Hiroshi Tanahashi's career was on the line at Wrestle Kingdom 19. [Images via NJPW Global's X & Hiroshi's IG]
Hiroshi Tanahashi has saved his professional wrestling career with a win over former IWGP Heavyweight Champion, EVIL, at NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 19. Tanahashi and EVIL crossed paths in a Lumberjack match at the PPV on January 4.
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In October 2024, The Ace of The Universe announced he would retire from in-ring duties in January 2026. However, a victory for the House of Torture member at Wrestle Kingdom 19 would've seen the 48-year-old forced into immediate retirement.
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EVIL had his House of Torture stablemates, Dick Togo, Yujiro Takahashi, Yoshinobu Kanemaru, and SHO, in his corner. Meanwhile, Tanahashi had Oleg Boltin, Tiger Mask, Master Wato, and Toru Yano alongside him.
The match's closing moments saw EVIL hit his opponent with the Everything is EVIL. However, a quick roll-up pinfall saw Tanahashi emerge victorious. Post-match, the House of Torture jumped the former IWGP Heavyweight Champion. The returning Katsuyori Shibata saved Tanahashi before challenging the latter to a match at Wrestle Dynasty on January 5. The challenge was immediately accepted by Hiroshi Tanahashi.
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Hiroshi Tanahashi debuted in 1999. Over the years, the Japanese star established himself as one of the biggest names in all of professional wrestling. He is an eight-time IWGP Heavyweight Champion, a two-time IWGP Intercontinental Champion, a three-time IWGP United States Heavyweight Champion, a one-time NJPW World Television Champion, and a one-time NEVER Openweight Championship.
The 48-year-old has also competed in Pro Wrestling NOAH, AEW, and CMLL, among other major promotions.
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About the author
Soumik Datta
Soumik Datta is a professional wrestling journalist who has been following the business for more than a decade.
In 2017, Soumik joined the Sportskeeda Wrestling team and is best known for his work with the WWE team. He has previously contributed to the Sportskeeda AEW, MMA, and the football team where he specifically covered the Major League Soccer.
In 2024, Soumik crossed 50 million reads for Sportskeeda WWE. While working under Sportskeeda MMA, he interviewed prominent UFC fighters, including Justin Gaethje, Sean O'Malley, and Cory Sandhagen, among others. He is also being followed by John Cena on X (formerly Twitter).
Apart from his love for professional wrestling, Soumik also watches Football and has been a lifelong follower of Liverpool FC and Mohun Bagan. He has also been following the Indian Super League and remains the only content creator to have traveled across India to watch 7 ISL Matches in 7 Days, a video which currently sits at 26K views on his YouTube channel. His channel currently amasses over 120K views.
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