47-year-old legend makes AEW return as mystery partner to help Claudio Castagnoli (fka Cesaro)

A former multi-time IWGP Heavyweight Champion made his surprising return on AEW TV after almost a year since his last appearance. The legend was revealed as the mystery partner for Claudio Castagnoli on Collision.

The 47-year-old legend in question is Hiroshi Tanahashi. NJPW's acting president was last seen at the Forbidden Door pay-per-view last year, where he wrestled MJF for the AEW World Championship in a losing effort.

Tanahashi made his surprising appearance on tonight's show. The former IWGP Heavyweight Champion was revealed as a mystery partner for Claudio Castagnoli and Daniel Garcia in their trios match against Lance Archer and The Righteous. It was an action-packed trios encounter, with Tanahashi scoring the pinfall to win it for his team.

Hiroshi Tanahashi is a legendary figure in Japanese pro wrestling, having carried New Japan from its "dark age" in the mid-2000s to one of its most popular eras. Although he isn't a full-time talent anymore, he still makes frequent forays into the ring.

Moreover, The Ace is the one who coined the term "Forbidden Door," and he's wrestled on both the 2022 and 2023 editions of the eponymous pay-per-view. Therefore, the NJPW legend is expected to wrestle at the upcoming 2024 edition of the crossover event as well. Only time will tell who Tanahashi's opponent from AEW will be this year.

---

Do you want to see Hiroshi Tanahashi at Forbidden Door 2024? Sound off in the comments.