WWE: 5 Possible Dream Matches For Kushida In NXT

5. Kushida vs Ricochet

Okay, so it’s not a fresh new matchup – they faced one another twice in singles competition under the NJPW umbrella – but damn, do they have insane in-ring chemistry. And it’s been a little while since we last saw them duke it out one-on-one back in 2015.

Kushida and Ricochet faced off in the 2014 Best of the Super Juniors tournament finals in a match which is still widely regarded as one of the finest BOSJ bouts of all time. A gruelling 25 minutes of intense back and forth, with Kushida fighting to keep Ricochet grounded, and Ricochet laying it on thick with the heavy strikes, culminating in an absolutely frantic finale.

Kushida pulled out all the stops, unleashing the now rarely-seen Midnight Express and a wild senton bomb to the outside, showcasing his lucha libre skill. But ultimately Ricochet’s power advantage saw him clinch the victory with a thunderous Benadryller.

These two complement one another beautifully; Kushida has the ability to clip Ricochet’s wings, while Ricochet has the power to match Kushida hit for hit.

And neither Kushida nor Ricochet show any obvious signs of slowing down nearly five years later. Ricochet has been killing it on NXT – his recent bout with Johnny Gargano was arguably his finest moment on the show so far, and there’s every chance we still haven’t seen the best of him yet.

With Ricochet recently divested of his NXT North American Championship there’s room to spark a brand new feud. What better way to warm Kushida to a brand new audience than to let him loose against a tried and tested opponent?

…but then again, could Kushida benefit more from a match nobody has seen before?