Hiroshi Tanahashi Comments On Headlining Wrestle Kingdom 20

Veteran wrestler Hiroshi Tanahashi is set to wrestle his final match at Wrestle Kingdom 20 on January 4, 2026. He will battle AEW star Kazuchika Okada in what is expected to be a highly emotional encounter.

Normally, Wrestle Kingdom is closed out by the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship match, but this won’t be the case this year, as Tanahashi’s retirement bout is set to be the headlining act. In a recent interview with NJPW, Tanahashi commented on the same. He admitted that if he were the world champion, then he would have been “mad” at the decision.

IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Konosuke Takeshita will take on IWGP Global Heavyweight Champion Yota Tsuji in a Winner Takes All Match this weekend, and Hiroshi Tanahashi believes that both stars will do their best to deliver the best match of the night and that his match will be the “bonus track.”

“If I was champion, I’d be mad! But I think Tsuji and Takeshita will be doing their level best to have the best match on the show. In a way, they’re closing the album, and we’re the bonus track. When Inoki retired, the Sasaki and Fujinami title match was on before the ceremony as well.”

Recently, Konosuke Takeshita commented on not being Tanhashi’s last-ever opponent. You can read his comments HERE.