro wrestling after all; perhaps Axel is perfectly content to just have fun with it.
But if he decided to truly create his own star then New Japan could be the place for him. Axel would share a home with Dusty Rhodes' bloodline, as well as that of Haku, Davey Boy Smith and Fit Finlay. He would be in a spot where the company he works for would show him respect and allow him the chance to truly realize who he can become as a pro wrestler.
Axel is one of the most underused talents in WWE but that has nothing to do with him. Maybe one day he will look for a change and find that change in New Japan.
Goldust
2 of 5
Dusty Rhodes' legacy is alive and well.
It's still an undeniable part of NXT, as The American Dream's presence was felt in so many ways among the talent that made that brand popular. They listened to his advice and respected his opinion; Rhodes was one of a kind and he influenced an entire generation of performers that followed him.
But when it comes to his sons, WWE as a company didn't always understand what it had.
Cody left and found new life on the independent scene. He carried the Rhodes name with him, though WWE doesn't even allow him to use it. Fans see just how committed Cody is to the business that made his father a star and he's finally being given opportunities to prove what he can do as a star himself.
However, will the time come when Dustin Rhodes does the same?
Goldust is past his prime, but he remains one of the best veteran talents in WWE. But he has fallen into the same trap that his younger brother did before him: The company just doesn't seem to have a plan for him. What would happen if the Rhodes brothers reunited outside of a WWE ring?
Dustin may not make the splash that Cody has and it could be that he would only work a part-time schedule if he were to go to New Japan. But the chance to work with his brother again may be too much for Dustin to pass up.
The Bludgeon Brothers
3 of 5
Luke Harper and Erick Rowan have often drawn comparisons to Bruiser Brody and Stan Hansen. How fitting would it be if The Bludgeon Brothers called New Japan home?
Brody and Hansen once dominated Japanese wrestling and the same could be true of Harper and Rowan. It's a different time, and the former Wyatt Family members would definitely not be the only smash-mouth wrestlers in the locker room.
But New Japan has shown a commitment to tag team wrestling, which is something that cannot always be said of WWE. Harper and Rowan ventured out separately in WWE at one time, but the company proved it did not have any real creative focus for either man.
Maybe they're just better together.
If that's true then the day could come when they find themselves working as a unit outside of WWE. If that happens, then they could decide to find a new home in New Japan. War Machine, The Guerrillas of Destiny and The Killer Elite Squad could all be waiting for them.
Harper and Rowan could become the most bruising new duo in New Japan.
Dolph Ziggler
4 of 5
Why is he still hanging around? What's left for him? When will he see the light?
These are the questions WWE fans have been asking about Dolph Ziggler for years. The man that many believe is the best technical wrestler in WWE today has never really been given his due as a full-time main event star.
He's had brushes with greatness and the company has turned the spotlight on him very briefly at times. But he's never really enjoyed the Hall of Fame run of which he's always been capable. Ziggler has all the tools but WWE simply will not let him show them off in an extended run.
He is custom made for New Japan.
Ziggler is the kind of talent that NJPW fans would love. He's no-nonsense, he's intense and his focus is razor sharp. He would quickly be embraced as a top hand and would undoubtedly rise in the ranks extremely quickly.
His talent and his ability would not be denied and New Japan would certainly give him every opportunity to succeed. He would be right at home in the New Japan ring, showing off as only he can against the world's best workers.
He would finally realize his potential as a top-tier guy and fans would certainly love to see it happen for him. Of course, his run would be all the more exciting if he did it as a member, or perhaps even the leader, of The Bullet Club.
It could be a very sweet fit for him.
Daniel Bryan
5 of 5
No one wanted Daniel Bryan to stop wrestling.
No one wanted him to hang up the boots, give a tearful goodbye and then come back as SmackDown Live General Manager. No one wanted any of this to happen and that likely includes Bryan himself.
The recent storyline between him and Shane McMahon looks as though it could culminate in a match at some point. That seems to defy everything fans have heard in terms of the company believing Bryan's ring career is over.
Some think it is just an angle and nothing more. Others believe Bryan will eventually turn heel on McMahon. However, if this storyline does not lead to Bryan lacing up the boots again, will anyone really care at all?
Bryan is a pro wrestler and he surely wants to get back in the ring, just as much as WWE fans want to see him in the ring again. Of course, that does not mean it's going to happen. But as long as Bryan and WWE are on good terms and he's happy, he's probably not going anywhere. But what if that changed?
Fans want to see Bryan back in active competition. It's what they've wanted from the moment he stepped away from the ring. If he and WWE decide to part ways anytime soon, then it is possible that Bryan could venture to New Japan and make the comeback of a lifetime.
Obviously, Bryan has his health and his family to think about before anything else. Perhaps his days as a wrestler are indeed over. But if the circumstances are right and if he is physically able, then Bryan could one day be standing across from Kazuchika Okada or Tetsuya Naito in the middle of a New Japan ring.
New Japan fans would surely say yes to that.
Tom Clark's podcast, Tom Clark's Main Event, is available on iTunes, Google Play, iHeart Radio, Windows Phone, Amazon Android and online at boinkstudios.com
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