NJPW confirms Wrestle Kingdom 20 main event
Hiroshi Tanahashi’s retirement match is officially set to close NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 20.
NJPW has revealed the match order for the January 4 Tokyo Dome show, confirming that Tanahashi vs. Kazuchika Okada will be the main event. It will be the final match Tanahashi — one of the greatest wrestlers of his time who helped lead NJPW into a new golden era — ever competes in.
Okada, now signed to AEW, is returning to NJPW for this match to help give Tanahashi a fitting sendoff. Throughout their careers, Tanahashi has been a rival, friend, and mentor to Okada.
The semi-main event of Wrestle Kingdom will be Konosuke Takeshita vs. Yota Tsuji in a matchup where the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship and Global Heavyweight Championship are both on the line.
In a recent interview with NJPW, Okada explained why he thought his match against Tanahashi should headline over the double title bout.
“I’ve always thought that the IWGP title should absolutely go on last, but in a situation like this Tanahashi’s last match should absolutely go on last. That’s what people are coming to see,” Okada said. “Maybe this is pushing it a bit but it’s kind of like eating your meal, having dessert and then in comes a second entree. People might be stuffed, but even then, maybe because of that I like the main event better.”
Even after ending his in-ring career, the 49-year-old Tanahashi will remain hugely important to NJPW as the promotion’s real-life president.
Tickets to the show have completely sold out, with this set to be the best-attended Wrestle Kingdom ever. The event will be broadcast live on NJPW World.
Here is the announced lineup:
NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 20 (Sunday, January 4, 2026) —
- Hiroshi Tanahash’s retirement match: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Kazuchika Okada
- Winner-take-all match: IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Konosuke Takeshita vs. IWGP Global Heavyweight Champion Yota Tsuji
- NEVER Openweight Champion EVIL defends against Aaron Wolf
- IWGP Junior Heavyweight title number one contender’s match: El Desperado vs. SHO vs. Kosei Fujita vs. Taiji Ishiimori
- David Finlay, Shingo Takagi, Gabe Kidd, Drilla Moloney & Hiromu Takahashi vs. Great-O-Khan, Callum Newman, Henare, and two mystery partners
- Winner-take-all match: IWGP Women’s Champion Syuri vs. NJPW Strong Women’s Champion Saya Kamitani
- NEVER Openweight Six-Man Tag Team Champions YOH, Master Wato & Toru Yano defend in a multi-team ranbo
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.