.jpg) Tanahashi in 2022 | |||||
| Personal information | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Born | (1976-11-13)November 13, 1976 (age 49)[1][4] | ||||
| Alma mater | Ritsumeikan University[4] | ||||
Spouse | |||||
| Children | 2 | ||||
| Professional wrestling career | |||||
| Ring name(s) | Hiroshi Tanahashi Masked Devilock[1] Super Strong Machine Ace Tanahashi[2] Gokiburi Mask[3] Wrestle Lando | ||||
| Billed height | 1.81 m (5 ft 11 in)[4] | ||||
| Billed weight | 101 kg (223 lb)[4] | ||||
| Billed from | Tokyo, Gifu, Japan[5] | ||||
| Trained by | Keiji Muto[6] Kensuke Sasaki[7] NJPW Dojo[1] Tatsumi Fujinami[7] | ||||
| Debut | October 10, 1999[1][4] | ||||
| Japanese name | |||||
| Kanji | 棚橋 弘至 | ||||
| Hiragana | たなはし ひろし | ||||
| Katakana | タナハシ・ヒロシ | ||||
| |||||
Hiroshi Tanahashi (棚橋弘至,Tanahashi Hiroshi; born November 13, 1976)[1][4] is a Japaneseprofessional wrestler, sports executive andpodcaster.[8][9] He is signed toNew Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where he serves as the president and representative director of the promotion, and is also an active wrestler.
Widely regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time, his accolades in NJPW include a record setting eight reigns asIWGP Heavyweight Champion, a record three reigns asIWGP United States Heavyweight Champion, two reigns asIWGP Intercontinental Champion, one reign asNJPW World Television Champion, three reigns asIWGP Tag Team Champion, one reign asNEVER Openweight Champion and six reigns asNEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Champion. All totaled, Tanahashi has won 26 championships in NJPW. He has also won theG1 Climax, NJPW's premier tournament, on three occasions (2007,2015 and2018), won theNew Japan Cup twice (2005 and2008), and is recognized as the fourth wrestler to accomplish NJPW'sTriple Crown and the second to accomplish itsGrand Slam, making him one of the most decorated wrestlers in NJPW.
Through NJPW's working agreements withConsejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL),Pro Wrestling NOAH,Ring of Honor (ROH),All Elite Wrestling (AEW) andRevolution Pro Wrestling, Tanahashi has also held theCMLL World Tag Team Championship, theCMLL World Trios Championship, theCMLL Universal Championship,GHC Tag Team Championship, and theRevPro British Heavyweight Championship. Between NJPW, CMLL, Noah, ROH and RevPro, he has 27 championship reigns.
When Tanahashi was inducted into theWrestling Observer Hall of Fame in 2013,Dave Meltzer stated that "you could make a strong case for him as the best in-ring performer in the business today", adding that he was "the leading star in New Japan Pro-Wrestling's comeback from being in terrible shape a few years back to being the No. 2 pro wrestling company in the world".[10] Readers of theWrestling Observer Newsletter named Tanahashi as the best wrestler of the 2010s in March 2020.[11]
Before entering professional wrestling, Tanahashi was abaseball player in high school.[1] He studied law atRitsumeikan University inKyoto,[12] where he began practicingfreestyle wrestling.[4] During this time, he was noticed byNew Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) talent scouts and was invited to try out for theNJPW Dojo.[1] His February 1998 tryout was successful and he was accepted as a trainee.[1][4] He enrolled in the NJPW dojo after graduating from Ritsumeikan University the following year.[4] Tanahashi has citedShawn Michaels as his favorite wrestler.[13] He also admiredTatsumi Fujinami, and considered using the ring name "Dragon Hiroshi" in honor of him.[14]
After graduating from theNJPW Dojo, Tanahashi made his debut on October 10, 1999, in a match losing toShinya Makabe.[1] Alongside fellow rookiesKatsuyori Shibata andShinsuke Nakamura, Tanahashi became known as one of the "newThree Musketeers".[15] He became viewed as a big prospect and was given big wins overlucha libre legendNegro Casas in July 2000 and AmericanScott Hall in September 2001.[1] His star continued to rise and in the2002 G1 Climax (one of NJPW's most important annual tournaments) Tanahashi pinnedKensuke Sasaki in under two minutes.[1]
After this, Tanahashi was paired withKenzo Suzuki in atag team named the Kings of the Hills.[1] This pairing was popular, but came to an end after a real life incident in November 2002 in which Tanahashi was stabbed in the back by Hitomi Hara, aTV Asahi news reporter.[1] Tanahashi and Hara had dated one another, but in a meeting at her Tokyo apartment he tried to break off the relationship as he had started dating another woman, which led to Hara stabbing him twice. Hara later confessed she tried to kill Tanahashi and planned to commit suicide afterwards. Hara was charged with attempted murder and sentenced to four years on probation.[16][17] On February 16, 2003, Tanahashi returned as a singles wrestler to a sold-out crowd inTokyo in a match againstManabu Nakanishi.[1]
His career began to rapidly climb from this point. In the later half of 2003 Tanahashi captured theIWGP U-30 Openweight Championship and theIWGP Tag Team Championship, the latter on two separate occasions. In August 2004 he made it to the finals of the G1 Climax and on January 4, 2005, he headlined theToukon Festival: Wrestling World 2005 show in Tokyo Dome in a match, where he dropped the U-30 Openweight Championship to Shinsuke Nakamura.[1] In 2005, Tanahashi also made an appearance in the 15thSasuke competition on July 20.[1] He was eliminated in the first round. On June 18, Tanahashi defeatedToru Yano in a tournament final to regain the U-30 Openweight Championship.[1] He would go on to defeatMasahiro Chono by Sling Blade in the first round of theNew Japan Cup (determining a No. 1 contender against IWGP Heavyweight ChampionBrock Lesnar) on April 16, 2006, inKorakuen Hall andHiroyoshi Tenzan by Dragon suplex hold in the second round on April 25 in Omuta Citizen Gymnasium before falling toYuji Nagata's wrist-clutch Exploder in the semifinal on April 29 in the Tottori Industrial Gymnasium.[1] He also defeatedTiger Mask on May 13 in the first ever main event of the new Wrestle Land brand (a promotional experiment by New Japan with "sports entertainment"), debuting a modified side buster finish. On June 7, Tanahashi vacated the U-30 Openweight Championship in order to fully focus on his upcoming match against Brock Lesnar for theIWGP Heavyweight Championship.[1]
When Lesnar failed to show up for the match, he was stripped of the title and Tanahashi was placed in a tournament for the vacant title.[1] On July 17, Tanahashi won his first IWGP Heavyweight Championship when he defeatedGiant Bernard in the finals of the tournament for the vacant title.[1] He showed the title belt on his second appearance on Sasuke during the 17th competition, where he was again eliminated in the first round. After holding the title belt for almost 9 months (270 days) and defending the title against the likes ofTaiyō Kea, Shinsuke Nakamura and others, Tanahashi lost the title to Yuji Nagata, who had won the2007 New Japan Cup to become the No. 1 contender.[1] Tanahashi managed to come back from this by winning the 2007 G1 Climax, where he defeated Nagata in the finals and successfully challenged his rival to a rematch on October 8, 2007, where he pinned Nagata to regain the title.[1] On January 4, 2008, at New Japan's annualTokyo Dome show titledWrestle Kingdom II in Tokyo Dome, Tanahashi was defeated by Shinsuke Nakamura for the IWGP Heavyweight title in the night's main event.[1] In February's New JapanIsm tour, Tanahashi successfully defeatedA.J. Styles in a highly anticipated rematch of their 2006 bout inTotal Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA).[1] Following this, Tanahashi was entered into the coveted New Japan Cup tournament in which the winner would face off against the then-IWGP Heavyweight Champion Shinsuke Nakamura as the number one contender. With a win over Giant Bernard, Tanahashi became the first two-time winner of the New Japan Cup.[1]
After New Japan Cup, competed in theAll Japan Pro Wrestling'sChampion Carnival. He came in as a villain and was given the "Block from Hell" as he had to face nearly all of All Japan's top talent including Taiyō Kea,Satoshi Kojima,Toshiaki Kawada and his mentorKeiji Muto. He went undefeated and advanced to the finals where he was finally subdued bySuwama.[1]
On January 4 atWrestle Kingdom III in Tokyo Dome, Tanahashi defeated Muto to become the 50th IWGP Heavyweight Champion, beginning his third reign.[1] Following his victory, when asked who he would like his next challenger to be, Tanahashi called out generation rival Shinsuke Nakamura, who accepted. At New Japan's ISM tour on February 15, Tanahashi defeated Nakamura with the High Fly Flow in his first title defense.[1] Tanahashi defeatedKurt Angle on April 5 at New Japan's "Resolution 09" with twoHigh Fly Flows.[1] His next opponent wasHirooki Goto, whom he defeated on May 3 atWrestling Dontaku 2009 with a High Fly Flow.[1] Just days later, Tanahashi was defeated by Manabu Nakanishi on May 6 at "Dissidence 2009".[1] He regained the Title from Nakanishi on June 20 atDominion 6.20 for his fourth reign.[1] He successfully defended the title againstPro Wrestling Noah'sTakashi Sugiura on July 20, the first ever NJPW vs. Noah match for the IWGP Heavyweight title. During a post-match interview, Tanahashi was interrupted byTajiri, who then sprayed Tanahashi with Green Mist.[18] Tanahashi would vacate the IWGP Heavyweight title on August 17, due to an eye fracture injury he suffered in a match with Shinsuke Nakamura, in the semi-finals of the 2009 G1 Climax Tournament.[1] On November 8 atDestruction '09 Tanahashi returned to challenge for the belt he was forced to vacate, but came up short against the reigning champion Nakamura.[1] On December 5 Tanahashi would avenge the loss he suffered during the G1 Climax Tournament and end his feud with Tajiri by pinning him in a singles match with the High Fly Flow.[19] Afterwards, Tanahashi made a challenge to Pro Wrestling Noah and on January 4, 2010, atWrestle Kingdom IV in Tokyo Dome he defeated Noah'sGo Shiozaki in a match that was billed as "Ace vs. Ace".[20] Since then, Tanahashi would begin a feud with Toru Yano, starting with Yano upsetting Tanahashi in a tag team match on January 30, where he teamed with Manabu Nakanishi and Yano with Shinsuke Nakamura.[21] On February 14, Tanahashi avenged his loss in a singles match with Yano, but was jumped after the match byMasato Tanaka, after which Yano proceeded to cut off some of his hair.[22] After Yano defeated Tanahashi in a singles match atWrestling Dontaku 2010, New Japan booked the two men in aHair vs. Hair match for June 19.[23][24] On June 19 atDominion 6.19, Tanahashi defeated Yano and was afterwards assisted by former rival Tajiri andKushida in taking care of Yano's allyTakashi Iizuka and shave his opponent's hair.[25] In August, Tanahashi entered the2010 G1 Climax tournament and made it all the way to the finals, after four wins and a draw in the round robin stage of the tournament.[26] However, in the finals Tanahashi was defeated by freelancer Satoshi Kojima.[26] In October and November 2010, Tanahashi teamed with Tajiri in New Japan's2010 G1 Tag League. After a strong start in the tournament, Tanahashi and Tajiri were defeated by the IWGP Tag Team ChampionsBad Intentions (Giant Bernard andKarl Anderson) on November 6, the last day of group stages, and slipped to third place in their block, narrowly missing the semifinals of the tournament.[27]
After scoring back-to-back pinfall victories over top contender Hirooki Goto andTetsuya Naito on December 11 and 12, Tanahashi was granted a shot at the IWGP Heavyweight Champion Satoshi Kojima atWrestle Kingdom V in Tokyo Dome.[28][29] At the event on January 4, 2011, Tanahashi defeated Kojima to win the IWGP Heavyweight Championship for the fifth time.[30][31] On February 20 atThe New Beginning, Tanahashi made his first successful defense of the title, defeating Kojima in a rematch.[32] Tanahashi went on to successfully defend the title against New Japan Cup winner Yuji Nagata on April 3 and Shinsuke Nakamura on May 3.[33][34] In May 2011, Tanahashi took part in theInvasion Tour 2011, New Japan's first ever tour of the United States, during which he successfully defended the IWGP Heavyweight Championship againstCharlie Haas on May 14 inNew York City.[35]
After another title defense on June 18 against rival Hirooki Goto, Tanahashi was challenged by IWGP Tag Team Champion Giant Bernard, but he answered this with a challenge of his own, suggesting a match for the IWGP Tag Team Championship between Bad Intentions and himself and Goto.[36] On July 3, Tanahashi and Goto failed in their attempt to capture the IWGP Tag Team Championship from Bad Intentions.[37] On July 18, Tanahashi made his sixth successful defense of the IWGP Heavyweight Championship against Giant Bernard.[38] In the following month's2011 G1 Climax, Tanahashi led his block for the majority of the tournament, but an upset loss on the final day of the tournament against Tetsuya Naito, caused him to narrowly miss advancing to the finals.[39] On September 19, Tanahashi made his seventh successful IWGP Heavyweight Championship defense against G1 Climax winner Shinsuke Nakamura, despite losing a tooth during the match.[40] On October 10 atDestruction '11, Tanahashi avenged his loss from the final day of the 2011 G1 Climax by defeating Tetsuya Naito to make his eighth successful IWGP Heavyweight Championship defense. With Tanahashi now edging closer to Yuji Nagata's record of ten successful defenses, Nagata came out after the match to challenge him for the title. However, after Tanahashi had accepted the challenge, he was attacked by Toru Yano, who proceeded to steal his championship belt.[41] In the2011 G1 Tag League, Tanahashi teamed with Hirooki Goto as "The Billion Powers".[42] After picking up two wins and two losses in their first four matches in the group stage of the tournament, Tanahashi and Goto defeated the Beast Combination (Satoshi Kojima and Togi Makabe) on November 4 to advance to the semifinals of the tournament.[43] On November 6, Tanahashi and Goto were eliminated from the tournament in the semifinals by Bad Intentions.[44] On November 12 atPower Struggle, Tanahashi regained the IWGP Heavyweight Championship belt from Toru Yano by successfully defending the title against him, after which he was again challenged by Yuji Nagata.[45] On December 4, Tanahashi defeated Nagata to make his tenth successful IWGP Heavyweight Championship defense, tying Nagata's record in the process.[46] On January 4, 2012, atWrestle Kingdom VI in Tokyo Dome, Tanahashi broke the record by successfully defending the title againstMinoru Suzuki.[47] On February 12 atThe New Beginning, Tanahashi lost the IWGP Heavyweight Championship toKazuchika Okada, ending his reign at 404 days.[48]
On June 16 atDominion 6.16, Tanahashi defeated Okada in a rematch to win the IWGP Heavyweight Championship for the sixth time, tyingTatsumi Fujinami's record for most reigns with the title.[49] Tanahashi made his first title defense on July 1, defeating Togi Makabe at an event co-promoted by New Japan and All Japan.[50] All reigns combined, this was Tanahashi's twenty-first successful defense of the IWGP Heavyweight Championship, which was another New Japan record.[51] Tanahashi made his second successful title defense on July 22 against Masato Tanaka.[52] The following month, Tanahashi took part in the2012 G1 Climax tournament, where he won five out of his first seven matches, but a loss to Karl Anderson on the final day of the tournament caused him to narrowly miss advancing to the finals.[53] On September 23 atDestruction, Tanahashi successfully defended the IWGP Heavyweight Championship against Pro Wrestling Noah'sNaomichi Marufuji, avenging a loss suffered during the 2012 G1 Climax.[54][55] On October 8 atKing of Pro-Wrestling, Tanahashi defeated Minoru Suzuki for the fourth successful defense of his sixth IWGP Heavyweight Championship reign.[56][57] The match received rave reviews.[58] On November 11 atPower Struggle, Tanahashi made his fifth successful title defense againstYujiro Takahashi.[59][60] Later in the month, Tanahashi took part in the2012 World Tag League, teaming withCaptain New Japan under the team name "Captain Ace".[61] The team lost all six of their matches with Captain New Japan being pinned in each match.[62] On January 4, 2013, atWrestle Kingdom 7 in Tokyo Dome, Tanahashi made his sixth successful defense of the IWGP Heavyweight Championship against the previous year's G1 Climax winner, Kazuchika Okada.[63][64] At the followingpay-per-view,The New Beginning on February 10, Tanahashi made another successful title defense against Karl Anderson, avenging his loss from the 2012 G1 Climax.[65] On March 3 at New Japan's 41st anniversary event, Tanahashi defeatedIWGP Junior Heavyweight ChampionPrince Devitt in a special non-title main event.[66] On April 7 atInvasion Attack, Tanahashi lost the IWGP Heavyweight Championship back to Kazuchika Okada.[67][68] On June 22 atDominion 6.22, Tanahashi attempted to earn another shot at the title, but was defeated in a number one contender's match by Prince Devitt, following interference from Devitt's newBullet Club stable.[69] On July 5, Tanahashi teamed withJushin Thunder Liger to defeat Bullet Club memberTama Tonga andEl Terrible for theCMLL World Tag Team Championship.[70] From August 1 to 11, Tanahashi took part in the2013 G1 Climax,[71] where he opened by losing three of his first four matches.[72] However, Tanahashi bounced back to wrestle IWGP Heavyweight Champion Kazuchika Okada to a time limit draw and winning his other four matches to win his block and advance to the finals of the tournament.[73] In the finals on August 11, Tanahashi was defeated by Tetsuya Naito.[73][74] After returning from a tour of CMLL, Tanahashi and Liger lost the CMLL World Tag Team Championship on September 14 to Bullet Club membersRey Bucanero and Tama Tonga, following outside interference from the rest of the group.[75] Tanahashi's rivalry with Bullet Club leader Prince Devitt built to aLumberjack Deathmatch on September 29 atDestruction, where Tanahashi was victorious. With the Devitt rivalry behind him, Tanahashi once again set his sights on the IWGP Heavyweight Championship, challenging Kazuchika Okada at the end of the event.[76] Tanahashi failed in his title challenge on October 14 atKing of Pro-Wrestling.[77] In a post-match interview, Tanahashi bid farewell to the IWGP Heavyweight Championship as he had proclaimed that he would not challenge for the title again, should he lose to Okada.[78] Tanahashi then entered theIWGP Intercontinental Championship picture, after being nominated as the next challenger by champion Shinsuke Nakamura, setting up the first title match between the two longtime rivals in over two years.[79] In November, Captain Ace reunited for the2013 World Tag League. Much like the previous year, the team lost their first five matches, but on the final day they finally picked up a win overBad Luck Fale and Prince Devitt, costing the Bullet Club team a spot in the semifinals.[80][81]
On January 4, 2014, Tanahashi defeated Nakamura in the main event ofWrestle Kingdom 8 in Tokyo Dome to win the IWGP Intercontinental Championship for the first time.[82][83] A rematch between the two took place on February 9 atThe New Beginning in Hiroshima and saw Tanahashi make his first successful title defense.[84][85] After Nakamura had won the2014 New Japan Cup, another title match was booked between him and Tanahashi for the April 6Invasion Attack 2014 event, where Tanahashi was defeated in his second title defense.[86][87] Afterwards, Tanahashi formed a tag team named "Ace to King" (Japanese for "Ace and King") with Togi Makabe to after the IWGP Tag Team Championship.[88] In May, Tanahashi took part in NJPW's North American tour, defeatingRing of Honor'sMichael Bennett in an interpromotional match atWar of the Worlds on May 17.[89] On May 25 atBack to the Yokohama Arena, Tanahashi and Makabe defeated Hirooki Goto and Katsuyori Shibata to earn a shot at the IWGP Tag Team Championship.[90][91] Tanahashi and Makabe received their title shot on June 21 atDominion 6.21, but were defeated by Bullet Club'sDoc Gallows and Karl Anderson.[92][93] In the2014 G1 Climax, Tanahashi finished with a record of seven wins and three losses, with a loss againstDavey Boy Smith Jr. on the final day costing him a spot in the finals.[94][95] After defeating Katsuyori Shibata on September 21 atDestruction in Kobe, Tanahashi announced he was re-entering the IWGP Heavyweight Championship picture and looking to challenge the reigning champion, Bullet Club's A.J. Styles.[96] He received his title shot on October 13 atKing of Pro-Wrestling, where he defeated Styles to win the IWGP Heavyweight Championship for the record-breaking seventh time.[97][98] On November 14, Tanahashi andYoshitatsu announced they were forming a new tag team named "The World".[99] The World was scheduled to take part in the2014 World Tag League, but after their opening match on November 22, Yoshitatsu was forced to pull out of the tournament with a neck injury.[100] On January 4, 2015, atWrestle Kingdom 9 in Tokyo Dome, Tanahashi made his first successful defense of the IWGP Heavyweight Championship against Kazuchika Okada.[101][102] On February 11 atThe New Beginning in Osaka, Tanahashi lost the title back to A.J. Styles, ending his latest reign at 121 days.[103][104]
In March, Tanahashi was eliminated from the2015 New Japan Cup by Toru Yano in less than three minutes, re-igniting the old feud between the two.[105] The rivalry culminated on July 5 atDominion 7.5 in Osaka-jo Hall, where Tanahashi defeated Yano.[106][107] From July 20 to August 14, Tanahashi took part in the round-robin stage of the2015 G1 Climax.[108] He won his block with a record of seven wins and two losses, advancing to the finals.[109] On August 16, Tanahashi defeated Shinsuke Nakamura in the finals to win his second G1 Climax.[110][111] Tanahashi was handed acontract, which gave him the right to challenge for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship atWrestle Kingdom 10 in Tokyo Dome, that he would have to defend for the rest of the year.[112] During September and October, Tanahashi successfully defended the contract against Bad Luck Fale and Tetsuya Naito, avenging his two losses suffered during the 2015 G1 Climax.[113][114] On January 4, 2016, at Wrestle Kingdom 10 in Tokyo Dome, Tanahashi unsuccessfully challenged Kazuchika Okada for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship.[115] The loss ended his Tokyo Dome main event win streak at five.[116] On February 14 atThe New Beginning in Niigata, Tanahashi was defeated byKenny Omega in a match to determine the new IWGP Intercontinental Champion.[117] On March 20, Tanahashi teamed withJuice Robinson andMichael Elgin to unsuccessfully challengeThe Elite (Omega andThe Young Bucks (Matt Jackson and Nick Jackson)) for theNEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Championship.[118]
On April 10 atInvasion Attack 2016, Tanahashi, Elgin and Yoshitatsu defeated The Elite to become the new NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Champions.[119] They made their first successful defense on April 23 against Omega, Bad Luck Fale and Yujiro Takahashi.[120] On May 3 atWrestling Dontaku 2016, they lost the title back to The Elite.[121] Tanahashi was set to challenge Omega for the IWGP Intercontinental Championship in NJPW's firstladder match atDominion 6.19 in Osaka-jo Hall, but was forced to pull out of the match due to a shoulder injury.[122] From July 18 to August 12, Tanahashi took part in the2016 G1 Climax, where he finished tied second in his block with a record of five wins, one draw and three losses.[123] A 30-minute time limit draw against Kazuchika Okada on the final day eliminated both men from advancing to the finals.[124] On January 4, 2017, atWrestle Kingdom 11, Tanahashi unsuccessfully challenged Tetsuya Naito for the IWGP Intercontinental Championship.[125]
The next day atNew Year Dash!!, Tanahashi, Manabu Nakanishi andRyusuke Taguchi defeatedLos Ingobernables de Japón (Bushi,Evil andSanada) for the NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Championship.[126] They lost the title back to L.I.J. on February 11 atThe New Beginning in Osaka.[127] Tanahashi and Taguchi regained the title from L.I.J. with new partnerRicochet on April 4.[128] After defeating L.I.J. member Evil on April 29, Tanahashi confronted the stable's leader Tetsuya Naito and challenged him to a match for the IWGP Intercontinental Championship.[129] On May 3 atWrestling Dontaku 2017, Tanahashi, Ricochet and Taguchi lost the NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Championship back to L.I.J. members Bushi, Evil and Sanada.[130] Shortly afterwards, Tanahashi was sidelined with a ruptured biceps tendon.[131] Though he later admitted that a surgery would have been the best option for him, Tanahashi stated that he could not take time off.[132]
Tanahashi returned to the ring on June 11 atDominion 6.11 in Osaka-jo Hall, where he defeated Tetsuya Naito to win the IWGP Intercontinental Championship for the second time.[133] Tanahashi then entered the2017 G1 Climax, where he finished with a record of six wins and three losses, failing to make it to the finals due to losing to Naito in their final round-robin match on August 11.[134] Tanahashi then successfully defended the Intercontinental Championship againstZack Sabre Jr. on September 16 atDestruction in Hiroshima andKota Ibushi on November 5 atPower Struggle, avenging two losses he had suffered during the 2017 G1 Climax.[135] Following the Ibushi match, Tanahashi was attacked by the returningJay White, who challenged him to a title match on January 4, 2018, atWrestle Kingdom 12 in Tokyo Dome.[136] After being sidelined with a legitimate knee injury, Tanahashi returned on December 18 to assure he would be wrestling at Wrestle Kingdom 12, at which point he was again attacked by White.[137] On January 4, 2018, Tanahashi defeated White to retain his title.[138] The next day, at New Year's Dash, he was attacked by Minoru Suzuki. On January 27, 2018, atThe New Beginning in Sapporo, Tanahashi dropped the title to Suzuki, ending his reign at 230 days.[139]
After a brief hiatus, Tanahashi returned during the New Japan Cup, reaching the finals only to be defeated byZack Sabre Jr.[140] AtSakura Genesis 2018, Tanahashi teamed with fellowTaguchi Japan membersJuice Robinson andDavid Finlay to defeatChaos members Hirooki Goto, Jay White andYoshi-Hashi.[141] Later in the night, Tanahashi would confront IWGP Heavyweight Champion Kazuchika Okada after Okada defeated Sabre to tie Tanahashi's record for most successful title defenses with eleven, indicating a potential title match in the near future.[141] Their match took place on night two ofWrestling Dontaku 2018, where Tanahashi was unsuccessful in winning the championship, and in the process having his record of most successful title defences in one reign broken, as Okada defended the championship successfully for the twelfth time.[142]
Tanahashi then took part in the2018 G1 Climax, where he finished with a record of seven wins, one draw, and one loss, thus setting a new record for the most points in the current 20-man G1 format with 15 and advancing to the finals, where he defeatedKota Ibushi to win his third G1 Climax tournament.[143] This earned him the right to challenge for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship at Wrestle Kingdom 13 that he would have to defend for the remainder of the year and marked the tenth time he would main event the show. As the only men he failed to defeat in his block, Tanahashi nominated Okada and White to be his challengers for the contract. On September 23, atDestruction in Kobe, Tanahashi defeated Okada to retain the contract and was promptly assaulted by White.[144] On October 8, atKing of Pro-Wrestling, he retained the contract against White.[145]
On January 4, 2019, atWrestle Kingdom 13, Tanahashi defeated Kenny Omega to become IWGP Heavyweight Champion for the eighth time, breaking his own record for most reigns in the process, and becoming the firstTokyo Dome IWGP Heavyweight Championship challenge rights certificate holder to successfully become champion at Wrestle Kingdom.[146] On February 11 atThe New Beginning in Osaka, Tanahashi lost the IWGP Heavyweight Championship to Jay White, ending his reign at 38 days.[147] At theG1 Supercard in April, Tanahashi unsuccessfully faced Zack Sabre Jr. for theBritish Heavyweight Championship.[148] AtDominion 6.9 on June 9, Tanahashi teamed with Juice Robinson and Ryusuke Taguchi to defeat the Bullet Club (Jay White,Chase Owens andTaiji Ishimori).[149] On August 31 atRoyal Quest, Tanahashi defeated Sabre for the British Heavyweight Championship, but lost it back in a rematch atDestruction inBeppu on September 15.[150]
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AtPower Struggle in November, Tanahashi was called out byChris Jericho for a match atWrestle Kingdom 14, which Tanahashi accepted. On the second night of the event, Jericho defeated Tanahashi.[151] Following this, Tanahashi started a tag team with Kota Ibushi. On February 21, 2020, and on night three of New Japan Road, Tanahashi and Ibushi, dubbing themselves Golden☆Ace, defeated theGuerrillas of Destiny (Tama Tonga andTanga Loa) to win theIWGP Tag Team Championship. Following the win, they were attacked by Dangerous Tekkers (Taichi and Zack Sabre Jr.)[152] On July 12, atDominion, Tanahashi and Ibushi were defeated by Dangerous Tekkers, ending their reign at 142 days.[153] From September 19 to October 18, Tanahashi took part in theG1 Climax, where he finished in his block with a record of four wins and five losses.[154] One of his victories was overKenta,[155] meaning Tanahashi could challenge Kenta for his shot at theIWGP United States Heavyweight Championship, which was confirmed on the night of the final.[156] On November 7, atPower Struggle, Kenta defeated Tanahashi.[157]
After this, Tanahashi began feuding with the newly formedUnited Empire. AtWrestle Kingdom 15Night 1, he defeatedGreat-O-Khan. AtThe New Beginning in Nagoya, Tanahashi defeatedShingo Takagi to win theNEVER Openweight Championship for the first time, becoming NJPW's fourthTriple Crown champion in the process.[158] AtCastle Attack, Tanahashi retained the title in a rematch with Khan, which was his only successful title defense. After being eliminated in the New Japan Cup tournament by Jay White, he started challenging Tanahashi for a title match. AtSakura Genesis, Tanahashi teamed up with Satoshi Kojima to defeat White andBad Luck Fale in a tag team match. On the first nightWrestling Dontaku, Tanahashi lost the title to Jay White in the main event, ending his reign at 93 days.[159] On July 25, it was announced that Tanahashi would face Shingo Takagi atWrestle Grand Slam in Tokyo Dome for theIWGP World Heavyweight Championship after Kota Ibushi was unable to compete. At the event, Tanahashi lost to Takagi.[160]
On August 14, atResurgence, Tanahashi defeatedLance Archer for theIWGP United States Heavyweight Championship, winning the title for the first time, becoming the first Japanese wrestler to win the title, and becoming the secondGrand Slam champion in NJPW history.[161][162] Following his win, Tanahashi challenged Kota Ibushi to a match atWrestle Grand Slam in MetLife Dome for his first title defense, which Ibushi accepted. On Night 1 of the event, Tanahashi defeated Ibushi to retain the title.[163] Tanahashi then took part in theG1 Climax from September 18 to October 21 and finished with four wins and five losses and failing to advance to the finals. AtPower Struggle on November 6, Tanahashi lost the title to Kenta, ending his reign at 84 days. On the second night ofWrestle Kingdom 16, Tanahashi defeated Kenta to regain the title and won the title for a second time. At New Years Golden Series on February 19, Tanahashi lost the title toSanada, ending his second reign at 45 days.
AtWrestling Dontaku on May 1, Tanahashi was originally supposed to faceWill Ospreay for the vacant IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship, but Ospreay was pulled from the match after testing positive for COVID-19, and was replaced byTomohiro Ishii. At the event, Tanahashi defeated Ishii to win the title for a record-setting third time. Shortly after, Tanahashi was confronted byChase Owens, which turned out to be a distraction for the returningJuice Robinson, who had joinedBullet Club, to attack him and stake his claim for the championship. AtCapital Collision, Tanahashi lost the title to Robinson in a Four-way match also involving Ospreay andJon Moxley, and ended his third reign at 13 days.
On June 12 also during Dominion, Tanahashi was announced as a participant in theG1 Climax 32 tournament starting in July, as a part of the C block.[164] He finished with 6 points, failing to advance to the semi-finals.[165] On September 25 atBurning Spirit, Tanahashi challenged Karl Anderson for the Never Openweight Championship but was defeated.[166] AtNoah Ariake Triumph in October, Tanahashi made a return toPro Wrestling Noah, for the first time in 9 years, teaming with Togi Makabe and Tomoaki Honma in a losing effort to Keiji Muto, Naomichi Marufuji andYoshiki Inamura.[167] In November, Tanahashi once again teamed with Toru Yano in theWorld Tag League, but failed to advance to the finals after finishing with 8 points.[168] On January 4 atWrestle Kingdom 17, Tanahashi teamed with Muto andShota Umino to defeat Tetsuya Naito, Bushi and Sanada, in Muto's last NJPW match.[169]
On March 6, Tanahashi teamed with Kazuchika Okada to challenge for the IWGP Tag Team Championships, but the duo was defeated by Hirooki Goto and Yoshi-Hashi.[170] Later that month atSupercard of Honor, Tanahashi returned to Ring of Honor for the first time since 2019, defeatingDaniel Garcia.[171] In April atCapital Collision, Tanahashi once again teamed with Okada in a three-way tag-team match for theStrong Openweight Tag Team Championships. The match, which also involvedThe Motor City Machine Guns (Alex Shelley andChris Sabin), was won byAussie Open (Kyle Fletcher andMark Davis).[172] In May, atWrestling Dontaku, Tanahashi teamed with Okada and Tomohiro Ishii to defeat Minoru Suzuki,El Desperado andRen Narita, to win his fourth NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Championship.[173] On May 21 atResurgence, Tanahashi participated in a tournament to determine the Number 1 Contender for the IWGP US Heavyweight Championship, but was defeated in the first round by Will Ospreay.[174] At theDominion 6.4 in Osaka-jo Hall event on June 4, Okada, Ishii and Tanahashi successfully defended the NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Championship againstBlackpool Combat Club (BCC) (Jon Moxley andClaudio Castagnoli) andShota Umino.[175] The following month, Tanahashi entered theG1 Climax tournament, competing in the D Block.[176] Tanahashi finished the tournament, with 6 points, therefore failing to advance to the quarterfinals.[177] Tanahashi, Okada and Ishii continued defending their Never Openweight 6-man tag-team Championships, defeatingImpact Wrestling's,Motor City Machine Guns (Alex Shelley andChris Sabin) andJosh Alexander, atDestruction in Ryōgoku in October.[178]
AtWrestle Kingdom 18, Tanahashi defeatedZack Sabre Jr. to become the newNJPW World Television Champion.[179] On January 24, after successfully defending the NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Championship against TMDK (Kosei Fujita, Mikey Nicholls, Shane Haste), Okada decided to vacate the titles, due to him leaving NJPW, ending their reign at 266 days.[180] On February 11 atThe New Beginning in Osaka, Tanahashi was defeated by Kazuchika Okada in the last match between them, ending their long-standing rivalry.[181][182][183] On February 23 atThe New Beginning in Sapporo, Tanahashi lost the NJPW World Television Championship toMatt Riddle.[184] On April 14 at Wrestling World, Tanahashi, Toru Yano andOleg Boltin defeated House of Torture (Evil,Sho andYoshinobu Kanemaru) in a tournament final to win the vacant NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Championship.[185] They lost the titles toLos Ingobernables de Japón (Yota Tsuji,Hiromu Takahashi and Bushi) on June 9 atDominion 6.9 in Osaka-jo Hall, only to regain them on June 16.[186][187] On October 14, atKing of Pro-Wrestling, Tanahashi announced that 2025 will be his final year as a pro-wrestler, retiring atWrestle Kingdom 20 on January 4, 2026.[188]
On January 4, 2025 atWrestle Kingdom 19, Tanahashi defeated Evil. After the match, he was attacked by House of Torture only to be saved by a returning Katsuyori Shibata, who proceeded to challenge Tanahashi to a match on the next night atWrestle Dynasty.[189] At Wrestle Dynasty, Tanahashi and Shibata wrestled to a 5-minute time-limit draw.[190] On February 11 atThe New Beginning in Osaka, Tanahashi defeatedTogi Makabe.[191] On March 3 at the NJPW 53rd Anniversary Show, Tanahashi unsuccessfully challengedHirooki Goto for theIWGP World Heavyweight Championship.[192] On April 4 atSakura Genesis, Tanahashi was defeated byShota Umino.[193] On April 11 atWindy City Riot, Tanahashi wrestled his final match in the United States, losing toKonosuke Takeshita.[194] From July to August, Tanahashi competed in his finalG1 Climax tournament, where he was placed in A-Block. He finished his block with 8 points and failed to advance to the bracket stage. On August 24 atForbidden Door, Tanahashi wrestled his final match in the United Kingdom, teaming withDarby Allin, the Golden Lovers (Kenny Omega and Kota Ibushi), and Will Ospreay to defeat theDeath Riders, The Young Bucks, andGabe Kidd alights outsteel cage match.[195] On November 8, Tanahahsi defeatedYuto-Ice. After the match, Tanahashi was confronted by a returning Kazuchika Okada , who was confirmed to be Tanahashi's opponent in his retirement match atWrestle Kingdom 20.[196]
Tanahashi made hisNorth American debut in September 2005 when he and Nakamura went toConsejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL) in Mexico. There, they feuded withLos Guerreros del Infierno and successfully defended their IWGP Tag Team Championship against Rey Bucanero andOlímpico. Tanahashi returned to Mexico and CMLL in May 2010 to joinLa Ola Amarilla (Spanish for "the Yellow Wave") with fellow Japanese wrestlersOkumura, andTaichi. On May 7, 2010La Ola Amarilla defeatedEl Hijo del Fantasma,La Máscara andHéctor Garza to win theCMLL World Trios Championship in the main event of the weekly Friday nightSuper Viernes show.[197]Ola Amarilla's reign as Trios champions only lasted two weeks as they were defeated by La Máscara,La Sombra andMáscara Dorada on May 21, 2010.[198] Following the show Tanahashi returned to Japan for the next tour of NJPW, but intended to return to CMLL between tours of NJPW.[199] In August 2011, Tanahashi returned to CMLL and, as the reigning IWGP Heavyweight Champion, was allowed to enter the promotion's annual tournament of champions to crown theUniversal Champion.[200] Tanahashi entered the tournament on September 9; after eliminatingCMLL World Welterweight Champion Máscara Dorada in his first round match, Tanahashi himself was eliminated from the tournament in the second round by CMLL World Tag Team ChampionÚltimo Guerrero.[201] Tanahashi returned to CMLL on August 24, 2012, again taking part in theUniversal Championship tournament, winning his block to advance to the finals.[202][203] On August 31, Tanahashi was defeated in the finals of the tournament byCMLL World Heavyweight Champion El Terrible.[204] Tanahashi finished his CMLL tour on September 7, when he teamed withNamajague, Okumura and Taichi in a Japan vs. Mexicotorneo cibernetico, where they facedBlack Warrior, La Máscara, Negro Casas andValiente. In the end, Tanahashi pinned La Máscara, following interference from Taichi, to win the match for the Japanese.[205][206] Tanahashi returned to CMLL a year later on August 23, 2013, when he teamed with Namajague andPuma in a six-man tag team match, where they were defeated byMarco Corleone,Máximo andShocker.[207][208] Tanahashi worked the tour asrudo, opposingAtlantis.[209] On August 30, Tanahashi entered the2013 Universal Championship tournament, where he won his block by defeating La Sombra in the finals, with help fromVolador Jr., to advance to his second Universal Championship final in a row.[210] On September 6, Tanahashi defeatedRush to win the tournament and become the 2013 Universal Champion.[211][212]
He debuted in the United States with TNA on January 14, 2006, atFinal Resolution, where he was defeated by A.J. Styles.[213] He was also featured in a match againstRoderick Strong that was taped forXplosion a few days later.[214]
Tanahashi returned to TNA in 2008 for an excursion and on the October 30 episode ofImpact! lost in a tag team match withVolador Jr. againstMotor City Machine Guns (Alex Shelley andChris Sabin). After the match, they were berated bySheik Abdul Bashir.[215] On the November 6 episode ofImpact!, Tanahashi teamed with Volador again in a four-way ladder match for number one contendership forBeer Money'sTNA World Tag Team Championship againstTeam 3D (Brother Devon andBrother Ray),Matt Morgan andAbyss and TheLatin American Xchange (Hernandez andHomicide), which Morgan and Abyss won.[216] AtTurning Point, Tanahashi participated in a 10-manX Division seeding match where he came fourth.[217] Following the announcement of his IWGP Heavyweight title match against Mutoh, Tanahashi cancelled the rest of his TNA dates to return to NJPW full-time.[1]
AtMultiverse United on March 30, Tanahashi returned to Impact where he defeatedMike Bailey.[218] Tanahashi returned for the subsequent event,Multiverse United 2 on August 20, facingAlex Shelley for theImpact World Championship, in a losing effort.[219]
On May 5, 2022 New Japan announced an event along withAll Elite Wrestling (AEW), calledForbidden Door, to take place on June 26. On the June 1 episode ofDynamite, Tanahashi made a surprise appearance to reveal himself as the opponent ofAEW World ChampionCM Punk, where the match was scheduled for Forbidden Door. However, Punk was announced to be injured, although not vacating the championship. Therefore, at NJPW'sDominion, Tanahashi defeatedHirooki Goto to earn a match against Jon Moxley for theinterim championship at the event.[220] At the event, Tanahashi was defeated by Moxley.[221]On June 25, 2023 atForbidden Door, Tanahashi unsuccessfully challengedMJF for the AEW World Championship.[222] On June 30, 2024 atForbidden Door, Tanahashi teamed withThe Acclaimed (Anthony Bowens andMax Caster), losing toThe Elite (Kazuchika Okada,Matthew Jackson, andNicholas Jackson).[223] On May 25, 2025 atDouble or Nothing, Tanahashi made a surprise appearance, where he helpedBrody King,Tomohiro Ishii, and theParagon fend off theDon Callis Family.[224] On August 24, 2025 atForbidden Door, Tanahashi wrestled his final match in the United Kingdom, teaming withGolden Lovers (Kenny Omega and Kota Ibushi),Darby Allin, and Will Ospreay to defeatDeath Riders (Jon Moxley andClaudio Castagnoli),Gabe Kidd, and The Young Bucks (Matt Jackson and Nick Jackson) in aLights OutSteel Cage match.[225]
Being trained by the NJPW Dojo, Tanahashi learned shoot techniques, catch and boxing moves to include in his moveset.[226] During his career, he has used several moves as finishing holds, like theHigh Fly Flow (a frog splash),[227] the sling blade, the dragon suplex and the Texas clover hold.[228]
After his first title defense against Shinsuke Nakamura, Tanahashi dubbed himself as "theace of the universe", a nickname that used during his career.[229] When he debuted, he was seen as an innovator because he said "I love you" to his fans after the match and played anair-guitar, something very unusual in NJPW.[230]
Tanahashi married his wife in 2003 and has two children, a son named Shiryu and a daughter named Koharu.[231]
Since 2010, Tanahashi has hosted a podcast known asPodcast Off (棚橋弘至のPODCAST OFF!!,Tanahashi Hiroshi no poddokyasuto ofu).[232] Guests on the podcast have included fellow wrestlersKeiji Muto,Tatsumi Fujinami,Ryusuke Taguchi andNaomichi Marufuji, as well as Weekly Pro-Wrestling editor-in-chief Naoya Yuzawa and then-President of NJPW, Takumi Ohbari. In 2022, the podcast was briefly guest hosted byMaster Wato, who has also been a guest on the podcast. A special edition of the podcast was released on June 6, 2023 to celebrate the announcement of theAll Together Again cross-promotional event; the guests werePro Wrestling Noah'sKaito Kiyomiya andAll Japan Pro Wrestling'sKento Miyahara, who had taken part of the announcement of the show alongside Tanahashi. Another special edition of the podcast was released on September 18, 2023, featuring Tanahashi, Taguchi, Wato, andShota Umino reminiscing about the town ofNagatoro on a bus.
His book,Why Hiroshi Tanahashi Was Able To Change NJPW, was released in 2014.
In 2016, Tanahashi, along with fellow wrestlerTogi Makabe, appeared inGaro: Ashura, the 10th anniversary special of the Japanesetokusatsu seriesGaro, with Tanahashi starring as the eponymous Golden Knight. The Garo Project production team collaborated with New Japan Pro-Wrestling for the special.[233] Both Tanahashi and Makabe also appeared in the 2016 Doraemon movie,Doraemon: Nobita and the Birth of Japan 2016.[234]
Tanahashi, along with fellow NJPW wrestlersHiroyoshi Tenzan,Kazuchika Okada,Satoshi Kojima,Tetsuya Naito andToru Yano, appears as a member of the gang Justis in the 2016 video gameYakuza 6: The Song of Life.[235] He is also a fan of theKamen Rider series, working poses fromKamen Rider Kabuto andKamen Rider W into his ring entrance as well as appearing in the music video forKamen Rider Wizard's opening theme, and in 2016 got promoted to portray one of the main villains, Sōji Kuruse/Robol Bugster, inKamen Rider Heisei Generations: Dr. Pac-Man vs. Ex-Aid & Ghost with Legend Rider.[236] He also appears as a character in the anime seriesTiger Mask W, voiced byKenichi Suzumura, along with other NJPW wrestlers and plays a prominent role in the story as well as an occasional opponent for Tiger Mask. As part of a collaboration withNamco's 2017fighting gameTekken 7, the video game characterLars Alexandersson was given many traits from Tanahashi, including his outfit, a theme song and a wrestling technique.[237] Tanahashi made his acting debut in the filmMy Dad Is a Heel Wrestler, which was released in September 2018.[238]
| Winner (wager) | Loser (wager) | Location | Event | Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hiroshi Tanahashi (hair) | Makai #2 (mask) | Osaka, Japan | Osaka Dream Night | August 28, 2003 | [278] |
| Hiroshi Tanahashi (hair) | Toru Yano (hair) | Osaka, Japan | Dominion 6.19 | June 19, 2010 | [25] |
,Wrestlingdata,Internet Wrestling Database| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Academics | |
