TAJIRI

[9.0] "Tajiri wasn't a huge star in WWE but still played major roles in the mid-card, tag and cruiserweight division. He has had a ton of longevity wrestling in Japan, ECW, WWE and the Indies. Technically I think he was very underrated in how good a wrestler he was and had a ton of great matches. He was definitely charismatic and stood out as a character."

[10.0] "Tajiris in ring ability was very complimenting for the times, especially in ecw. His cruiserweight run in smackdown isnt appreciated enough (his feuds with Jamie Noble, Billy kidman, Rey mysterio, and a match with ultimo dragon). I'm sure what he's most known for is WWF/E's comedy storylines, but his in ring ability throughout his career is really what was best about him. His kicks are all timers, his comedy angles are great, and his personality/gimmick/way he carries himself just makes me like him so much. He is cemented in history forever for mocking Super Crazys selling mid-match."

[10.0] "Tajiri will mostly be remebered for his comedy work in WWE along with his runs as a cruiserweight, tag team and midcard matches on Sunday Night Heat, all of which were solid and consistent. But Tajiri really doesnt get enough dues for being a innovator in striking offence and quite simply the best kicks in the business. When it comes to striking offence there is nobody who comes close to Yoshihiro Tajiri."

[2.0] "Nee, sorry, aber irgendwie fand ich ihn in der WWF/E immer mega unsymphatisch. Selbst als Heel, wo eine negative Reaktion beabsichtigt ist, mochte ich ihn so wenig, dass ich nicht mal sehen wollte, wie er verprügelt wird, sondern ich hätte mir gewünscht, dass er einfach nicht auftritt. Die Storyline-Beziehung mit Torrie Wilson war totaler Käse. Mit William Regal war er halbwegs erträglich, aber dieses Duo musste halt irgendwann getrennte Wege gehen und selbst da hätte er ruhig wegbleiben können. Schon seine Entrance Musik war irgendwie nervig. Es ist fair, wenn man meine Meinung als komplett irrational abtun will, weil ich zugegebnerweise meine Abneigung nicht gut genug begründen kann, aber naja, es ist eben, wie es ist."

[8.0] "Underrated, in my opinion. Tajiri really was a star in late era ECW, his series with Super Crazy and Little Gido was a series of great matches. One of the best."

[8.0] "One of if not the best to ever to it, his body language is his power.He can go very good in ring, can cut a funny promo or segments and is a very good trainer.Both his wwe and ecw are some of the best runs out there"

[9.0] "Yoshihiro Tajiri is one of my favorite wrestlers of all time, while his feud with Super Crazy in ECW is some of the best wrestling I've ever watched. I'm going to rate The Japanese Buzzsaw using Bret Hart's three categories for rating a wrestler: look, promo, and in-ring ability. Starting with look, Tajiri is a great example of a wrestler's look and character evolving over time. Once he dropped the blue tights and short hair in favor of baggy black pants and unkept hair, Tajiri finally had an appearance as unique as his in-ring move set. This intimidating look allowed him to move up the card and transcend the cruiserweight division. As far as promo skills go, it's hard to rate Tajiri since he spoke little English. However, he had enough charisma to get over with English speaking fans. During his time in WWE, he had plenty of laugh out loud comedic skits. Finally, his in-ring ability truly set him apart and made him a memorable wrestler. Although Tajiri was small in stature, his buzzsaw kicks looked lethal and made him a believable threat. He even got over as a viable opponent against Taz in a ECW World Heavyweight title match. Tajiri's moveset was iconic. His backspring elbow was one of the coolest moves I had ever seen in the 90s, while the tarantula and poison mist were no slouches either. Although Tajiri performed high flying moves, he had plenty of hard hitting moves that were always executed well and look legitimately painful. He should also be given credit for being a non-English speaking wrestler that was able to get over in multiple promotions in the US, as he had a solid run in early 2000s WWE as well. Taking all three categories into consideration, Tajiri truly stands out as a unique talent, in that he was able to amaze audiences with his athleticism but also make them laugh out loud with his humor."

[8.0] "Talk about someone who was both underrated and could do it all. He could do an amazing comedy sketch backstage then come out and kick your head off. Had some of the coolest signature moves out there too."

[9.0] "One of the best cruiserweights to come out of Japan. He's a killer in the ring, has great comedic chops, and helped to popularize the Poison Mist in WWE. Unrelated to my ranking, but he's also really funny. The stories about him kayfabing his ability to speak English are amazing."

[8.0] "I really like Tajiri. He's a really good worker. Whenever I watch his matches It's awesome to see him bring a low to midcard match into being a match of the night contender. He's just extremely skillful and deserved more. Not a huge mist fan tho. Not a big deal."

[10.0] "Really underrated in the WWE. He was mostly in the Cruiserweight division, but always had a different edge to him and had some great matches there. He always carried himself so well in the ring no matter who his opponent was. Still need to check out his work in ECW and Japan but he was one of the first to bring the strong style to the WWE and make it work really well."

[6.0] "Tajiri had one of the best runs in the WWF where they usually scoff at cruiserweights and smaller wrestlers. He was over with the crowds as a baby face and was pretty good in the comedy sketches. Next to Mysterio he was probably the next best guy in the cruiserweight division."

[9.0] "Generational talent that had a lot of really fun and exciting matches. My scale is a little skewed. But Tajiri was a shining star in a generation rich in talent. In his generation he's an easy 10. All time he's in the a class."

[10.0] "He is such a role model, he is a great cruiserweight champion in WWE. He was a good wrestler on the indies and in Japan. He is a great MLW wrestler. I don't see him leaving the industry anytime soon."

[9.0] "It was only recently that I realized what kind of technical wrestling hidden gem Tajiri is. Beyond his legendary matches against Super Crazy (watch them all, seriously - every single one) I have found he brings out the best in almost anyone he shares the ring with. A very energetic style and tapped into the live crowds which propelled him in the WWF/E (everyone remembers The Tarantula right? ! ). His size meant he became some form of enhancement talent for Vince, which was unfortunate. Position in the card notwithstanding; he was almost never a forgone conclusion and if time was allowed a good solid match was certain. VERY watchable, I only wish there was more Tajiri to watch. A solid 9! Recommended viewing!"

[8.0] "Tajiri during ECW was absolutely great. His WWE run was unfortunately mediocre-- they didn't use his skillset nearly enough. He was the first really great striker I remember watching when I was young, and I'll always respect those sick kicks."

[7.0] "My first exposure with Tajiri was during his ECW days & I loved what they did with him during that run. At a time when most Japanese wrestlers where cast in a stereotypical role in the west, Tajiri was someone who didn't just get slotted into a role like that. He was vicious & deadly. Someone who you would never want to turn your back on. When he migrated over to WWE, they certainly didn't know how to use him to his fullest potential. He quickly moved down the ranks & became more of a comedy act than anything serious. Now I will say that he did well with the comedy; but it wasn't as good as his serious stuff."

[9.0] "Einer der Vorreiter für die erfolgreichen WWE Japaner die gab es bis jetzt außer ihn nur mit Shinsuke. Trotz 50 Jahre ist der japanische Wirbelwind fit wie eh und je. Dazu sieht Tajiri auch noch jünger aus. Wird in Japan einfach besser eingesetzt."

[10.0] "Tajiri is one of those wrestlers that I think nobody hates. He's so entertaining as a wrestler and as a performer. He can have a good match with almost everybody and is great at being both a heel or a face. He was also one of the few ECW originals who could successfully transition into WWE."

[7.0] "Good worker, could perform as heel or face, serious matches or comedy. Perhaps slightly overrated but definitely good."

[7.0] "Die krassesten Augenringe im Wrestling :) Ein guter Techniker mit glaubwürdigem Finisher. Natürlich war er am Mic, naja sagen wir nicht zu verstehen. Ich habe mich immer gefragt, ob er wirklich kein Englisch konnte oder das zur Story gehörte."

[8.0] "He was put on the mat with the 3-way feud in ECw with Super Crazy & Little Guido. He was always great to watch in the ring and upon his WWF/E debut he was a great singles competitor to watch. His pairing with William Regal still makes me laugh. Great comedic timing as well as an incredible in ring performer."

[7.0] "I don't think any WWE midcarder blended comedy and menacing any better than Tajiri did. His ECW run is filled with some amazing high-flying, hard-striking encounters, esp. w/ Super Crazy are particularly noteworthy. Coming over to the WWE, Tajiri could've been saddled in the same tier of underutilized and stereotyped like countryman TAKA but his comedic ability and his loud strikes wowed and resonated with the WWF audience. Sure he never was gonna be anything more than a midcarder but from green mist, to loud kicks to an underrated heel run at CW champion in 2004. Tajiri is certainly a memorable one."

[8.0] "Tajiri ist einer dieser Worker, die mich auch in höherem Alter durch ansprechende Leistungen noch begeistern können. Er darf in Japan zum Glück zeigen, dass viel mehr in ihm steckt als der blasse Comedy-Wrestler während seines WWE-Runs."

[7.0] "One of the better cruiser-weights of the 90s - 00s and also one of the best guys to come from ECW. Tajiri is one of those few who got off ECW and did pretty well for himself. Granted he wasn't ever any higher then mid card but he was given a time to shine more often then others. His WWE run was solid, and his kick always looked nice and nasty (maybe not quite at the same level of Kawada's, KENTA's or Low Ki's)."

[6.0] "Kenne nur seine WWE Zeit und die war eher mau. Green Mist, Tarantula und ein paar Kicks sind mir zu wenig."

[9.0] "A mid-carder for most of his career, Tajiri was always entertaining to watch with his combination of stiff kicks, mat wrestling and high flying. He found moderate success in the WWE winning the tag team titles & cruiserweight titles however he is best remembered for his stint in ECW. Put him in a match with Super Crazy, and it's a guaranteed 4 star match. His charisma & character are severely underrated. His ability to interact with the ECW crowd during matches and his promos are hilarious."

[7.0] "Tajiri good wrestler. I would not say that he was one of the highlights of the Japanese, but still worth mentioning. Despite his age, he still gives a good match, well, in principle, very mobile. The truth is I do not see it charisma, the absence of this factor, it seems to me, make it hurt a brighter career."

[8.0] "One of the best Japanese cruiserweights ever! I liked him a lot when I was a kid. Spraying his green mist in his opponents faces, using the Tarantula, and was very flexible. The tartnula looked pretty painful. He fought against big opponents like Albert, Big Show, Mark Henry and Viscera. He never cared how big his opponents were. When he was in WWE in 1997 he was not that good at first but when he fought in ECW he was phenomenal. When he returned to the WWE in 2001 he was a big hit winning the light heavyweight title, World Tag team with William Regal, Tag team with Eddie Guerrerro, and the Cruiserweight defeating Rey Mysterio. Tajiri in my opinion is the best modern day Japanese wrestlers."

[5.0] "Mag ein ordentlicher Wrestler sein, ich persönlich konnte jedoch nie viel mit Tajiri anfangen, weder bei ECW noch bei WWE, war mir einfach viel zu farblos, da half auch kein Green Mist."

[9.0] "Many Japanese wrestlers have competed in the WWE but not many have had much success overall, the Japanese Buzzsaw however was one of the few that did. Personally I am a fan of Tajiri’s, I always enjoyed his matches and would look forward to his upcoming matches when he was an active member of the roster. He always put on a great show in the ring, able to hang with most wrestlers that he was called upon to face, exactly what you would expect from a strong midcard such as he was. Tajiri may not be as big of a star as others but he was a very entertaining part of the product when he was involved. His unique style in the ring meant that he was very entertaining whenever he stepped between the ropes and was quite over with the crowds for the majority of his run. However as with a lot of superstars he was trapped by his booking. He never received that one big push that he probably deserved, most likely due to his size and ethnicity. However to a lot of his fans, including me, Tajiri will always be remembered as a shining light in what was a stacked roster at the time. Someone whom we can remember fondly and think what could have been."

[10.0] "An all time great striker, great character adapting elements of the Muta persona but also striking out on his own in many ways, great on the mat, able to fly if ever needed, and also a pioneer of bringing elements of puroresu to America. You notice how many US indy guys concentrate hard on kicks these days? Don't think this man didn't have a big influence on that. If he had come along a little later I think he could have gone even higher in the US, but regardless he was always a highly popular midcarder and gave 100% for every match he's in, which he still does today in various companies in Japan. My all time personal favorite and just a great performer."

[6.0] "Tajiri had an interesting enough gimmick. His "green mist" misdemeanor was funny and while it was apparent that a wrestler of his physique was never going to amount to being than just a low mid-carder at best. Hell, Tajiri lost his last match to a nobody on Sunday Night Heat, he did made the best out of himself with some good tag matches with Eddie Guerrero and William Regal."

[7.0] "Ein perfekter Cruiserweight für die WWE. Im Ring war er ziemlich stark und er hatte auch immer die Ausstrahlung, die so jemand braucht. Auch in den Comedy Segmenten war er nie so schlecht bzw. unlustig."

[9.0] "Einer der unterbewertesten Worker ever! Tajiri hat eigentlich so gut wie alles, sowohl klasse In-Ring Fähigkeiten als auch Ausstrahlung, ist eine Submission-Machine und insgesamt ein toller Cruiserweight Wrestler - und trotzdem hatte er in der WWE keinen Erfolg. Und das verstehe ich bis heute nicht. Von mir bekommt er trotzdem 9 Punkte."

[7.0] "Ich fande das taritschgi seine Beste Zeit mit Regal hatte. Außerdem kann ich mich nur an seinen grünen mist (Green Mist) Errinern. Sollte eigentlich in die Hall of Fame kommen und nicht typen wie Mike Tyson (habe nix gegen ihn, mag ihn sogar)."

[7.0] "Finde ihn sehr sympathisch. Gehört in Japan denke ich auch zu dem Legendenkreis. Macht gutes Matches bei TNA und auch Wrestle 1. In der WWE wurde er mit zunehemendem Alter immer unwichtiger und somit zum Jobber. Was ich gar nicht so schlimm fand, denn er konnte trotzdem gute Matches worken."

[8.0] "Der erfolgreichste Japaner in der WWE. Und womit? Mit Recht! Sehr gut im Ring und zusammen mit Eddie Guerrero oder auch William Regal unterhaltsam in Comedy-Segmenten. In Japan natürlich, wie jeder seiner Landsleute, die es in Amerika versucht haben, noch stärker. Hat zwar noch größere Augenringe als der scheinbar niemals zu Schlaf gehende CM Punk, hat sich aber in Sachen Fitness und Athletik gut gehalten."

[9.0] "Absolutely underrated. The way Paul Heyman booked Tajiri in ECW could be compared to how ROH booked Low Ki during their early years, because despite being a smaller wrestler, he's like a Praying Mantis. Win or loss, he looked like he could beat the heavyweights and the heavyweight champions, and be believable. He has absolutely brutal looking and loud kicks, mixed with great displays of athleticism, a little bit of performance with the poison mist, and it all comes along with possessing 1 of the best baseball slide dropkicks and brainbusters in the industry."

[10.0] "He was the best part of the WWE cruiserweight devision and now he is at SMASH, he is just awesome"

[9.0] "Hab Tajiri immer gern gesehen und nachdem ich mir jetzt einmal wieder einige Matches angeschaut habe muss ich sagen das er mir doch irgendwie fehlt. xD"

[8.0] "Ich hab leider noch nie Promos von Tajiri gehört, allerdings ist Tajiri als In-Ring Performer durchaus unterhaltsam und symphatisch."

[4.0] "Ähnlich wie bei vielen der guten Wrestler , im Ring nicht schlecht alles andere fast schon unterdurschnitt. Gesamtpaket ist schlecht."

[8.0] "Toller Fighter mit viel Charisma und herrlicher Mimik. Konnte sowohl in Comedyrollen, als auch als verbissener kleiner Terrier voll überzeugen."

[7.0] "In ECW und WWE wurde er ja nur in Mid Card Matches eingesetzt, so dass zu höheren Noten einfach die größeren Matches fehlen, aber seine Fehde mit Super Crazy quasi rund um die Welt mit klasse Matches in ECW, FMW und selbst dem Abstecher in CZW wusste er stets zu unterhalten. Green Mist, Buzzaw Kick ... das hat selbst in der WWE für mich funktioniert. Ein interessanter Worker, nur halt nicht zu Höherem berufen."

[4.0] "Ich kann mit ihm einfach nichts anfangen, egal ob bei WWE oder in Japan, ich find ihn langweilig."

[7.0] "Dufter Typ. Passte eigentlich überhaupt nicht in die WWE und hat dort trotzdem einiges erreicht. Muss man den Hut vor ziehen."

[8.0] "In der Cruiserweight Division sehr unterhaltsam und auch mit guten in-Ring Skills, finde sein Gimmick aber nicht so toll."

[8.0] "Leider alles andere als gut von der WWE eingesetzt. Viel Talent besitzt der Mann, ohne Zweifel."

[8.0] "Tajiri finde ich cool, einer der wenigen Japaner der in der WWE gut eingesetzt wurden. Geile Cruiserweight Matches von ihm. Auch in der ECW oder in Japan cool, 8 Punkte."

[7.0] "Von den vielen Japanern, die ihr Glück in der WWE versuchten (Taka Michinoku, Funaki, jetzt Yoshi Tatsu) war Tajiri noch einer der erfolgreichsten, weil sein Stil und seine Erscheinung beim WWE-Publikum gut ankamen. Wie alle anderen Japaner wurde auch Tajiri in Comedysegmente gesteckt, in denen er besonders in Kombination mit William Regal für eine Weile richtig over war. Verglichen mit den anderen durfte er auch die meisten Titel gewinnen, was ihm seit seiner Rückkehr in seine Heimat seltsamerweise verwehrt geblieben ist."

[8.0] "Ganz schön stiffer Worker, der stets gute Matches zeigte. Egal wo. Ob in Japan, der WWE oder sonst wo."

[7.0] "Tajiri kann viel und wird von den Fans geliebt. Es gibt genügend Gründe ihn zu mögen."

[6.0] "War nie mein Lieblings-Japaner. Bringt trotzdem immer eine solide Leistung."

[9.0] "Sehr cooler, stiffer Techniker... hat sich überall auf der Welt einen Ruf erarbeitet. Ausserdem ein sehr witziger Kerl, wie man jetzt bei HUSTLE noch viel besser sehen kann..."

[8.0] "Tajiri war ein Star in der ECW, seien Kicks sind einfach nur geil, leider hat er es in der WWE nie richtig geschafft."

[9.0] "Toller Cruiserweight. Schade der is nicht mehr in der WWE ist. Dort könnte man eine tolle CW-Divison aufbauen. Ich denke da an ECW."

[9.0] "Coole Socke. Besonders seine Tarantula-Aktion finde ich sehr geil. Hoffentlich kommt er noch mal in die USA zurück."

[7.0] "Finde ihn sehr sympathisch. Ist zwar der Jobber vom Dienst, aber kann gute Matches worken. Früher wo er mehr Zeit bekommen hat, hat er auch unter Beweis gestellt, dass er schon mehr kann als nur als Punchingball herzuhalten. Aufgrund seines Alters wohl in Ordnung ihn nicht zu pushen und sein Micwork würde es auch nicht hergeben, trotzdem einer den ich gerne bei der WWE sehe."

[9.0] "Einer der wenigen richtig guten Japaner die in der WWE angetreten sind"

[8.0] "Tajiri hat seinen eigenen Stil entwickelt, der ihn von der Masse der (amerikanischen) Cruiserweights doch ordentlich abhebt. In seiner ECW-Zeit gute Serien u. a. gegen Super Crazy und auch in der WWE konnte er erstaunlicherweise seine Spur hinterlassen. Leider habe ich kaum japanische Shows mit ihm gesehen; aber ich denke, dass er da noch besser Leistungen zeigen kann."

[6.0] "Er passte nicht so recht in die WWE, trotzdem ist er ein ganz guter Wrestler."

[8.0] "Hat viel erreicht, obwohl er nicht so Recht in die WWE passte! Respekt!"

[8.0] "Der kleine Japaner darf auf eine Reihe von WWE-Erfolgen zurückblicken, die sich ganz sicher nicht nur auf den Cruiserweight-Bereich beziehen. Die solide Ringleistung und vor allem sein Comedy-Talent sicherten Tajiri viele Storylines und Titelgewinne - es kam nur selten vor, dass er storylinelos in der Card umherdümpelte."

[8.0] "Guter Wrestler, hat einiges auf dem Kasten und ist zusammen mit William Regal als Commissioner endlustig gewesen."

[8.0] "Sehr guter Cruiserweight Wrestler, der mich sehr gut unterhalten kann. Sollte zur WWE zurück kehren."

[8.0] "Sollte WWE nochmals versuchen eine ernsthafte Cruiserweight-Division aufzubauen, sollte man Yoshihiro nochmals verpflichten. Der Mann zählt für mich zu einem der 10 besten Cruiserweights der Welt."

[10.0] "Was soll man zu Yoshihiro Tajiri sagen? Im Ring ist er einfach nur unglaublich gut und er weiß wie er sich in promos zu verhalten hat. In der ECW war einfach nur kult. Für das Mic ist Tajiri nicht geboren, doch als er mit James Mitchell & Mikey Whipwreck die Unholy Alliance bildete hat er bewiesen das er auch in promos gut untergebracht ist, ohne wirklich etwas zu sagen. ECW Kult."

[8.0] "Ihm fehlt das gewisse Etwas, dass ihn wirklich zum Top-Star werden lassen könnte. Perfekt für die 2!"

[8.0] "Ein Mann für gute Matches. Ich hab Tajiri sehr gern gesehen, sowie bei den ganzen Angles die immer ganz lustig waren, aber vor allem natürlich im Ring."

[8.0] "Vermisse ihn. Unterhaltsamer Wrestler, der immer wieder für ein gutes Match oder einen herzhaften Lacher gut war!"

[8.0] "Ich find ihn wegen seiner natürlichen Ausstrahlung und seinem Stil sehr sympatisch und auch sein Durchsetzungswille gefällt mir."

[8.0] "Einer der besten Cruiserweights die die WWE jemals zu bieten hatte!"

[8.0] "Klasse Mann, sehr unterhaltsam auf seine eigene Art und Weise und dazu schöne stiffe Kicks, das gibt die 2."

[8.0] "Gefällt mir gut. Der Stil ist mal etwas anderes, als die typische 'Mainstream-Kost'. Leider hat und wird es auch nicht zum Durchbruch reichen..."

[8.0] "Dass ein Tajiri auch in der WWE zurecht kommt, hat man an seinen Tag Team Partnern gesehen. Tag Teams mit Eddie Guerrero oder William Regal waren doch recht unterhaltsam. Auch das heel stable gemeinsam mit Akio und Sakoda war zu Anfang recht dominant."

[8.0] "Wenn er seinen Style etwas umdefinieren würde, dann wäre er DER Topwrestler - Highflying, Technical und Brawling. Highflying wird ja von ihm kaum bis gar nicht gezeigt, deswegen nur 8 Punkte. Er ist zwar ein Japaner, weiß aber ganz genau wie man sich in den USA vor der Kamera zu verhalten hat. BEINAHE... das Non Plus Ultra. ;)"

[8.0] "Wer seine Matches mit und gegen Muta sieht, wird merken, wie gut er WIRKLICH ist. GO YOSHI!"