Impact Wrestling: Fantasy Booking A World Cup Tournament In 2018
Credit: Impact Wrestling, NJPW, and Stardom
Team Japan: Kazuchika Okada, Taiji Ishimori, EVIL, Sanada, & Tam Nakano
Granted, this is a fantasy-booking piece, but there’s no reason that Don Callis couldn’t pull some strings and convince NJPW management to loan him some of its biggest stars for a World Cup tournament. This Japanese side would be big favorites given their side’s success in tournaments.
Kazuchika Okada is so good at wrestling that he’s shattered Dave Meltzer’s 5-star system on three separate occasions. During the Rainmaker’s first run in TNA, his booking was so poor that New Japan ended their relationship with the company. Time has passed, and owners have changed hands, so this isn’t out of the realm of possibility. As a two time G1 winner, Okada’s hypothetical homecoming doesn’t mean he needs to prove to Impact Wrestling, but winning this international competition could cement his claim to being the best in the world.
Taiji Ishimori is a former X-Division champion. He also actively competes against the best New Japan’s Junior Heavyweights they have to offer. This year, he made the finals of the Best of The Super Juniors but lost to Hiromu Takahashi. The Bullet Club member is well on his way to becoming one of the top high flyers in the world. Assuming Japan would advance out of the group stage, he’d be a menace for anyone in that Ultimate X match.
Sanada would be another member of this Japanese side to be returning to Impact Wrestling for this tournament. Having had a short run in a few years ago, he’s come such a long way since then. Since joining Los Ingobernobles de Japon, he’s become a significant player in NJPW. He and his partner EVIL have found regular success in both the tag team and trios division. The duo’s most impressive feat as a unit came in 2017 when they won the World Tag League.
Tam Nakano
Next. What's Next For Sami Callihan?. dark
She might look adorable, but Tam is tough as hell. Nakano can give a kick just as hard as she can take them. With so many of the top Japanese female wrestlers joining WWE, there’s an opportunity for some young ladies to shift the spotlight towards them. Having been in Stardom for only two years, she’s already shown she could be a potential – wait for it – star.
