The Japanese Buzzsaw is the most decorated Japanese-born WWE wrestler in the modern era, racking up three Cruiserweight titles, a Light Heavyweight reign, two Tag Team title runs and a turn with the United States Championship. All of this came during a four-plus year run with the company that started after ECW folded and Tajiri came in as Commissioner William Regals assistant. While Tajiri was often played for a laugh, he was never treated as a joke in the ring. In fact, his in-ring talent is what drew fans to him. Whether it was the rope-assistant handspring back elbow, the Tarantula, Buzzsaw Kick or the green mist, Tajiris moves usually drew a good reaction from the crowd. He was believable as a threat despite his size, much like Daniel Bryan is today. Granted, Tajiri doesnt have the main event victories Bryan does, but both men relied heavily on kicks and rapid strikes to keep larger opponents off-guard. Its been eight years since Tajiri has been seen on WWE television, and unless its a one-shot deal if WWE goes to Japan, theres no indication hes planning a return despite keeping sharp in Japan. Tajiris still younger than Triple H and Batista and any return would probably be pretty well received, so if KENTA does make his way to WWE, dont be entirely surprised if the company brings him in for a nostalgia run. It just might be whats best for business.
Scott is a former journalist and longtime wrestling fan who was smart enough to abandon WCW during the Monday Night Wars the same time as the Radicalz. He fondly remembers watching WrestleMania III, IV, V and VI and Saturday Night's Main Event, came back to wrestling during the Attitude Era, and has been a consumer of sports entertainment since then. He's written for WhatCulture for more than a decade, establishing the Ups and Downs articles for WWE Raw and WWE PPVs/PLEs and composing pieces on a variety of topics.
