10 Reasons WWE's Cruiserweight Division Has Fallen
9. Tajiri's Release
Part of the appeal of the Cruiserweight division returning was WWE re-signing so many former faces that helped make Cruiserweight wrestling as prominent as it was back in the day. Plus, they would lend credibility to the up-and-coming athletes new fans weren't familiar with.
The Brian Kendrick filled that role remarkably well, and Tajiri was set to join him soon after the division's debut on Raw. After all, The Japanese Buzzsaw had a decent run for himself in the Cruiserweight Classic, proving he still had plenty left in the tank.
After weeks and weeks of vignettes hyping his debut on 205 Live, he resurfaced at long last at the onset of 2017 and defeated Sean Maluta in an impressive showing. Although he suffered a knee injury that sidelined him from action for a month, he still appeared to be in line for a feud with Kendrick upon his return to the ring.
Tajiri then mysteriously disappeared from programming, despite being cleared to compete. It later emerged that he was released by WWE due to his "old age" and the company opted not to use him.
With the division already light on star power, it was an odd move for WWE to ax the one notable name fans actually cared about and could have contributed to the success of 205 Live.