Yoshihiro Tajiri

Yoshihiro Tajiri
Yoshihiro Tajiri
Born	September 29, 1970; Yokohama
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s)	Aquarius; Yoshihiro Tajiri; Tajiri; TAJIRI
Billed height	175 cm (5 ft 9 in)
Billed weight	95 kg (209 lb)
Billed from	Tokyo
Trained by	Kendo Nagasaki; Bill DeMott; Ricky Santana
Debut	September 19, 1994 vs. Takashi Okano

Yoshihiro Tajiri (田尻義博, Tajiri Yoshihiro, born September 29, 1970 in Yokohama, Japan), also known simply as Tajiri, is a Japanese professional wrestler, best known for his appearances in the United States of America with Extreme Championship Wrestling, Combat Zone Wrestling, and World Wrestling Entertainment.

Career

Tajiri, better known as Bastard Von Schletsky, trained in traditional Japanese style and lucha libre and debuted in the early 1990s, wrestling primarily IWA Japan and later for the Japanese division of Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre. In 1997, he left CMLL and joined the hardcore wrestling promotion Big Japan Pro Wrestling in Tokyo. Tajiri also made a brief appearance in the WWE in 1997, as the designated opponent for Taka Michinoku, whom the WWE was pushing as its light heavyweight champion at the time. For some reason, WWE announcer Jim Ross often mentioned Tajiri's background as a dental student in Japan.

Extreme Championship Wrestling

While wrestling in Mexico in late 1998, Tajiri was observed by Extreme Championship Wrestling owner Paul Heyman, who invited Tajiri to wrestle for ECW in the United States. He debuted in December 1998 by picking up a victory against Antifaz Del Norte; the match was very well received by the fans in attendance at the ECW Arena, who gave many standing ovations during the match. In early 1999, Tajiri would soon begin to emulate The Great Muta, who was one of Tajiri's wrestling heroes growing up. While in ECW, Tajiri had long feuds with Super Crazy, Little Guido, and Jerry Lynn. He formed an alliance with Steve Corino and Jack Victory as well. Tajiri later formed a tag team with Mikey Whipwreck known as The Unholy Alliance, and they were managed by The Sinister Minister. Tajiri remained loyal to ECW until the company folded in January 2001. Tajiri participated in the final two shows on January 12 and January 13, 2001 as he picked up a victory over Super Crazy on the 12th, but lost to Super Crazy on the 13th in their final ECW match.

During his tenure with the company, Tajiri held the ECW World Television and World Tag Team Championships, as he defeated his rival Super Crazy for the TV title, and won a one-night tournament with Mikey Whipwreck for the vacant tag titles.

World Wrestling Entertainment

Soon after the closure of ECW, Tajiri was hired by the World Wrestling Federation. Tajiri debuted on the May 24, 2001 episode of SmackDown! as a face, and was given the gimmick of WWF Commissioner William Regal's assistant. After Regal turned heel by joining The Alliance, Tajiri feuded with him throughout late-2001. In the same time period, he began an on-screen relationship with Torrie Wilson and defeated Chris Kanyon for the WCW United States Heavyweight Championship. He lost the belt to Rhyno soon afterwards at the September PPV Unforgiven.

In 2002, the World Wrestling Federation was renamed World Wrestling Entertainment and the roster was divided into two "brands", RAW and SmackDown!. Tajiri, along with Torrie Wilson, were drafted to SmackDown!. He turned heel by forcing Wilson to dress like a geisha against her will, with Wilson eventually abandoning him and joining forces with Tajiri's rival then babyface, Maven. Later on Tajiri as a special guest referee would make his second face run by getting betrayed by Jamie Noble. This happened after Noble caught Tajiri touching his then girlfriend, then heel, Nidia. Later Tajiri turned heel again by turning on then-Cruiserweight Champion, Rey Mysterio. This happened after the Cruiserweight championship match. Rey won then Tajiri spat green mist in his face. He would continue this heel run by spitting black mist in Nidia's eyes. (Nidia and Noble were both faces during this time.) Noble and Tajiri started a new feud but it didn't last long after Noble made his second heel run by secretly turning on Nidia, because she was kayfabe blind. Tajiri won the WWE Cruiserweight Championship on two occasions in 2002 and 2003, and formed a short-lived stable with Akio and Sakoda known as Kyo Dai'. Kyo Dai was originally supposed to have been played off as Japanese gangsters, but Tajiri refused this offer in fear that he might be hunted down by the real Japanese Yakuza if the gimmick was seen as an insult.

In 2004, following WrestleMania XX, Tajiri was drafted to RAW, where he turned face once again and feuded with Eric Bischoff and Jonathan Coachman. Coachman also often dispatched Garrison Cade to face Tajiri on his behalf in the ring.

On February 4, 2005, Tajiri teamed with William Regal to defeat La Résistance for the World Tag Team Championship on an episode of RAW emanating from Japan. After successfully defending the titles against La Résistance on a number of occasions, Tajiri and Regal issued an open challenge to "any tag team in the world". On the following episode of RAW, they retained their titles in a match with the debuting Heart Throbs. Their reign ended on May 1, 2005, at Backlash, when they were eliminated from a tag team turmoil match by La Résistance.

Tajiri lost a three-way dance (that also featured Little Guido) to Super Crazy at ECW One Night Stand 2005 on June 12, 2005. In late-2005, Tajiri formed a short-lived tag team with Eugene. In December 2005, it was announced that Tajiri had requested his release from WWE, with his contract expiring on December 12, he decided to spend more time with his wife and family in Japan. His final televised WWE match was a loss to Gregory Helms on HEAT in Boston, at the conclusion of which he received a standing ovation. Tajiri left the WWE on amicable terms.

Tajiri briefly resurfaced in the HUSTLE and Big Japan promotions during March and April 2006 before making a one night appearance at WWE's ECW One Night Stand 2006 teaming with Super Crazy to take on the Full Blooded Italians (F.B.I.) in a losing effort.

Wrestling facts

Finishing and signature moves

Buzzsaw Kick (High speed roundhouse kick to the head of a seated/kneeling opponent)
Brainbuster - in ECW
Tarantula (Upside down rope hung leg hook Boston crab)
Springboard Handspring back elbow
Asian mist
Bridging German suplex
Dragon suplex
Asai moonsault
Octopus stretch
Baseball slide to opponent who is hanging upside down on a turnbuckle
Shining wizard
Flip-over DDT (as a counter to a powerbomb)
Diving double foot stomp
Powerbomb
Diving front flip into three-quarter facelock jawbreaker or front flip three-quarter facelock bulldog
Multiple kicks and punches

File:TajiriRedMist.jpg

Tajiri spits the red mist into the eyes of Billy Kidman at Backlash 2002.

Mists

Tajiri regularly uses the illegal tactic of spitting Asian mist at opponent's eyes in order to blind them:

Green Mist - Tajiri's most common mist.
Red Mist - This rarely used mist is purported to burn rather than blind.
Black Mist - This apparently more powerful mist was used once during an edition of SmackDown! to provide a storyline in which Nidia was blinded for weeks by it.