Best known to westerners as one third of the Jung Dragons in WCW, Kaz Hayashi was one of the best cruiserweight wrestlers in the world from the late '90s-on. He didn't always get to show it in WCW, but there was some light at the end of the tunnel when the cruiserweight division got a new push...right before Vince McMahon bought the company. Hayashi's contract was among those picked up, and he was sent to the Heartland Wrestling Association, which had been brought on as a developmental territory. He was quickly lost in the shuffle, especialy once the late Brian Adams was sent down to work as the booker. Under a mask as Tiger Hung Lo and doing a horrendously racist accent, Adams gave Hayashi and partner Jimmy Yang a series of ridiculous gimmicks to become stars. Eventually, Hayashi was released with most of the other developmental WCW talent, never making the main roster.
Formerly the site manager of Cageside Seats and the WWE Team Leader at Bleacher Report, David Bixenspan has been writing professionally about WWE, UFC, and other pop culture since 2009. He's currently WhatCulture's U.S. Editor and also serves as the lead writer of Figure Four Weekly and a monthly contributor to Fighting Spirit Magazine.
