3 Names Considered For Hiroshi Tanahashi's Final Match, Shinsuke Nakamura Latest (WWE News)
Tanahashi's career ends in January 2026. WWE and AEW stars are in the running to wrestle him.
Shinsuke Nakamura and AEW pair Kenny Omega and Kazuchika Okada are all being considered to wrestle Japanese legend Hiroshi Tanahashi's retirement match at Wrestle Kingdom 20 on 4 January 2026. However, Fightful Select is reporting that (whilst he has been rumoured for the spot), WWE man Nakamura is "a pipe dream".
He's "not expected" to get Tanahashi's last match.
Hiroshi will bring the curtain down on his iconic 26 year career at the historic Tokyo Dome. That's been the host site of countless memorable moments for Tanahashi over the years, so it'll be a fitting venue for him to bow out at. The question mark lingers on fan lips about exactly who'll be standing across the ring from him on 4 January though.
Fightful suggests that "a decision will be revealed in the next week or so". New Japan management will hold a special press conference to announce who will be working with Tana too. They want to hype this one up as much as possible, of course. Currently, All Elite pair Omega and Okada are the frontrunners, but it could well be somebody completely out of the blue.
Hiroshi himself will surely have a lot of say in matters. This retirement bout will be important to him, and he'll want the right peer to put on a show with.
In the comments beneath Fightful's post, fans and the website themselves hinted that Okada is the most realistic possibility. They've wrestled one another countless times over the years, and the pair even headlined Wrestle Kingdom 10 together back in 2016. Their most recent clash came at NJPW's The New Beginning In Osaka on 11 February 2024.