New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) is nearing its biggest annual event, Wrestle Kingdom 20, which also marks the end of Hiroshi Tanahashi’s illustrious career. The NJPW Chairman will face his longtime rival, AEW International Champion Kazuchika Okada, in the main event, which will be Tanahashi’s final match. Okada is seeking redemption after recently losing the AEW Continental Championship to Jon Moxley in the Continental Classic tournament finals.
There was some discussion among fans about whether Okada and Tanahashi’s match should close the show, with some advocating for a double title bout between IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Konosuke Takeshita and IWGP Global Heavyweight Champion Yota Tsuji. However, Okada expressed in his final press conference before the event that his match was the clear choice for the main event. He highlighted the significance of selling out the venue and the honor of sharing that moment with Tanahashi in front of a packed crowd.
Wrestle Kingdom 20 is set to be a historic event for NJPW, having already drawn over 50,000 attendees, breaking records for the promotion’s Tokyo Dome shows. This will be the largest NJPW crowd at the Dome since Antonio Inoki’s retirement event in April 1998.
Fan Take: This momentous main event not only honors Tanahashi’s legendary career but also solidifies Okada’s status as a top star bridging NJPW and AEW. For AEW fans, it’s a thrilling reminder of the global impact wrestling can have when top talent from different promotions collide on such a grand stage.
