Tajiri Not Returning To WWE
Former Cruiserweight Champion's knee injury to mark the end of his tenure with the company...
WWE superstar Tajiri - who has been out of action since suffering a knee injury in early January - took to Twitter on Saturday to announce that he would not be returning to action for the company. In the statement, Tajiri noted that while he was cleared by WWE's doctors, the company has decided not to use him due to his age (he's 46).
Tajiri first joined WWE in 2001 after the bankruptcy of ECW, taking part in the company's invasion storyline. During the feud, he captured the United States Championship, the Cruiserweight Championship, and the Light Heavyweight Championship, and he'd go on to hold additional titles throughout his tenure - including tag team gold with Eddie Guerrero and William Regal. He left in late 2005, citing a desire to return to Japan.
Last year, Tajiri was announced as one of the competitors in the Cruiserweight Classic, a 32-man tournament featuring 205-pound-and-under talent from all over the world. He was eliminated in the second round by Gran Metalik, but returned to the company in December to team with Akira Tozawa and challenge Team DIY for the NXT Tag Team Titles. Soon afterwards, Tajiri signed a deal to return to the company as part of 205 Live.