A legend of the business retires on Sunday. Hiroshi Tanahashi wrestles his final match at New Japan Pro-Wrestling’s Wrestle Kingdom 20 from the Tokyo Dome on January 4. TNA is honoring the Ace with a compilation
of all his matches in the Impact Zone. Did you know that Tanahashi’s TNA debut was against AJ Styles?
Tanahashi wrestled Styles at TNA Final Resolution in 2006. The IWGP U-30 openweight champion had a sweet showcase with early control for a dragon sleeper giant swing into an elbow drop. Styles rallied for a springboard flying forearm. The finish was determined by shenanigans. Shannon Moore ran in to attack Styles. The Phenomenal One ducked, and Moore cracked Tanahashi with a foreign object. Moore’s ambush didn’t go as planned, but the damage was done. Styles closed with the Styles Clash for victory. This match is a pretty cool flashback. Tanahashi and Styles were given about ten minutes of ring time, and their star potential shined.
Tanahashi and Styles would wrestle several times over the years in an NJPW ring. Ace won the IWGP Heavyweight Championship from Styles in 2014. Styles’ only singles victory over Tanahashi after the TNA clash was in 2015 to regain the IWGP heavyweight gold. Tanahashi would have the last laugh in this series by defeating Styles later that year in a G1 Climax match.
The TNA compilation for every Tanahashi televised match includes a list of familiar faces:
- Tanahashi vs. AJ Styles (Final Resolution – Jan. 15, 2006)
- Tanahashi vs. Roderick Strong (Xplosion – Jan. 17, 2006)
- Tanahashi & Volador Jr vs. Motor City Machine Guns (Impact taping – Oct. 27, 2008)
- Tanahashi & Volador Jr vs. Abyss & Matt Morgan vs. Team 3D vs. LAX in a ladder match (Impact taping – Oct. 28, 2008)
- Tanahashi, Eric Young, Consequences Creed (aka Xaiver Woods), Doug Williams, Homicide, Jay Lethal, Jimmy Rave, Petey Williams, Sonjay Dutt, and Volador Jr. in an X-Division Elimination Match (Turning Point – Nov. 9, 2008)
- Tanahashi & Sonjay Dutt vs. Lethal Consequences (Impact taping – Nov. 11, 2008)
- Tanahashi vs. “Speedball” Mike Bailey (Multiverse United – Mar. 30, 2023)
- Tanahashi vs. Alex Shelley (Multiverse United 2 – Aug. 20, 2023)
TNA also posted a photo gallery of Tanahashi over the years in the Impact Zone (here).
Share your memories of Hiroshi Tanahashi in TNA.
