NJPW President Hiroshi Tanahashi has outlined what would be the ideal way for his legendary career to come to an end.
In late 2024, The Ace announced that he would be calling time on his career at Wrestle Kingdom 20 on January 4, 2026. With 8 reigns as IWGP World Champion, 3 G1 Climax wins among his many accolades, many are hoping to see a retirement fitting of the career of Tanahashi, given his contributions both in and out of the ring.
During an interview with J Magazine! Tanahashi stated that the dream would be to walk into his final match as the champion for a 9th time and put someone over in the final outing, jokingly adding that it might affect his long-term plans:
“I’ve been saying this since I was young: ‘I’ll retire when I give up on becoming the IWGP Champion’. So, if I’m going to stick to my beliefs, the ideal scenario would be to lose in a title match and retire. But, of course, there’s a chance I might win (laughs). I’d have to say, I’m not retiring after all! (laughs). I think the crowd at Tokyo Dome would probably start chanting, give us our money back! … I want to retire while still looking up and holding onto the desire to be the best.”
When asked what the future holds for the New Japan icon, Tanahashi stated that he would still remain a fan, but joked that a masked wrestler may take his place:
“I guess I’ll just go back to being a fan like I used to be, and maybe I’ll miss the ring… Who knows, maybe next year or something, a mysterious masked man named ‘The Ace’ will appear on the New Japan Pro Wrestling ring (laughs)”.
Hiroshi Tanahashi Set To Compete In NJPW G1 Climax Tournament One More Time
The NJPW G1 Climax 35 tournament is set to begin on July 19. Set to be a part of the round robin tournament one final time, Tanahashi’s first match will see him take on Taichi in the A block.
Featured image: AEW
