New Japan Pro-Wrestling has announced the first three matches for “Hiroshi Tanahashi’s Final Homecoming,” a special event celebrating the legendary career of “The Ace.” The show will take place on Saturday, November 2, in Tanahashi’s home city of Gifu, Japan. The event is a key stop on his ongoing retirement tour, which will culminate with his final match at Wrestle Kingdom 20 on January 4, 2026. The card is set to be a major one, as it will feature Tanahashi in a major championship match in front of his hometown crowd, a fitting tribute to one of the most important figures in the company’s history.
In the main event of the evening, Hiroshi Tanahashi will challenge Yota Tsuji for the IWGP Global Heavyweight Championship. This championship opportunity gives Tanahashi the chance to capture one last major singles title before he hangs up his boots. In another major championship bout, the new IWGP World Heavyweight Champion, Hirooki Goto, will make his first defense of the championship against the winner of the G1 Climax 35 tournament, Konosuke Takeshita. Also on the show, the finals of the Super Jr. Tag League tournament will take place, though the competitors for that match are yet to be determined.
The announced card for the November 2nd event is below:
- IWGP Global Heavyweight Championship Match: Yota Tsuji (champion) vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi
- IWGP World Heavyweight Championship Match: Hirooki Goto (champion) vs. Konosuke Takeshita
- Super Jr. Tag League Finals: Competitors To Be Determined
