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Wrestling World Reacts To Hiroshi Tanahashi's Retirement At NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 20

A legend has left New Japan Pro Wrestling
Zack Heydorn|
Hiroshi Tanahashi's retirement at Wrestle Kingdom 20 has sold out the Tokyo Dome with over 50,000 tickets distributed.
Hiroshi Tanahashi's retirement at Wrestle Kingdom 20 has sold out the Tokyo Dome with over 50,000 tickets distributed. | New Japan Pro-Wrestling

New Japan Pro Wrestling legend, Hiroshi Tanahashi, is officially retired as an active in-ring wrestler.

Tanahashi had his last match in the main event of a sold-out Wrestle Kingdom 20 event inside the Tokyo Dome on Sunday. It was a stellar retirement for the man who carried New Japan on his shoulders for over a decade.

Long time Tanahashi rival and current AEW International Champion, Kazuchika Okada, was the final opponent for Tanahashi on his retirement stage. The match outcome didn't exactly go as Tanahashi wanted.

Okada was victorious. He was able to defeat Tanahashi with a Rainmaker and after his patented Okada wide arm pose. Earlier in the match, Tanahashi had kicked out of The Rainmaker move and seemingly was on the road to a victory. In the end, he just wasn't quite able to get over the hump.

Outcome aside, Tanahashi's performance and the match itself was an exciting affair that had the audience in the building on the edge of their seats. New Japan did right by Tanahashi by having Okada jump in as his final opponent. Because there was so much history between both men, the match had a narrative point to lean that wasn't physicality.

Hiroshi Tanahashi looks strong in stellar Wrestle Kingdom 20 retirement

NJPW President Hiroshi Tanahashi retired at Wrestle Kingdom 20 in the Tokyo Dome following a legendary 26-year career.
NJPW President Hiroshi Tanahashi retired at Wrestle Kingdom 20 in the Tokyo Dome following a legendary 26-year career. | New Japan Pro-Wrestling

On that note, Tanahashi looked very good out there. He wasn't the Tanahashi of ten years ago, but he was put together and nimble enough to do everything the audience expected at a high level. He hit the classic moves and perfectly sold Okada's offense as a sympathetic babyface. Like traditional Tanahashi matches, that selling hooked the crowd and generated investment.

So, the match worked, but the post-match retirement ceremony for Tanahashi was just about perfect. The company set an emotional tone out of the gate with flowers and a crying Tanahashi, but it was the old haunts of Tanahashi's past walking out and standing with the legend that made the night unforgettable.

Jay White, Katsuyori Shibata, Kenny Omega, Kota Ibushi, Will Ospreay, and others took turns getting into the ring to hand Tanahashi flowers. Each of them hugged the former face of the company and whispered words into his ear.

It was emotional stuff, especially Tanahashi and Shibata together. When Shibata's music hit, Tanahashi broke down in tears, clearly moved by his former foe and friend. Ospreay looked at Tanahashi like he would his own father, and Omega bowed his head in respect of the retiring legend.

The best part of the night was Tanahashi speaking to the sold-out audience. He was emotional and tremendously appreciative to both the company and the fans. He also seemed genuine and came across like an authentic star. In his speech, Tanahashi didn't relive the huge moments of his career, but he nodded to them in a way that understood their gravity.

The wrestling world reacts to Hiroshi Tanahashi retirement from New Japan

Hiroshi Tanahashi will still serve as the President of New Japan Pro Wrestling, but with his in-ring days behind him, it's the end of an era for the wrestling industry. Wrestlers and fans across the world strongly reacted to the retirement.

Will Ospreay: "Tanahashi San, I wish I could put into words how much just being around you as a young man meant to me. You showed so many of us how important it is to be kind & respectful to every person you came into contact with. Getting to travel Japan with you was one of the most rewarding things I ever experienced as it showed me exactly who I want to be as a wrestler & human being. You set the bar for all of us. So honored to get to witness your last ride in a sold out Tokyo Dome. Thank you for everything and congratulations on an amazing career."

Kenny Omega: "Tonight I had the incredible honor of participating in Tanahashi’s retirement ceremony. To stand with him in that ring, to see what he saw in those final moments…I felt the reality of it all, the weight of his decision. Once I returned backstage I sat in stand-by lost in thought watching the monitor. Before I knew it, everyone around me had left. Tana, Ibushi, and I made the final walk.

"I joked that all 3 of us had to take the stairs slowly one by one - something I’m usually self conscious about (it doesn’t look cool), but today was different. We owned it proudly. In the car ride back to the dressing rooms we shared one last conversation. I could easily type what was said, but to explain the real meaning of it was probably different for all 3 of us. Broken down rivals now turned comrades. It’s really a beautiful thing, isn’t it? Thanks to all that tuned in to celebrate the retirement of one of the greatest to ever do it."

@RexTestarossa: "Not be a huge nerd on main but it’s insane to me how John Cena and Hiroshi Tanahashi both debuted and retired as wrestlers within a month of each other. And they never had a single match together."

Tony Khan: "Thank you all watching WrestleKingdom live! Congratulations to NJPW + President for the massive success of this historic event, a marvelous spectacle befitting the once in a lifetime occasion: Hiroshi Tanahashi’s retirement! Thank you Ace!"

@Sempervive: "Hiroshi Tanahashi finishes his career as one of the best pro wrestlers in history, no matter the location, and his name sits among guys like Ricky Steamboat in the group of elite babyface workers of all-time. An undeniable, unsinkable force for a quarter-century. Salute, Ace."

@STRIGGA: "I always feel deflated after Wrestle Kingdom, but this one hits harder than any time before. The celebration for Tanahashi's retirement was wonderful, but now the japanese pro wrestling that I've known for over 20 years will never be what it was again."

Matt Rehwoldt: "Tanahashi San, It was an absolute honor to watch you compete and a career highlight to call some of your matches. My time broadcasting some of the matches for NJPW in the USA was a privilege. The professional wrestling business is better because of you."

@KXNGAO: "I’m a grown ass man crying over professional wrestling at 6:30 am, there will never be another Hiroshi Tanahashi. The end of an era. Thank you, Ace."

@RexTestarossa: "Tanahashi helped drag a dying company out of the mud and ushered in a an era of prosperity that New Japan hadn’t seen in years. He’s earned this. Ace of the Universe. One of One"

@kwameKwamzz: "Tanahashi is easily the most important wrestler of the last 20+ years in my fandom. Guys like Cena may have been the big fishes in big ponds but Tanahashi legit made something out of nothing. Created a world that birthed other worlds. The greatest ever"

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Zack Heydorn
ZACK HEYDORN

Zack Heydorn has been covering the pro wrestling industry for a decade and writes news, features, and interviews for The Takedown On SI. He also hosts and cohosts a variety of WWE and AEW shows on YouTube. Heydorn is a former Assistant Editor of PWTorch and Managing Editor of SEScoops. Zack is also the author of the Hybrid Shoot book Stunning: The Wrestling Artistry of Steve Austin, which is available on Amazon. You can follow Zack on X and Bluesky.

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