AJ Styles: Some Of My Favorite Matches Were With Hiroshi Tanahashi. He Is Truly One Of The Best
AJ Styles praises Hiroshi Tanahashi after “The Ace” retired on January 4th.
Hiroshi Tanahashi finished up his career at NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 20, facing Kazuchika Okada in his final match.
Tanahashi became the ace of NJPW during his 26-year run, competing in legendary matches against the likes of Okada, Shinsuke Nakamura, Kenny Omega, Kota Ibushi, AJ Styles, and more.
Taking to social media, Styles posted the following message after Tanahashi’s last bout.
“Some of my favorite memories are in Japan. Some of my favorite matches were with this guy @tanahashi1_100. He is truly one of the best.”
Some of my favorite memories are in Japan. Some of my favorite matches were with this guy @tanahashi1_100 he is truly one of the best.
— AJ Styles (@AJStylesOrg) January 4, 2026
Styles and Tanahashi last met in 2015 as part of the NJPW G1 Climax 25 tournament. Their first meeting took place in 2006 when Styles welcomed Tanahashi to TNA. They fought twice for the IWGP World Heavyweight Title, with each man winning once to win the title from the other.
Fans can find Fightful’s coverage of NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 20 by clicking here. Check out the post-show podcast for a full review here.
