Hiroyoshi Tenzan To Face Satoshi Kojima in Retirement Match Next Month

During today’s NJPW G1 Climax 36 event, former IWGP Heavyweight Championship Hiroyoshi Tenzan announced that his upcoming retirement match will take place next month at the G1 Climax semifinals event in Ryogoku, Japan. In his retirement bout, Tenzan will face off against his former tag team partner, Satoshi Kojima.

Tenzan said in his announcement, “I wanted one more singles match with a tag partner, sometimes opponent and close friend.” The two wrestlers previously held the IWGP Tag Team Championships together on six separate occassions.

The wrestlers also trained together at the Noge Dojo. They also wrestled in Kojima’s debut match on July 16, 1991. They also won the Yooung Lion Cup and went on excursions, with Kojima facing Tenzan on his 1996 return from excursion in the Tokyo Dome.

They also wrestled in headlining bouts at the Tokyo Dome event, NJPW Nexess V, in 2005. Now, Hiroyoshi Tenzan and Satoshi Kojima will battle each other at the Ryogoku Sumo Hall on August 15 in Tokyo, Japan.