5 superstars you might not know competed for the WWE Championship
Anyone who has held the WWE Championship, the most esteemed prize in Professional Wrestling today, can claim to be a master of their craft. The belt is so prestigious that even the opportunity to challenge is reserved for the very best in the industry.
However, there have been occasions where a few unexpected names have challenged for WWE's biggest prize. We will look at five such superstars you might not know who competed for the WWE Championship on this list.
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Disclaimer: This list will only feature superstars who received one-on-one title matches, so there won't be any Royal Rumbles, Elimination Chambers or Championship Scrambles. Without further ado, let's begin.
#5.Tajiri: Competed for the WWE Championship in 2001
tajiri with the methodical and vicious takedown of chuck palumbo https://t.co/FLJMNUD35W
For many years, Tajiri was a fixture of WWE's mid-card. He put on good matches and performed well as both a comedic face and a serious heel.
In 2001, the Invasion Angle was in full swing, and Tajiri was pretty fresh into his WWE run. Presented as the assistant to Commissioner William Regal, he won the WCW United States title and was given a WWE Championship shot against Alliance Leader Stone Cold Steve Austin.
Having been injured by Rhyno a few days earlier, Tajiri was not at a hundred percent. Austin took advantage of the Japanese Buzzsaw's injuries and focused on damaging his ribs further. In hindsight, it was more of a beatdown than an actual match.
Despite the loss, Tajiri remained popular with the crowd and achieved considerable success on the mid-card. He became a multi-time Tag Team and Cruiserweight Champion and continued to wow fans with his unique offense and dreaded green mist.