New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) leader, Hiroshi Tanahashi, has announced his decision to retire from the wrestling ring, with his final bout scheduled at Wrestle Kingdom 20 in January.
In a recent interaction with Tokyo Sports, Tanahashi expressed his wish to make a bid for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship in his farewell match.
Discussing his ideal final showdown, Tanahashi says, “So ideally, I would like my retirement match to be for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship. If I challenge, and win, I’ll extend my active career and withdraw my retirement. If I lose, I’ll just retire. Then I’ll be satisfied. I can retire because I think I can’t reach it anymore.”
When asked about the possibility of facing Kazuchika Okada or Shinsuke Nakamura, he responded, “Personally, I would like to fight younger wrestlers, but if the fans want it. It may or may not happen, I don’t know. Personally, I would like to do it somewhere. First of all, I will fight with all my might for the remaining one year and two months, so please support me.”