TAJIRI

[5.0] "TAJIRI is one of the most charismatic Japanese wrestlers ever. It's just he was never anymore than an above average in ring worker but I think he can bring his character really well to get us all interested"

[8.0] "Tajiri was freakin' awesome! His ECW stuff speaks for itself but he was the kind of guy that would give us gems in WWE too, even with the system generally working against the cruiserweights. Also a very underrated comedy guy. Put him with William Regal and he is pure gold."

[9.0] "Gotta love Tajiri! He is a very underrated in ring worker! His kicks look amazing! He plays his gimmick so well and always entertains the fans! He does the most as one of his main moves so well! very very charismatic and was always fun to watch! i'm a big fan"

[9.0] "Tajiri is so underrated. I honestly love Tajiri. He was so funny during the Ruthless Aggression Era but could back it up in the ring. I liked when he got serious and had Akio and Sakoda with him and that should've been more of a faction. Tajiri was like a wrestler like Kurt Angle. He could be funny and serious and nothing would've felt weird if he beat a more serious character."

[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."

[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."

[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."

[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."

[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)."

[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."

[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."

[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."