Following the New Japan Pro Wrestling event “Wrestle Kingdom 20,” AEW’s Kazuchika Okada expressed his respect for Hiroshi Tanahashi. Tanahashi’s final career match took place on January 4th, where he was defeated by Okada after 33 minutes. Okada posted a heartfelt message of thanks to Tanahashi on Twitter, saying, “Mr. Tanahashi, thank you for your hard work. Everyone in Japan, let’s meet again.”
New Japan Pro Wrestling held a retirement ceremony following Tanahashi’s last match, attracting many familiar faces who came to honor his storied career. Notably, several AEW wrestlers such as Will Ospreay, Kota Ibushi, and Jay White attended the ceremony, despite their recent absence from AEW television. Meanwhile, AEW’s Konosuke Takeshita competed earlier that evening, losing the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship to Yota Tsuji in a significant title match. John Cena, who himself retired in December 2025, also acknowledged Tanahashi’s legendary career after Wrestle Kingdom 20.
Fan Take: This heartfelt tribute from Kazuchika Okada and the presence of AEW stars at Tanahashi’s retirement highlight the deep respect and connection between AEW and New Japan Pro Wrestling. For AEW fans, this signals a strong collaborative spirit that could lead to exciting cross-promotional opportunities and elevate the wrestling world as a whole.
