In an interview with J Magazine, Hiroshi Tanahashi has revealed how his retirement plans and his role as the President of NJPW became linked together.
“Originally, when I became president it was decided that I would have two years left of active career…The company told me that if I became president, I would have one year left as a player. However, I thought it would be difficult to convey my gratitude to all the fans in Japan in just one year, so I asked them to let me play for two years,” he revealed.
Tanahashi also disclosed that he is a real president, not some figure head for television angles and purposes.
“The company told me they wanted me to be a proper professional president, looking after sales figures and personnel matters and also negotiating with sponsors. Now I even chair meetings. With my hair growing out like this (laughs),” he said.
Tanahashi explained that watching the upcoming TV series, Tanahashi Hiroshi: The Legend of the Ace ~ROAD TO FINAL, will be very odd for him.
“It’s strange how when I watch this program, all my memories of the time come flooding back, like the atmosphere at the match venue, the way my opponent looked, and so on. Also, and this is the best thing about professional wrestling, the footage of past matches never gets old. It’s still interesting to watch full footage of matches from decades ago. If anything, the longer professional wrestling sits, the more interesting it becomes,” he said.
Tanahashi is set to retire on January 4, 2026, at Wrestle Kingdom 2.
