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Hiroshi Tanahashi Ready To Give His All In Retirement Match At Wrestle Kingdom 20
Image Credit: NJPW
NJPW veteran Hiroshi Tanahashi has promised to give his all when he battles Kazuchika Okada in his retirement bout at Wrestle Kingdom 20 tomorrow night.
At the Wrestle Kingdom 20 press conference, Tanahashi thanked fans for their encouragement and love over the years, and while he admitted that he has slowed down in recent years, the legendary wrestler promised that he would repay the faith of fans by doing his best physically tomorrow night.
“There’s been so much these last 26 years. So much support and encouragement. Tomorrow, I want to repay that in some form. Whoever cheers me on will make me move a little more. Every chant will move me on to an incredible match. I want to say I’ll win… With you guys behind me, knees or not, I can do 100 High Fly Flows. Well, figuratively. Thanks for the house. You’ll see all my energy tomorrow,” he said.
Hiroshi Tanahashi further added that he is satisfied with how his career has panned out and that he would be treating his final match as just another bout in his decorated career.
“My style is one that can adapt to anybody I’m in the ring with, so whether this is a new Okada or not doesn’t trouble me. The point is, win or lose, this is the last time, so I have to bring my absolute best. We’ve had the countdown boards and the website countdowns every day. I see them all the time, and it’s a reminder of how there’s just fewer days all the time. But I’ve had a fulfilling career. I have no regrets. I’ve done my best, and that means tomorrow I’ll treat it as a usual match day and follow my usual routine to go to work.”
Wrestle Kingdom 20 press conference English update thread
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A full report will follow on https://t.co/7HOrzLDYBX.#njpw #njwk20 pic.twitter.com/GdfyiENGS4
— NJPW Global (@njpwglobal) January 3, 2026
In a recent interview, Tanahashi reflected on main-eventing Wrestle Kingdom 20. You can check out his comments HERE.
