10 Wrestlers Who Never Recovered From Their WWE Release

Yoshi Tatsu’s career has taken a number of extremely unfortunate turns since his 2002 debut. Once considered one of NJPW’s most solid and reliable midcard performers, Tatsu signed for WWE in 2007, and made his televised debut in 2009. Though it could be argued that WWE never used him to his full potential, he struggled to make an impression on a five-year main roster run, and was released in June 2014.

Yoshi returned to NJPW a few months later, and looked set to resume his role as a strong midcard hand with the company. Sadly, disaster struck while wrestling AJ Styles that November: Tatsu’s head and neck were driven into the match with a botched Styles Clash, and after breaking two bones in his neck and being forced to wear a medical halo for three months, there was a strong chance he’d have to retire.

This fortunately wasn’t the case, and Yoshi made his official in-ring return in April 2016. Sadly, Yoshi’s looked a shade of his former self since making his comeback. His in-ring capabilities have visibly regressed, and his current Triple H imitation act is as baffling as it is laughable. Going so far as to copy The Game’s appearance, ring entrance, and moves, Tatsu has become a failed lower-card comedy act with little prospect of ever moving up the card. He has the security of a contract, but Yoshi’s neck injury has dealt irreparable damage to his career.