AEW stars set to attend Hiroshi Tanahashi’s retirement ceremony at NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 20
In less than a week, Japanese wrestling legend and NJPW President Hiroshi Tanahashi is set to wrestle his last-ever match. At 49-years-old, the veteran will face off against AEW’s Kazuchika Okada in his retirement bout. With still a few days left for the event, All Elite Wrestling EVP Kenny Omega and former champion Will Ospreay have now been announced to attend Tanahashi’s retirement ceremony at Wrestle Kingdom 20.
On January 4th at the Tokyo Dome, during Tanahashi’s final wrestling match against the seven-time IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Okada, NJPW will also be hosting a retirement ceremony. Earlier today, via a social media announcement, NJPW shared that Omega and Ospreay are now set to be a part of the ceremony.
Omega last appeared in NJPW when he competed at Wrestle Dynasty and defeated Gabe Kidd in his pro-wrestling return last year. On the other hand, Ospreay is currently recovering from a neck injury. His last match before going under the knife was at AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door, which also involved Darby Allin, Kota Ibushi, Omega, and Hiroshi Tanahashi.
Both Omega and Ospreay share a vivid history with Tanahashi, which they will now be able to reflect on during the retirement ceremony.
Shounak Chakrabarti is an experienced sports journalist with a lifelong passion for athletics and storytelling. He holds a Master’s Degree in International Journalism from the University of Leeds and joined F4WOnline in 2025.
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