11/30/2025

Hiroshi Tanahashi was enjoying himself with the crowd in Anjo, Japan, after successfully defeating Yuto-Ice in the main event of the show on November 8th. There had been several rounds of air guitar, including catching ones from the crowd. It all just felt like a bit of fun but also made you wonder, just why was he out there so long? We all soon got our answer, as the “Rainmaker” theme hit in New Japan Pro Wrestling for the first time since February 2024. Out walked Kazuchika Okada, in full New Japan presentation, accompanied by former manager Gedo, whose backstage comments to Tanahashi the week before had made the prospect of an Okada return all the more likely.

Kazuchika Okada had returned to the promotion he grew to lead over the previous fifteen years for only one thing, to be the final opponent for Hiroshi Tanahashi when he retired from in ring competition at the Tokyo Dome on January 4th, 2026. Tanahashi accepted the proposal and the match is now set.

The appearance and match confirmation ended months of speculation as to who Hiroshi Tanahashi’s final opponent would be for what is likely to be the biggest Tokyo Dome show for professional wrestling for two decades. It pits Tanahashi against arguably his biggest rival through his career but also one of his greatest achievements, with the “Wrestle Kingdom” main events in 2015 and 2016 cementing Okada as a top New Japan star and draw. Tanahashi understood that for business to continue to grow (after he had helped the promotion escape from the dark years of the late 2000s), it would need others to stand on top of the mountain alongside him and even to surpass him. Instead of undercutting Okada in order to keep his spot, Tanahashi focused on what he could do in the long form program to solidify the younger man, leading up to Okada’s eventual triumphant victory at “Wrestle Kingdom” 10. The story gave fans an emotional connection to Okada that they did not have previously and New Japan continued to grow in the aftermath of the match.

The landscape for both New Japan Pro Wrestling and both of the participants looks a little different in 2025; Kazuchika Okada is now employed by AEW, having left NJPW in February 2024, and Hiroshi Tanahashi is now the President of the company he has given his career and his body to. There is perhaps an irony to how much these two things are intertwined, with Okada believed to have been a key factor in why Tanahashi was installed into that position, with a number of New Japan sources indicating that the office was of the belief that the change in leadership would be enough to get Okada to stay with the company, despite ‘The Rainmaker’ having reached out to super agent Barry Bloom about his potential options in the US during the same time period. There were even people in the New Japan office who believed he would stay with the promotion right up until the announcement of his leaving was made. Was this based on promises from Okada, naivety or simply hoping that Tanahashi could change Okada’s mind after the elder man’s adoption of his current role? That one is left up for debate.

What is clear, though, is that his departure left New Japan with added uncertainty in terms of their outlook going forward. 2024 saw the company struggle to find solutions to the departures of Okada and Will Ospreay, overrelying on Tetsuya Naito as a key ticket draw whilst his body continued to deteriorate, a frustrating IWGP run for Jon Moxley which was hampered by the need for him to return to AEW television, and the elevation of Zack Sabre Jr. to the top of the card coming far too late in his run with the company for it to have a substantial business impact. Therefore, it did not feel like a company which Tanahashi could step away from at that point, even though his physical ailments had begun to severely restrict his output over the previous eighteen months and the company had originally planned for 2024 to be his final year in the ring, which ‘The Ace’ confirmed himself in an interview with J Magazine this past June, stating:

© kelen_59

There are many both inside and outside the company that believe that the January 5th, 2025 Tokyo Dome show was originally booked with Tanahashi’s retirement in mind, and that the “Wrestle Dynasty” event that New Japan ran on that date was a substitute for a venue booking that could not be changed. It seems a sensible thing to question as Tokyo Dome shows are booked well in advance and the need for a second day based on numbers from the post-Covid Dome events would not suggest that there was enough added demand to justify expansion over two nights, regardless of “Wrestle Kingdom” falling on the weekend for the first time since 2020. “Wrestle Dynasty” would instead feature AEW talent who were familiar with New Japan audiences such as Kenny Omega, the Young Bucks, Jack Perry, Ricochet and Claudio Castognoli, as well as talent from Stardom, CMLL and Ring of Honor. With the exception of Omega and Kidd, most matches were made late on for this show (with some blame to go on a difference in booking philosophies between companies) and advertised far beyond the time when those travelling for the holidays in Japan would be booking their travel. This was an issue for “Wrestle Kingdom” as well, with the only real ticket moving match being announced in mid December. In all, the build to the entire weekend felt disorganised and lacking the promotion or hook required to draw on multiple days, with a big talking point in the aftermath being the lack of top names from AEW being part of the show compared to the roster that New Japan had sent for AEW’s “Forbidden Door” shows in previous years. Jon Moxley was originally pencilled in for the event but was removed due to changes in the direction of the AEW Men’s World Championship, two other former New Japan talents declined due to not wanting to come back so soon to beat New Japan talent, whilst others were ringfenced by AEW for the MAX debut of AEW “Collision” occurring at the same time.

Kazuchika Okada was approached by others working the show as to whether he was interested in competing on that date but had little interest in returning at that time, with his focus solely on his AEW career and his chapter with New Japan firmly closed. There are no issues between New Japan management and Okada, who has attended shows with his family since his departure, but it has been made clear to us that it would take something special for him to return to NJPW, rather than a standard level booking. The biggest Tokyo Dome in two decades, and being the man to retire Hiroshi Tanahashi, very much fitted the bill.

Negotiations between New Japan and Okada’s management team began several months before the match was announced, with the Anjo date where he returned being booked in mid September. Tony Khan, speaking on the “Full Gear” press call, said that the idea was first brought up between Tanahashi and himself when the New Japan President visited AEW during “Double Or Nothing” weekend in May. Both Japanese based sources and those in America close to Okada have indicated that it was made clear to him that Tanahashi wanted Okada to do the match, believing it would allow him to have the strongest match he could have with his current physical condition. Our primary source in Japan was informed that Okada was the man for the spot by mid October, and reaffirmed the belief a week later, with the deal being signed much closer to the date of the announcement.

At the press conference held the day after the Anjo show, Kazuchika Okada proclaimed that his return to ‘The Rainmaker’ moniker the previous day would be a one off, with him bringing his AEW heel character to the Tokyo Dome for the match. This isn’t a style choice aimed at displaying some sort of AEW superiority or the equivalent of a band on a greatest hits tour just wanting to play their new record; rather, it is an attempt to play the full-on heel for the match to ensure the match isn’t just something that directs the crowd’s respect towards the man retiring but is actually desperate for Tanahashi to win. Working that character also ensures that the match will differentiate from their matches in San Jose and Osaka prior to Okada’s departure (as well as the six man tag at “Forbidden Door”), with the thinking behind it very much similar to the way Sting’s retirement match was built in AEW back in March 2024. It also plays on some residual resentment from the more online elements of the Japanese and Western fanbases over his departure without elevating anyone else in the company and the differences in his AEW presentation to what they saw in their favoured company.

It all sounds like a pretty simple set up, right? Well, not so fast.

© WWE

When you read the above you would believe that the timeline for putting together the match at the Tokyo Dome began in late May in Glendale, Arizona, but that simply is not the case. Indeed, Kazuchika Okada was not the first name on the list when it came to potential opponents for Tanahashi on January 4th, with WWE’s Shinsuke Nakamura being their top target from the outset.

Shinsuke Nakamura was part of the three musketeers, alongside Hiroshi Tanahashi and Katsuyori Shibata, that New Japan were promoting in the early to mid 2000s as the wrestlers which would lead the promotion into a new era. He and Tanahashi are referred to by Tokyo Sports as “lifelong rivals”, with Tanahashi having wrestled Nakamura in his first ever Tokyo Dome match at “Wrestling World” 2005, where he lost the Under 30 Openweight Championship to the man known early on in his career as ‘Super Rookie.’ When Tanahashi talks about coming “full circle” (as he has numerous times over the past several months), the man it would most apply to is Shinsuke Nakamura.

In the week that Tanahashi wrestled Shibata in an exhibition match at the Tokyo Dome, we were told that the New Japan office were discussing approaching WWE to see if Nakamura would be a possibility for January 4th, 2026. The 45 year old, who departed New Japan for America in the spring of 2016, was the only name in consideration at that point according to our source, who also informed us in the same conversation that Hirooki Goto would be winning the The IWGP Heavyweight Championship in Osaka.

As it turns out, we were not the only outlet to receive such information, with several not only being informed of New Japan’s intentions to approach WWE, but also that contact had been established between the two promotions by the end of January, with one source claiming to a non-American outlet to have seen details of said communication.

Things went quiet on the matter until April, when there was news that Jeff Cobb would be leaving New Japan to head to WWE. Cobb had been in talks with the American promotion since early March and had agreed to sign with Stamford later on in the month. In information we were able to corroborate at the time with Voices of Wrestling, it was agreed by all parties that he would work the “Dontaku” tour, ending with an IWGP Heavyweight Title match with Hirooki Goto on May 5th. Cobb began cutting promos for it backstage at “Windy City Riot” on April 11th but was pulled by WWE the next week, wrestling his final match for the promotion against Hiroshi Tanahashi on April 19th. United Empire stablemate Callum Newman ended up replacing him in the title match.

At the time, the information we had led to the conclusion of this being another example of WWE pushing their weight about when it comes to not allowing talent they are signing to finish out previous obligations with promotions; after all, there has been other recent examples of similar conduct with the likes of Ricky Starks and Stephanie Vaquer. However, an alternative narrative formed in the summer, with two credible sources informing us that Cobb’s early departure was part of negotiations for Nakamura between the two promotions, and that was information they had been supplied with at the same time as this situation was ongoing. It is something we have not been able to confirm independently at this time.

Shinsuke Nakamura was still part of WWE television during this period, featuring on a regular basis up until June, when he suddenly disappeared from TV, with no reports of having suffered an injury. This led to speculation over the status of Nakamura’s contract, with Wade Keller reporting in August that he believed the wrestler was still under one when the question was raised in wider discussion.

Nakamura’s contract status is a key aspect of this story. At the current time, all major and minor media outlets covering this story are under the belief that he is under contract with WWE, with Fightful reporting that New Japan higher ups had told them that they believed he had re-signed at some point in late 2024. No one, from any outlet, has so far been able to confirm that this is the case.

The prospect of free agent Nakamura walking straight into a headlining spot for a sold out Tokyo Dome show would have given the 45 year old a decent amount of leverage if he was in negotiations at the time, with some who have had close ties with Nakamura in the past offering the view that he would use it, in particular, to maximise his chances of winning a world title in WWE in future, an aim which has been referred to as a “lifelong goal” in a Tokyo Sports interview just last month. Shinsuke Nakamura returned to WWE on October 10th as part of a “Smackdown” television taping in Australia, the week before he would appear in Ryogoku Sumo Hall with the brand, and it was then that things escalated rather quickly.

Hiroshi Tanahashi confirmed in an interview with NHK Radio on November 10th that he had met Nakamura for dinner prior to the WWE shows at Ryogoku and that they had both outlined their will to have one last match together. Shinsuke Nakamura would then use Hiroshi Tanahashi’s trademark “Aishitemasu!” in a promo to the live crowd after a mid card tag match on the show. Tanahashi would respond on X with a reply of “Hmm? I think I heard something…” The exchange was quickly picked up by Tokyo Sports in Japan, who speculated whether Nakamura was leaving a “riddle” for Tanahashi to solve, with Tanahashi offering the newspaper further comments later in the week that he would be using Nakamura’s Inoki style encouragement when he challenged Yota Tsuji in Gifu for the IWGP Global Championship on November 2nd. Tanahashi again caused speculation around a potential Nakamura match when he used his rival’s signature “Landslide” driver in his match with Tsuji as well.

© Kzms_stardom

Indeed, if you close your ears off to any reporting from news outlets outside of the semi kayfabed (and almost integrated at times) Tokyo Sports, you could easily be forgiven if you thought that you were seeing a build for a Nakamura match at the Dome. It is also unlike Tanahashi to tease things in media, socials or at live events without plans to deliver. He is not Tetsuya Naito in that aspect, in terms of floating his booking ideas (and grievances, it must be said) through these mediums, so that gave anyone looking more ‘evidence’ that this was the set-up than they would have had it been other wrestlers doing similar things. The first of anything on screen pointing to Okada was Gedo’s backstage comments to Tanahashi on November 2nd.

What happened outside of the ring during the period from Ryogoku to Anjo is highly disputed.

We should note before we list the information (which has been given to outlets by well over a dozen sources) that nothing which has been reported are “conspiracy theories” or baseless. There are a number of sources corroborating the same information, even if they come from different viewpoints. It also represents that people in each of the promotions involved may see things differently, have their own side/story they wish to get across and/or their own reasons for providing the information they have.

The most consistent story (in terms of multiple outlets having been given the same information) is that Nakamura had asked to be released from his contract during the summer and that WWE had agreed to the request, allowing him to fulfill the match without any political issues with AEW or CMLL. After the shows at Ryogoku Sumo Hall, TKO/WWE had stepped in and informed all parties that this would no longer be the case; however, Nakamura could still work the match, under conditional approval. Confirmation of a clause in Nakamura’s contract that would allow him to do as much was confirmed by Dave Meltzer in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter the following week, having been discussed previously in 2023 when he returned to Pro Wrestling NOAH on January 1st of that year. The potential rescinding, after the match had begun to be teased at events in Japan (and through New Japan’s most friendly media channels), has been put down to TKO/WWE wanting to mess with Tony Khan as much as it would be to disrupt New Japan.

It feels somewhat short sighted, in that there is arguably far more long term value in attempting to build a relationship with New Japan for WWE, rather than making things more difficult for the Japanese promotion. What we also don’t know is what other conditions and asks there were from WWE around the match taking place, especially if the ‘deal’ had essentially been altered by a great degree already at that point. The expectation is, probably rightfully, that it would not have ended at just an OK for Nakamura to be part of the match. WWE have denied to Fightful that the match had even been “broached”, but with everything we have seen up until this point, it feels extremely unlikely that this was the case.

What WWE are absolutely aware of, though, is that there would be political implications of a WWE wrestler essentially main eventing the biggest Tokyo Dome show in two decades. There would be no issue from partner promotions if he was to participate in the match as a free agent, but him still being under contract does immediately change the circumstances around putting the match together in the current political environment. It is this that would be a fundamental sticking point that could not be overcome. Sources in New Japan, including one higher up, have told multiple members of the Social Suplex network, as well as other outlets, that Tony Khan was made aware of the change in Nakamura’s status at this point.

We have been wary of some of the descriptions we have received from New Japan sources when it comes to Tony Khan this year, being that we had a first hand denial of a non-reported story concerning him during the “Wrestle Dynasty” event. However, whilst we did receive some more ‘colourful’ descriptions of his reaction to the Nakamura news, it is fair to say that all agree that he was not happy about the prospect and that there were communications with New Japan around it at this point.

Fightful has described reporting around this as “conspiracy theories that Tony Khan and AEW blocked Shinsuke Nakamura from wrestling Hiroshi Tanahashi at the Tokyo Dome” and cited “numerous NJPW sources” that “confirmed there was no ‘AEW shutting down’ that match. It was very clearly stated from a rep that there was no situation like that happening.” There was no further information on the process provided when posting this denial.

© AEW

What is perhaps the most interesting part of this statement is that I would not necessarily say that it is at complete odds with what those in touch with people in New Japan elsewhere have been told. No outlet that we are aware of has reported that Tony Khan shut the match down, rather, the line is that New Japan were made aware that there would be “serious repercussions” to the relationship between the two promotions if the deal was still to be made with Nakamura whilst under WWE contract, as well as a firm push for Okada to be the opponent at the Tokyo Dome. It is also something which should not come as a surprise; after all, AEW are in a global cold war with WWE, where their competitor is looking for every way they can to undermine the younger brand, whether in the US or further afield. The WWE acts of aggression have also gone past being just towards AEW this year as well, with the purchase of AAA meaning a more direct challenge to CMLL in Mexico, who have been a partner for New Japan Pro Wrestling for much longer than AEW have. Some may treat these details as salacious, but they shouldn’t; they are a representation of the difficulties faced when it comes to sustaining relationships between promotions that all have different goals, business strategies and challenges to contend with.

This situation perhaps has received greater focus due to the changes in the nature of the relationship between AEW and NJPW in recent years, as AEW has ascended to be the more dominant partner, having originally started out on a more equal footing between 2021 and 2023. The growth of AEW, especially with its new TV rights deal, and the issues New Japan has faced emerging out of Covid have only increased the imbalance between the two parties. Building and retaining a relationship such as this would be hard at any point without the added pressure of WWE’s actions to go with it.

It also comes after a year where some of the less harmonious parts of the promotions working together has been more on the surface, beginning with the comments by Chris Charlton on commentary at “Wrestle Dynasty” and the conflicting reports which followed over who was responsible for Charlton’s suspension by BushiRoad CEO Takaaki Kidani. (Tanahashi’s role in those proceedings is now even more interesting to look at with hindsight.) Beyond that, Kidani and BushiRoad branded the “Dynasty” event a disappointment before giving it the largest part of the blame for the company’s second quarter of the year underperforming expectations financially.

AEW’s “Forbidden Door” show main card contained only four New Japan wrestlers for a show which had previously been presented as a ‘joint’ production. New Japan’s domestic promotion of that particular show was also minimal at best, giving more attention to a Taichi and TAKA produced show than to the PPV which their name was attached to. There was also frustrations on the AEW side around the booking of Konosuke Takeshita’s G1 win, leading to a Fightful article which implied that any idea that the US promotion had any part in having EVIL as Takeshita’s G1 Final opponent “couldn’t be further from the truth” before listing that Khan has never been a fan of EVIL’s work, which is the reason behind his non-booking on supposed crossover shows. Considering the importance that Tanahashi gives EVIL, this was nothing but a straight shot across the bow.

© lucy_sbin

That is not to say that there haven’t been benefits to the relationship for New Japan in 2025, though. Tony Khan has long supported the New Japan Strong shows in the US, particularly with talent, and has been regularly in attendance for these events. He also offers the opportunity for a number of New Japan wrestlers such as Tomohiro Ishii or Gabe Kidd to supplement their income through appearances on US television, whilst allowing for a wrestler like Konosuke Takeshita, the current IWGP Heavyweight Champion, to be dual contracted. Whilst Tony Khan often goes to great pains in interviews to emphasize that Takeshita is primarily an AEW wrestler, he has been a huge part of New Japan’s 2025 offering. Even with Strong shows being removed from the calendar (the next New Japan show in the US is under the lion mark), there are still major benefits to working with AEW for the company.

There are also benefits for AEW as well, with NJPW having been a top source of talent for the promotion in recent years but also somewhere for their established talent to go and rejuvenate themselves/add additional achievements to their resume, with the Young Bucks and Jon Moxley two of the most prominent recent examples. It also ensures that the world’s fourth largest wrestling promotion remains within its sphere of influence.

It is all of this that would have been in consideration when it comes to whether New Japan would continue pursuing the Nakamura option rather than going with Kazuchika Okada. You could argue that Khan and AEW should have no influence in the decision, but that isn’t the scenario New Japan currently finds itself in.

Dave Meltzer, writing in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, summarised the situation rather aptly, in that “whether the snag was negotiations with WWE, a decision to go with Okada since he was the bigger name and greater Tanahashi rival, or pressure from AEW or loyalty to AEW about using a WWE wrestler is not clear.” The likelihood is that it was a combination of a number of these factors that saw them end up with the decision that they did.

Perhaps the only man who knows the entire story of the past year is Hiroshi Tanahashi, and he has provided his own comments since the Anjo show, with a national radio appearance with NHK on November 10th being rather informative. In an interview to promote “Wrestle Kingdom,” there was a long period of talk over what prevented the Nakamura match from happening. Tanahashi cited two main reasons which prevented the match: the first being “the current relationship between AEW, an American rival to WWE, and New Japan Pro Wrestling” which meant that “it just wasn’t possible” and “so there was nothing that could be done,” and the second being that WWE had also “made all the concessions they could” (or were willing to make in this situation in relation to contracts).

The other two names who were in discussions are Tetsuya Naito and Kenny Omega.

© high_kkk

Tetsuya Naito departed New Japan after their “Wrestling Dontaku” weekend of shows back in early May, having announced his intention to depart the promotion back on April 16th after the sides had failed to come to an agreement on a new contract. Naito had been working for a couple months, up to that point, without a contract and had begun discussing his issues with his schedule and workload compared to others on the roster in the Tokyo Sports newspaper. The New Japan audience is so used to Naito using the outlet to build his programs/air his grievances that they didn’t pay too much attention to his concerns, meaning that the statement announcing his departure, as well as that of stablemate BUSHI, came as a complete shock. The fact he was working without a deal for a large part of the spring is less of a surprise, seeing as a large part of the New Japan roster were at that point, with early contract offers from the company not strong enough for agreements to be made (especially when you consider the issues Japan currently has with inflation and weakness of their currency abroad). It has led to a number of current contracts now running June to June for 2026, rather than the traditional end point for one year deals in February.

There were other strange things around the departure as well. New Japan were losing their biggest source of revenue, their top ticket and merchandise seller over the previous decade, in a business which is still heavily reliant on those two categories for the majority of its income in 2025, but the office didn’t appear to be worried about it in a way that you would expect them to be considering his role in the company over recent years. Furthermore, he was not booked in high profile matches over his final tour: no singles match with potential LIJ leader Yota Tsuji, no second round to put over Hiromu Takahashi and no final match with Hiroshi Tanahashi in order to ensure there is one as part of this retirement run. It is the last one which is the most surprising, considering Kazuchika Okada had a match with Tanahashi scheduled for his final tour in Osaka, and Jeff Cobb was rushed into one for his final night at Korakuen Hall before heading to WWE.

With New Japan uncharacteristically working an injury angle for Hirooki Goto in order to announce him and remove him from the G1 tournament, people there began to look at other recent occurrences in New Japan history, such as Naito’s departure, and wonder just how “real” they really were. No one questioned whether the former LIJ leader was under New Japan contract, but rather whether there was an agreement for him to return after a period away establishing his own copyrighted branding and merchandise that could then provide him with an additional source of income in the future on top of what the company could offer him contract wise.

Speculation around Naito was at its height in September, when the wrestler was in Hokkaido for “meetings” at the same time as the promotion were touring the prefecture. Naito has only made in ring appearances for European promotions Revolution Pro Wrestling and wXw so far since his departure, with both having an established working relationship with New Japan. His tone around this point also began to soften around New Japan, with him telling Tokyo Sports that there is no other company in Japan he will ever wrestle for.

Whether a meeting occurred in Hokkaido between New Japan and Tetsuya Naito, we have been unable to confirm; however, Naito himself has confirmed that talks took place between the two sides where they determined his interest in the spot through indirect contact. The wrestler told Note in the aftermath of the Okada announcement that he would have accepted the opportunity if he had been asked officially, but no further contact was made before Okada was announced.

From a logical perspective, it makes sense for New Japan to keep the Naito option on the table ahead of the Tokyo Dome, considering the interest a quick return would bring and the impact the company has seen since his departure and the massive jump in ticket sales seen with his announcement as the final opponent for Keiji Mutoh at the Tokyo Dome back in February 2023 with an initial jump of five thousand tickets for the non-holiday Tuesday night show in the baseball stadium. It would also provide a way for Tanahashi’s last match to be somewhat connected to Mutoh, who ‘The Ace’ defeated in the main event of “Wrestle Kingdom” III back in January 2009 to win his first IWGP Heavyweight Championship, if he faced the same man who had retired one of his seniors in his final match.

There would also be a rather funny irony to it if Naito had gotten the go-ahead after not being the first or second choice for the spot (particularly in being behind Shinsuke Nakamura), in that he was not the first choice for the Mutoh match either. Mutoh told then ESPN journalist Marc Raimondi that the original plan for “Last Love” had been for him to face Nakamura but WWE delayed their approval for the match, leading to go with Naito. When permission was finally granted by the American promotion for him they made the match for the Pro Wrestling NOAH show on January 1st. The more things change…etc, etc.

The fact Naito was ghosted after the initial contact is something else with previous occurrence with New Japan, and especially this year where two prominent AEW wrestlers had agreed to work the G1 before communication was cut off, with confirmation of their non-participation only really coming with the line up announcements. In that instance, it is likely that a lack of funds was responsible for the decision and that the lack of communication was down somewhat to Japanese business cultural practices of not wanting to disappoint directly. It is fair to say, though, that even telling people the most basic information has not been New Japan’s strong point this year.

The situation did nothing for the feelings of Tetsuya Naito towards the company, seemingly, who declared he now had no strong reason to return to New Japan at this point. It is worth keeping in mind, though, that the Ungovernable One always has an element of ‘work’ in everything he says.

© medamayaki888

Last but by no means least on the list is Kenny Omega. Omega was more of the real “pipe dream” out of any of the four, with the Winnipeg-born wrestler restricted in regards to singles competition so far this year by the management of his ongoing health issues. Omega had lost the IWGP Heavyweight Championship to Tanahashi during his final match under New Japan contract at the Tokyo Dome in January 2019. The match centered on a battle between two wrestling philosophies and was Omega’s last appearance for the promotion before his incredible match with Will Ospreay back at “Wrestle Kingdom” 17.

Omega returned to New Japan once more for the “Wrestle Dynasty” show this year on January 5th, in what also marked his first match after being diagnosed with diverticulitis over a year prior. The image of an overwhelmed, emotional Tanahashi crying at the incredible performances of Omega and Gabe Kidd is probably one of the most iconic of this year.

The pair no longer sit on opposite sides of the spectrum at this point, having recorded a series of interviews together since Omega began working with New Japan again, including one where the Canadian suggested that he and Tanahashi should wrestle the Young Bucks in a tag team match. This was Omega throwing out a potential idea rather than something that was planned for a future event, but none of the participants would have turned it down if the offer had come. In the end, Omega and Tanahashi did end up tagging together against the Young Bucks in some capacity at least, as part of a ten man cage match at AEW’s “Forbidden Door” show in August at London’s O2 Arena. Omega returned from planned time off in order to participate in one final match with Tanahashi.

This is one of those situations where the timing sadly ruled him out somewhat, but at least they got their moments in the O2, with Tanahashi winning the match. Naturally, Matt Jackson took the pin.

It is notable when you look down that list of options that none currently reside permanently in New Japan Pro Wrestling; such is the position of the company in 2025. However, retirement matches in Japan are based on having the biggest opponent possible, and all four of these names fulfill that criteria. In recent weeks, there have been pointless arguments over which name would have drawn more. On this occasion, the answer is that it is a pointless discussion.

With more tickets sold in the opening days of this year’s general sale compared to the total number for this past year’s January 4th show, it is the retirement of Hiroshi Tanahashi which will spark the biggest attendance and gate for a wrestling show in Japan for over two decades. It is “The Ace Of The Universe,” the man who led New Japan out of the dark ages, that those in the Tokyo Dome will be waiting for to adorn with their love and adulation.

Tickets are also flying for the World Tag League shows that form part of his “Final Road”, with NJPW fans across Japan turning out in their droves to watch one of the greatest babyfaces ever wrestle in their town for the very last time.

The Tokyo Dome on January 4th, 2026 is a night for Hiroshi Tanahashi. A night for one final colossal achievement. And his opponent will be Kazuchika Okada.

“Leave New Japan to me, it will be OK.”

Those words will look inconsequential on paper, but were said to Hiroshi Tanahashi at Tanahashi’s final hometown show by Yota Tsuji. Tsuji had just defeated ‘The Ace’ in Gifu in a match that showed just how much he has grown in-ring, as he gave Tanahashi one of the best matches of his retirement year so far. It was part of Tsuji’s best ever promo in New Japan and a perfect set up ahead of him coming out to challenge IWGP Heavyweight Champion, Konosuke Takeshita, after his successful first defense, against former champion Hirooki Goto, in the night’s main event. Takeshita told him to put up the IWGP Global Championship if he wanted the match and Tsuji duly agreed. Thus, the double title match was set for January 4th, 2026 at the Tokyo Dome.

This is a match which may not be the main event, but it is the match which is most important for the short term future of New Japan following “Wrestle Kingdom”. Hiroshi Tanahashi’s retirement is likely taking the main event slot, and Takeshita has alluded to that in various interviews. Yota Tsuji has created a number of rivals to which he can work title programs with, including Yuya Uemura, Gabe Kidd, David Finlay, Hirooki Goto, EVIL (we are just going to have to get through it) and Shota Umino. On top of his in-company options, he also has set up potential money matches with Kazuchika Okada and Tetsuya Naito. Those aren’t sure things, but he has carefully laid the groundwork for both in recent years, so they are easy options from a story perspective if New Japan can make a deal for them. Tsuji is also comfortable in his role, has the former LIJ affiliation to play off of and knows how to get fans behind him, on top of being able to carry the belt on every single show, on every single tour. “Wrestle Kingdom” is the biggest advertisement for him there could possibly be, with a primetime TV slot that night, so there has never been a better time to crown him.

Standing opposite him will be Konosuke Takeshita. The triple-contracted wrestler is using the frustrations he hears about his status to feed into his character ahead of the bout, and played the antagonist really well during his defense against Hirooki Goto in Gifu. His title run and G1 run win had been set up early in his official tenure in the company, and the lead up read much better on paper than it ended up in reality. Back-to-back wins at the last Tokyo Dome weekend, a win over Tanahashi in his last ever match on US soil, a record-breaking NEVER Openweight Title run leading into a G1 win over EVIL sounds like a logical path, but New Japan could not decide on how exactly to present Takeshita. Like a number of others in the company this year, he seems to have switched between heel and face on a regular basis, with the company unable to decide if he is an invader from another company, someone who holds resentment from being rejected by New Japan in the past, or someone who wants to change the world of wrestling, with NJPW an effective beneficiary.

Takeshita has also suffered from the perception of being an outsider, having originated in DDT, and from previous mistakes with the IWGP Heavyweight Title booking that have left fans frustrated. This came to a head at the G1 Finals in Ariake Arena back in August, where Takeshita’s win was overshadowed by the support for homegrown heel EVIL in the final. New Japan had not done enough to promote and establish Takeshita to the hardcore base to get the result they wanted, leading to them flipping Takeshita from heel to face the night before the final and not loudly promoting his record breaking match time during the tournament. They left him vulnerable and changed the story from the former DDT star winning the grueling competition to the reaction he and his opponent received in the duration. One upside was that the last part of the match did have an incredible atmosphere, much better than the silence some in the company had feared the match might go down in after the semi-final the night before.

© NJPW

Takeshita gave much of his physical body to that tournament as well, and the fact he got rocked during the semi-final with Zack Sabre Jr. only added to his story during the build to their title match at Ryogoku in October. He is one of the most outstanding wrestlers in the world and deserved more support from the company in helping him to overcome the potential obstacles he would have with the New Japan base. After all, it took many years before those fans fully accepted Kota Ibushi as their own (who notably also had a dual contract between DDT and New Japan for a period). These mistakes have also hurt from a drawing perspective, with both Ariake Arena and Ryogoku pulling somewhat disappointing numbers. It is a lot to work up against, but we shouldn’t take away that it is still a tremendous achievement for the 30 year old Osaka native to both win the IWGP Heavyweight Championship and carry it into the Tokyo Dome.

The build to the match has been convoluted, with Tsuji’s booking somewhat mirroring a lot of that which was used for Tetsuya Naito during the “Double Gold Dash” in 2019-20. Neither were perfectly set out in their build (or even close, if we are being honest), but there will be enough will for Tsuji going into the Dome, and enough skill from Takeshita, to carry it home. It is easy to forget that the best received match in the building last year was Tsuji taking the IWGP Global Championship from David Finlay. He may not be the man to set the New Japan business on fire, so to speak, but he will allow for it to continue standing just as Tanahashi steps aside from the ring. “It’ll be OK” he said in Gifu and I think he is right.

The man who New Japan are relying on for a quick business push is former judoka Aaron Wolf. Wolf won a Gold medal during the Tokyo 2020 Olympics (held in 2021) and is a household name in Japan. Indeed, Wolf is the primary reason that New Japan secured a prime time slot for the show broadcast, reminding us somewhat of Ronda Rousey’s impact in helping WWE in obtaining the FOX deal for their “Smackdown” program. Wolf was ringside for Hiroshi Tanahashi’s match with EVIL back in January, so there is a set up to a match with the new NEVER Openweight Champion on this show on top of the angles at recent shows. EVIL has been part of Wolf’s training and is trusted by Tanahashi, so it isn’t a massive surprise. Working with the House of Torture will likely not lead to the most thrilling match, but the gimmicks should help to protect him in his debut and work up the live crowd.

There were other wrestlers who have been involved in his training that did put their name in the hat for the match, which is a reflection of how many people in the company are highly aware of how important it is that Wolf succeeds. There are some presentational elements for the former judoka which also need attention for January 4th, and every step should be made to make that debut a success.

The primetime slot could mean a much tighter main card than normal with a lot more multimans. The Junior match will strangely be a number one contenders match between El Desperado, Sho, Kosei Fujita and Taiji Ishimori rather than a defense for IWGP Junior Champion DOUKI, who also holds the IWGP Junior Tag Titles with SHO. The NEVER 6 Man Titles, held currently by YOH, Yano and Master Wato will be defended in a rambo on the main card, with the pre-show rambo that occurs on each year’s pre-show card still expected to take place as well. 

Check out these other articles from this week!

A Wrestler You Should Know About: Millie McKenzie

by Chris Gannon

NOAH

We take a look at all the happenings in NOAH since our last issue.

CMLL

Dios De Los Muertos at Sold Out Arena Mexico Turns Into A Nightmare