Tanahashi Reveals He Considered In-Ring Comeback

Hiroshi Tanahashi says he briefly entertained the idea of stepping back into the ring after officially ending his in-ring career at NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 20 in January 2026. The NJPW president was defeated by Kazuchika Okada in what was billed as his retirement match, and the promotion held a ceremony honoring his career immediately afterward.

Speaking in an interview with BusinessPlus, Tanahashi indicated that if circumstances had demanded it — if push came to shove, as he put it — he had thought about returning to competition rather than closing the book entirely. He didn’t detail exactly what scenario might have prompted that kind of reversal, but the comment underscores just how difficult it can be for a performer of his stature to fully walk away.

Tanahashi’s career is one of the defining runs in modern NJPW history. Widely credited with helping carry the promotion through a difficult period in the 2000s and into its resurgence, he became the face of the company for the better part of two decades, headlining countless Wrestle Kingdom shows and collecting numerous IWGP Heavyweight Championship reigns along the way. His farewell match against Okada — a rival and successor who has been central to NJPW’s next generation — served as a fitting bookend to that legacy.

Even in retirement from competition, Tanahashi remains deeply involved in the business as NJPW’s president, so his comments about a possible return will likely fuel speculation about whether ‘retirement’ truly means the end for a performer who has spent his career defying expectations. For now, there’s no indication of any concrete plans for him to lace up the boots again.