New matches added to Hiroshi Tanahashi NJPW retirement tour
NJPW has added a few more matches to Hiroshi Tanahashi’s retirement tour.
We’re just a few weeks away from Tanahashi ending his legendary career against Kazuchika Okada at Wrestle Kingdom 20. Fans will get to see Tanahashi compete in a few more singles matches before then, though, with NJPW announcing that he will headline Road to Tokyo Dome shows on December 19, 21, and 22. Here are the bouts he’ll be competing in:
- Friday, December 19: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Hiromu Takahashi
- Sunday, December 21: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. El Desperado
- Monday, December 22: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Kosei Fujita
The December 22 event — the last stop before Wrestle Kingdom — is taking place from Korakuen Hall in Tokyo and will air live for free on NJPW World with English commentary available. Among the other matchups on the card is El Phantasmo defending his NJPW World TV title in an open challenge.
These are the last three NJPW events of 2025. The December 19 and December 21 shows will be broadcast in Japanese and then uploaded with English commentary on demand.
2026 will then begin with Tanahashi’s retirement match main eventing Wrestle Kingdom 20 on January 4. Though he’s stepping away from the ring, Tanahashi will remain with NJPW as the company’s president.
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.