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NJPW President Hiroshi Tanahashi Is Making His Final G1 Climax Tournament Count [Exclusive]

The Ace of NJPW spoke to The Takedown on SI about G1 Climax 35, his impending retirement, Forbidden Door London, and other topics.
Lyric Swinton|
Hiroshi Tanahashi at the NJPW G1 Climax 35 press conference.
Hiroshi Tanahashi at the NJPW G1 Climax 35 press conference. | New Japan Pro-Wrestling

G1 Climax 35 begins this Saturday and meets all 20 participants at different points in their careers. For some wrestlers, this year's tournament will be their first. For Hiroshi Tanahashi, G1 Climax 35 marks his 23rd and final time competing in the annual round-robin that is widely considered as the pinnacle of professional wrestling tournaments.

In October 2024, the President and Ace of New Japan Pro-Wrestling announced his plans to end his 27-year career in the Tokyo Dome on January 4, 2026, at Wrestle Kingdom 20. At 48-years-old with weary knees and less than 170 days left as a professional wrestler, Tanahashi isn't taking anything for granted, especially the prestigious tournament he's won on three separate occasions (2007, 2015, 2018).

"I really want to take each match as it comes. This is my last time, and you only get one last. So every moment is important, and I want the people to feel that significance as well. Obviously, my goal is to win the whole thing," Tanahashi told The Takedown on SI. "Maybe if I win the G1, I might challenge for the world title in the Tokyo Dome, and if I win that, and I'm the champion...I might have to put retirement on hold."

A Block will be home for Tanahashi and nine other wrestlers in this year's G1, many of whom belong to NJPW's new generation, including Yuya Uemura, Ryohei Oiwa, Boltin Oleg, and Callum Newman. The Ace has already wrestled some of them on his retirement road, but it's last year's G1 Climax 34 finalist Yota Tsuji that Tanahashi is looking forward to facing the most.

He said, "I've got a connection to Yota Tsuji since he was my attendant as a Young Lion. I haven't wrestled him since he was a Young Lion, so I'm excited to face him."

On his Final Ace retirement road, Hiroshi Tanahashi has made it his mission to wrestle as many members of the younger generation as possible. Most recently, he unsuccessfully challenged Bullet Club War Dogs and Death Riders member Gabe Kidd for the IWGP Global Heavyweight Championship on the New Japan Soul tour.

Kidd and Tanahashi's relationship is a special one. Kidd has been openly critical of Tanahashi as a leader in the past, but he’s also been open about how Tanahashi supported him during his lowest mental health moments during the COVID-19 pandemic. After Kidd's outstanding match at Wrestle Dynasty with Kenny Omega, Tanahashi was seen getting visibly emotional.

"On a personal level, I've known Gabe for a long time, and I'm proud to have seen his growth as a person and a wrestler. From a business level, he has a magnetism that's very special," said Tanahashi. Gabe Kidd is in B Block of this year's G1 Climax tournament.

Another young star Tanahashi has locked horns with on his retirement road is Konosuke Takeshita, the three-contract supernova representing AEW, NJPW, and DDT in his second G1 Climax tournament after making it to the semifinals last year. Tanahashi wrestled Takeshita in his final United States match at March's Windy City Riot in a main event advertised as “Ace vs Alpha”. Takeshita will join Kidd and eight other men in G1 Climax 35's B Block.

Hiroshi Tanahashi wrestling Konosuke Takeshita at NJPW Windy City Riot 2025 in Chicago.
Hiroshi Tanahashi wrestling Konosuke Takeshita at NJPW Windy City Riot 2025 in Chicago. | New Japan Pro-Wrestling

When reflecting on his emotional battle with the Alpha at Windy City Riot, the Ace said, "I was so grateful for that reception in Chicago, and for all the support I've gotten in the U.S over the years. Takeshita has improved massively since the first time I wrestled him, and I think he's definitely one to watch in this year's G1."

In previous years, the G1 has been known to feature guests from AEW, NOAH, and other promotions but G1 Climax 35 is the first in years where every participant is under NJPW contract. As NJPW's president, Hiroshi Tanahashi considers that a point of pride.

"I think what we see with the lineup this year, 20 NJPW wrestlers and all at such a high standard, it's an indication of how deep our roster is and continues to be. That's a huge positive now and it will continue to pay off in the future in my opinion."

NJPW G1 Climax 35 A & B Blocks
NJPW G1 Climax 35 A & B Blocks | njpw1972.com

Shortly after the conclusion of G1 Climax 35 is the AEW and NJPW co-promoted Forbidden Door London on August 24 in the O2 Arena, the fourth Forbidden Door event between the two promotions. Tanahashi main-evented the first Forbidden Door in 2022, unsuccessfully challenging Jon Moxley for the AEW World Championship.

When it comes to potential opponents, there is no shortage of stars on the AEW roster with whom the Ace has a shared history.

Katsuyori Shibata was Tanahashi's fellow Musketeer alongside Shinsuke Nakumura in the early years of their wrestling careers. There is no Kazuchika Okada as we know him today without the "Rainmaker Shock" of Okada defeating Tanahashi for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship in his second match after returning from excursion in 2012.

It was Kota Ibushi that Tanahashi defeated in the final of G1 Climax 28 to secure his last G1 victory in 2018. Tanahashi also holds a singles victory over current AEW World Champion Hangman Adam Page from that tournament.

The Ace defeated Kenny Omega for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship at Wrestle Kingdom 13 in Omega's last NJPW match before leaving to help start AEW in 2019. He's also no stranger to Will Ospreay, a man he's never been able to beat in their two singles encounters.

Despite having deep-rooted lore with so many people, Tanahashi, who also happens to be a former RevPro Undisputed British Heavyweight Champion, is looking to do something fresh at Forbidden Door London.

AEW X NJPW Forbidden Door London PPV graphic
AEW X NJPW Forbidden Door London PPV graphic | AEW

"Forbidden Door will be my last match in the U.K. With that in mind, even though I have a lot of ties with wrestlers in AEW, I'd really like the chance to face somebody completely different that I haven't faced before. Obviously I'd love to close my U.K. career with a win."

While his final match in the U.K. will be a sentimental moment for him, Hiroshi Tanahashi hasn't forgotten his competitive spirit, as both a wrestler and NJPW's leader. He said, "Speaking as president, the relationship with AEW is very important to me and us at NJPW. That said, it's key to say that we're partners on equal footing. I think the best way for me to reinforce that as a wrestler is to make a big impact at Forbidden Door."

Tanahashi will face Taichi on the opening night of G1 Climax 35 in Sapporo on July 19 at 4 AM ET/1 AM PT. The entire tournament will stream live in Japanese and English on NJPW World and will conclude on August 17.

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Published | Modified
Lyric Swinton
LYRIC SWINTON

Lyric Swinton is a proud graduate of the University of South Carolina with a Bachelor’s in Sport & Entertainment Management. Her lifelong passion for wrestling has taken her around the world, primarily writing about alternative and international promotions for several major wrestling and media outlets, such as Pro Wrestling Illustrated Magazine, Blavity, Fightful, and more. She has covered wrestling for seven major promotions in some of the most famous venues in the world, including Wembley Stadium and the Tokyo Dome.

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