Kota Ibushi will be sticking around AEW for the next few years. AllEliteWrestling.com - AEW

Major AEW Star Revealed As Hiroshi Tanahashi's Final Opponent

Originally posted on Wrestling on SI | By Jon Alba | Last updated Nov 8, 2025 11:30 AM ET

New Japan Pro-Wrestling legend Hiroshi Tanahashi is set to hang up his boots this coming January, and another NJPW icon and top AEW star will ultimately be his final opponent.

Earlier this week, it was reported that NJPW was still weighing its options for Tanahashi's final opponent at Wrestle Kingdom 20. WWE Superstar and perhaps Tanahashi's greatest rival Shinsuke Nakamura was pitched for the role, though it was seen as a long shot of actually occurring. As it turns out, an AEW name will take that spot instead.

AEW Unified Champion Kazuchika Okada made a highly unexpected return to the company that he made his name in on Saturday, shocking the crowd in Anjo by appearing to confront Tanahashi after he had defeated Yuto-Ice. Okada, flanked by his old associate Gedo,

「2026年1月4日、良かったらボクがやりますよ。それまで疲れんじゃねえぞ、コノヤロー！」

オカダ・カズチカが棚橋弘至に対戦表明!!https://t.co/o6Xhhqckzx #njroad #njwk20 pic.twitter.com/vJ0cXFIJPs
— 新日本プロレスリング株式会社 (@njpw1972) November 8, 2025

Okada, who celebrates his 38th birthday on Saturday, then congratulated the NJPW president on his retirement from in-ring competition, challenging him to one final match at Wrestle Kingdom 20 on Jan. 4.

An Appropriate Finale For Tanahashi and Okada

Even if Nakamura was not available for the final match, Okada will end up serving as a suitable final opponent for the legendary Tanahashi.

Kazuchika Okada is the inaugural AEW Unified Champion. AEW - AllEliteWrestling.com

The two have shared a ring together nearly 400 times over the last 17 years, both as enemies and friends. One of Okada's final IWGP World Heavyweight Title defenses in 2023 came against Tanahashi in a winning effort. The last time they squared off was at last year's AEW/NJPW Forbidden Door show, when Okada and the Young Bucks defeated Tanahashi and The Acclaimed.

Okada has not wrestled a match strictly for NJPW since he exited the promotion in 2023 to sign full-time with AEW. He left as arguably one of the greatest main event stars in the company's history, and has only collaborated with the promotion through AEW in the time since.

Tanahashi announced in 2024 that 2025 would be his final year wrestling, shifting to focus on his backstage roles running NJPW. His retirement tour was always scheduled to conclude at Wrestle Kingdom 20 at the Tokyo Dome, a show that has already sold the most tickets in several years.

He will retire as an eight-time IWGP Heavyweight Champion, a two-time IWGP Intercontinental Champion, a three-time IWGP United States Champion, and a three-time IWGP Tag Team Champion (one of which was with Nakamura).

His workload in his final year in wrestling has been far from light, as he's wrestled 126 matches in 2025.

This article first appeared on Wrestling on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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