Hiroshi Tanahashi does not intend to retire anytime soon.
In December 2023, NJPW announced that Hiroshi Tanahashi had been appointed as the new President and Representative Director. Tanahashi, 47, remains active as a wrestler, and he was the reigning NJPW World TV Champion when he started his new role. He continues to compete on a regular basis while he handles his duties behind the scenes.
Speaking with Proresu-TODAY, Hiroshi Tanahashi was asked whether he was surprised about his appointment as NJPW President. (Translation via DeepL)
"In terms of timing, ......, it's 50-50. I was surprised. As a wrestler, I've challenged for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship once, but I lost and haven't been crowned. I believe that as a wrestler, when you stop aiming to be the best, that's when it's time to retire. When I asked myself, 'Do you want to wear that belt?' I thought, 'I want to wear it,' so I think my retirement is still a long way off," Tanahashi said.
Tanahashi went on to emphasize that he wants to give it his all, both as a wrestler and as the NJPW President. He also joked that he felt like a first-year member of society, as he joined NjPW right out of college.
"My motto is to give it my all, so I want to give it my all as a wrestler and also as president. I used to think that my pride as a wrestler and ace was to feed all the other wrestlers, employees, and even their families, and I thought that being a president was a matter of course. It's not just about wrestling. I joined New Japan Pro-Wrestling straight out of college, so now I feel like a first-year member of society. I don't know if I'm a first-year student or not (laughs)," Tanahashi said.
NJPW recently announced that Hiroshi Tanahashi will miss NJPW Sakura Genesis due to an ankle injury. More information is available here.
Tanahashi recently said that NJPW needs to create new stars, and he wants more of their wrestlers to become household names. Check out his comments here.
