20 Absolute Best Wrestlers In The World Right Now
14. Hiroshi Tanahashi
We have the same conversations about Hiroshi Tanahashi every year.
He's too old, now. Too beaten down! He's barely holding his body together and man, you should really see him backstage: you'd think he was a pensioner, the way he hobbles around. It can't be long before he steps away from the spotlight. Just book him like Nagata and Kojima: nobody will be upset!
And yet every single year, New Japan's Ace defies us.
Unquestionably, Tanahashi's role has diminished, and there's probably an element of truth to each of the comments above. Regardless, he remains a pro wrestling magician. He might not show it off as regularly as he used to, but Tana's pure pro wrestling wizardry remains intact even as his body starts to fail him. The mind that made him one of the sport's all-time great storytellers is as sharp as ever and means he's still able to deliver at the highest level after 21 punishing years in the game.
Tanahashi and Shingo Takagi worked the best wrestling match of 2021 so far at the New Beginning in Nagoya. Now, with the NEVER Openweight Title around his decorated waist, the Ace looks set to elevate the former third-rate strap in the Intercontinental Title's absence. It won't happen in the biggest spotlight, but this could be one of his career's most productive years.