Matt Jackson reacts to Hiroshi Tanahashi’s retirement
With the retirement of Hiroshi Tanahashi, Matt Jackson feels like the wrestling world lost its best babyface.
Jackson, one half of The Young Bucks, reacted to Tanahashi’s retirement in a new interview with Undisputed. He praised the 49-year-old NJPW legend as one of the greatest babyfaces the industry has ever seen and someone who was impossible to root against.
“The business just lost its best babyface,” Jackson said. “He was marvelous. One of the true greats to ever do it…To me, Tanahashi represents heart, soul, and fighting spirit. He has such likability. He might be the truest babyface to ever compete.”
Tanahashi helped lead NJPW out of the dark ages and into a new period of business resurgence in the 2010s. The Young Bucks got to play a part in that era as well, joining Bullet Club and being featured as one of NJPW’s top foreign acts. Matt Jackson reflected on what it was like to work with Tanahashi when they shared the ring for the first time in 2015.
“I still remember that first time,” he told Undisputed. “I was shocked how delicate he was to me in the ring, taking true care of me, but being so believable in the process. Then I’d hit him one time in the ribs and he’d sell it, grabbing, clutching, and pacing around the ring, like I’d shot him or something, making me look like a million bucks. I was just a young man, still on the rise, and he was so unselfish. I try to make it a point to treat younger talent the same way.”
Tanahashi still remains a crucial figure in NJPW despite his in-ring retirement, serving as the real-life president and CEO of the promotion.
The period of time The Young Bucks spent in NJPW helped grow their popularity and lead to the formation of AEW. On Dynamite last week, Matt & Nick Jackson teamed up with Jack Perry for a six-man tag team victory over Ricochet & The Gates of Agony. There was then a post-match angle where The Young Bucks were laid out by the Don Callis Family.
Joseph Currier is the lead editor of F4WOnline.com, directing daily news coverage and writing articles on professional wrestling. He is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts, obtaining a journalism degree in 2016. Joseph joined F4W during his time at UMass and has now been writing about the industry for nearly a decade.
In addition to his work with F4W, Joseph has previously contributed to Sports Illustrated's wrestling coverage. He lives in Massachusetts and is a diehard fan of the Boston sports teams and Liverpool Football Club.