Best japanese wrestler in WWE history?

[Iop]

Is it safe to say that it was Tajiri? I read Yokozuna wasnt really japanese and I cant think of any other good japanese guys who were in WWE...like Kaientai, Kyodai, Hakushi etc...

What do u guys think?

[Supreme Olajuwon]

Ricky Steamboat

unless you're only counting people from Japan

[#1-norm-fan]

Is it safe to say that it was Tajiri? I read Yokozuna wasnt really japanese and I cant think of any other good japanese guys who were in WWE...like Kaientai, Kyodai, Hakushi etc...

So are you not including the ones you mentioned after you said you couldn't think of any other good japanese guy who were in WWE? lol

[Xero]

Can't wait for DLVH's answer.

[#1-norm-fan]

I would say Tajiri though would probably be my #1.

[FourFifty]

Lord Tensai.

[DLVH84]

Classic: Masa Saito
Modern: Taka Michinoku

[Nicky Fives]

Mr. Fuji

[Triple Naitch]

Loved Taka Michinoku in his debut run.

[Droford]

You could have a lot more fun with this if you included WCW. WWF/WWE didn't really have a lot to pick from.

Id say Tajiri for getting over the most out of any that I remember.

[Godfather4Life]

Tokoyo Magnum

[Lock Jaw]

Tajiri is one of my favorites ever. So him.

[RiX1024]

Has to be Tajiri but Taka was well underrated.

[SlickyTrickyDamon]

Tokoyo Magnum

That's WCW. He teamed with the Boogie Knights. Don't take Dro's advice. WCW had way too many Japanese guys. Seems like alot of work.

I think it has to be Tajiri. He had a pretty long run with the company and was well liked and respected by the fans.

I bet the WWE would like it one day to be Yoshi Tatsu.

[Shaved Monkey]

Loved Taka.

Always had fond memories of this match:

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/3I-iUL2IBn4" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

[Droford]

That's WCW. He teamed with the Boogie Knights. Don't take Dro's advice. WCW had way too many Japanese guys. Seems like alot of work.

I think it has to be Tajiri. He had a pretty long run with the company and was well liked and respected by the fans.

I bet the WWE would like it one day to be Yoshi Tatsu.

if its WCW, the discussion more or less begins and ends with Ultimo Dragon but at least there was more to pick from..

[teamXtremist]

funaki son

[Indifferent Clox]

Morishima's dark match lol

But seriousy tajiri

[Sting Fan]

Classic: Masa Saito
Modern: Taka Michinoku



I have to be honest I expected more from you...

- Insert generic Jap wrestler here - Wrestled on Shotgun Saturday nights 3 times. While his run in WWF wasn't amazing he want back to Japan and won the head dropping quadruple crown 5 times. After that amazing achievement he went onto be part of a life altering feud with Slav the angry Ukraninan bear from 1996 until today.

The feud is still in its infancy but I really think its going somewhere and shows true style...

[KaosDarksol]

Funaki was awesome

[slapmesilly]

wasnt yokozuna born on the big island of hawaii

[DLVH84]

wasnt yokozuna born on the big island of hawaii

No. He was billed from the Polynesian Islands.

[St. Jimmy]

Inoki wrestled in a WWF ring, so Inoki.

[Volare]

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[Jordan]

Yokozuna probably

[SlickyTrickyDamon]

if its WCW, the discussion more or less begins and ends with Ultimo Dragon but at least there was more to pick from..

If it's WCW than it's the Great Muta. He had the big Gold belt.

Yokozuna probably

Samoan.

[#1-norm-fan]

Yeah, really. Begins and ends with Ultimo Dragon? I might even go as far as to say begins and ends with Muta.

Besides, Dragon did wrestle for WWE for a year. You don't need to bring WCW in if you want to choose him.

[Jordan]

If it's WCW than it's the Great Muta. He had the big Gold belt.



Samoan.

No shit but he played Japanese, and WWE is fake ... k?

[Emperor Smeat]

Probably Taka more than Tajiri. Both were good wrestlers in terms of wrestling skills and had their great moments in the WWF/E.

I think the light-heavyweight division might have been created mostly for Taka at the time when the WWE generally cared less about cruiser-weights than WCW.

If you count fake Japanese, then its easily Yokozuna.

[dingdongyo]

No shit but he played Japanese, and WWE is fake ... k?

undertaker is definitely the best dead wrestler today.

[Seth82]

yeah Fuji is japanese but he was born in Hawaii

so should he count?

[Destor]

Inoki wrestled in a WWF ring, so Inoki.There you have it. Possibly the all time greatest.

[Destor]

but if the question is what jap had the best run in the fed then Fuji.

[DLVH84]

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Sato was legit, Tanaka's Hawaiian.

[Shadrick]

Can't wait for DLVH's answer.

Came in here waiting for DLVH. He delivered. Oo rah.

[#1-norm-fan]

undertaker is definitely the best dead wrestler today.

And the 2nd best...

http://drunkenzombie.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/ECW-Zombie.bmp

[Lock Jaw]

Yeah, that changes nothing.

[Droford]

3rd best dead wrestler:

http://i712.photobucket.com/albums/ww130/DKaneanite/Drew-McIntyre-drew-mcintyre-19248737-298-390.jpg

[#1-norm-fan]

http://cdn3.sbnation.com/imported_assets/275597/yeti1.jpg

THE YET-TAYYY!

[Rammsteinmad]

I feel like DLVH is really holding back here.

[St. Jimmy]

Personally I did like Hakushi however.

[The Whole F'n Show]

tajiri, not the "best" but I found him fairly talented

[Mr. Nerfect]

I've actually thought about this recently. Since Yoshi Tatsu is the only Japanese wrestler on the active WWE roster, and the WWE is essentially the largest promotion in the world, wouldn't that (WWE kayfabe) make him the best Japanese wrestler alive today? For a while, it was legitimately Funaki. I love that guy.

But to answer the question, you have to consider the billed part, as well. Regardless of Yokozuna being Samoan or not, he was billed as being Japanese, so he technically represented Japan in a kayfabe sense. But if we're talking Japanese wrestlers, you could narrow a short-list down to:

Mr. Fuji: He's one-half of the third longest reigning World Tag Team Champions of all-time, and had three other reigns before going onto great managing success -- with him managing Yokozuna to a 1993 Royal Rumble victory and two WWE Championships.

Antonio Inoki: When you consider the entire career of the performer, and simply use performing in the WWE as a qualifier, it's hard to look past the Hall of Famer.

Taka Michinoku: Had a pretty extensive Light Heavyweight Championship run and was involved in some memorable moments, both serious and comical, in an era where "entertainment" could be used to measure the success of a performer. He's seen as somewhat of a "pioneer" of the style he brought to the WWE. Two of his students are currently under WWE developmental contract, forming two-thirds of the Japanese talent employed by the WWE.

Tajiri: Had some mid-card success in the WWE, where he was also involved in some pretty memorable stuff. As far as singles championships goes, he's the only legitimately Japanese wrestler to have held an active one in the WWE, I believe.

[TSI]

You know i was just watchin some ultimo dragon matches while in the "E" and he wasnt that bad. His debut vs. Shannon Moore was a fun match and he went on to battle Rey, Eddie and Tajiri. Why isnt he more in the disscussion? I mean, he didnt have the same success as Tajiri but the dude is a hall of famer. Eh. Just a thought.

[Iop]

You know i was just watchin some ultimo dragon matches while in the "E" and he wasnt that bad. His debut vs. Shannon Moore was a fun match and he went on to battle Rey, Eddie and Tajiri. Why isnt he more in the disscussion? I mean, he didnt have the same success as Tajiri but the dude is a hall of famer. Eh. Just a thought.

He was boring and just came off as WWE trying to make him a japanese mysterio.

[#1-norm-fan]

You know i was just watchin some ultimo dragon matches while in the "E" and he wasnt that bad. His debut vs. Shannon Moore was a fun match and he went on to battle Rey, Eddie and Tajiri. Why isnt he more in the disscussion? I mean, he didnt have the same success as Tajiri but the dude is a hall of famer. Eh. Just a thought.

The most memorable moment in WWE from him for me was the time he kept falling during his entrance at WrestleMania. Then when he shook his head like "Goddammit".

[Captain of Fun]

Everyone is forgetting about Tiger mask.

[Gertner]

Jamie-San

[TSI]

The most memorable moment in WWE from him for me was the time he kept falling during his entrance at WrestleMania. Then when he shook his head like "Goddammit".


http://youtu.be/lJqmVhl7Rmc


yeah i remember that. :lol:

[DLVH84]

Everyone is forgetting about Tiger mask.

Or The Cobra.

[Fignuts]

ugh

[Jordan]

Masato Tanaka actually, as he did wrestle at One Night Stand, THREAD OVER BITCHES.

[Damndirty]

Masato Tanaka actually, as he did wrestle at One Night Stand, THREAD OVER BITCHES.

I'm with ya there! Masato is a bad motherfucka! He could hang with both Taz and Mike Awesome in the same ring, and was a former ECW heavyweight champion. Plus, fucker won the belt with a bone stickin out of his elbow!!!

[Attitude99]

Yokozuna probably

he was Samoan.....

[Fignuts]

Masato Tanaka isn't that good.

He just gets thrown through tables a lot.

[Vastardikai]

Tenryu & Kitao.

[Fignuts]

Tenryu is great, but his work in WWE was brief, and he didn't get to do much.

[Vastardikai]

He was 1/2 of the biggest Wrestlemania upsets of all time.

[Damndirty]

http://cdn3.sbnation.com/imported_assets/275597/yeti1.jpg

THE YET-TAYYY!

And still, people ask about that TP cling-on hanging out of Hogan's ass still being there all this time.