Hiroshi Tanahashi Wants His Kids To Feel Proud About Him In Final Match: ‘I Want Them To Burn The Image Of A Cool Dad Into Their Minds’
Hiroshi Tanahashi speaks on his retirement match.
In October 2024, Hiroshi Tanahashi announced he’s stepping away from the wrestling ring, with his final match taking place at Wrestle Kingdom 20 in 2026.
Just a week before his retirement, Tanahashi spoke with Tokyo Sports regarding his upcoming match against Kazuchika Okada at the Tokyo Dome.
“Only 7 days left…? It really hit me after the year’s final match at Korakuen (on the 22nd) ended, when I thought ‘Just one more.’ It feels like I’m slowly being cornered.”
Tanahashi said he’s not doing anything different for his last bout. He said:
“Nothing special. Just going to the dojo or gym as usual to train, watching my diet.”
Tanahashi wants to end his career on a high note, with one last victory against Okada. He wants to go out as the “hero.”
“Wouldn’t it be better to hear people say, ‘Tanahashi is amazing!’ or ‘It’s too soon for him to retire!’? Leaving while people still want you around gives you that hero vibe. It’s my retirement match, but my goal is to give my best performance. Winning against Okada is an extension of that. I’m way behind in our overall match record.”
Tanahashi’s kids will also be watching his last match, and he wants them to feel proud of him.
“It’s been since they were little. [They last came to watch at the Dome on January 4th] when they were in the lower grades of elementary school, I think. We always went back to Gifu with my wife for New Year’s. The ones I want to see it most are definitely my kids. I want them to know that a wrestler named Hiroshi Tanahashi truly existed. I hope they feel proud. At home, they only see me getting scolded by my wife, so I want them to see that I’m actually pretty cool, that I’m kind of the ace… Ha ha. I want them to burn the image of a cool dad into their minds.”
NJPW has also released a list of rules for recording Hiroshi Tanahashi’s final match. Fans can read more about it here.
