HIROSHI TANAHASHI:
Once In A Century, Once In A Lifetime
By Jasmine Olan
In the world of Puroresu, to be viewed as the Ace of your promotion is a high honor. It means that the company trusts you to carry the banner for them as champion and to be a a leader within the locker room. For nearly twenty years, no one has better exemplified what it means to be the Ace than Hiroshi Tanahashi. For the better part of two decades, Fans Of New Japan Pro Wrestling have had an absolute love affair for the Ace Of The Universe. Over the years, his passion and positive message of love and energy made him a living legend in the eyes of fans and wrestling critics alike all before he reached the age of forty. As a seven time IWGP Heavyweight Champion and two time G1 Climax winner, his long list of accolades has many counting him among pro wrestling’s greatest. Tanahashi’s path to greatness has been one of hard work, sacrifice, loyalty, and perseverance in the face of any challenge.
A former high school and collegiate baseball player, Tanahashi found himself on a new path when he was invited to try out for New Japan Pro Wrestling’s dojo in early 1998 which lead to him being accepted as a trainee or young lion. He enrolled in the New Japan dojo the next year after graduating from Ritsumeikan University. The future Ace Of The Universe made his in ring debut in October of 1999 against Shinya Makabe who would go on to be known as the Bosu King Kong, Togi Makabe. During this time, Tanahashi bonded with fellow young lions Shinsuke Nakamura and Katsuyori Shibata, and together the three would be dubbed the new three musketeers after the legendary trio of Shinya Hashimoto, Keiji Mutoh, and Masahiro Chono. The original three musketeers ruled NJW’s heavyweight division in the 1990s
Tanahashi’s career truly began to take off in 2003 when he won the IWGP U-30 Openweight Championship and the IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Championships. After Brock Lesnar was stripped of the IWGP Heavyweight Championship in 2006, Tanahashi would get his shot at the prestigious title when he was placed in a tournament to compete for it. He would ultimately win the IWGP Heavyweight Championship for the first time after defeating Giant Bernard in the finals. As champion, Tanahashi would take on the greatest responsibility of his career as he did his best to carry NJPW through its darkest times almost completely on his. If there was anyone truly capable of bearing the weight of that responsibility, it was the Ace Of The Universe.
During the early 2000s New Japan Pro Wrestling was in scary financial shape, and needed the loyalty of its top stars. The 2005 departure of Katsuyori Shibata definitely didn’t help matters as he left when the promotion needed him the most. This angered Tanahashi who felt that Shibata had abandoned the company that had been his home in its time of need. Shibata’s departure would not only strain their friendship but also mark the beginning of one of the most heated feuds of its time when Shibata returned to New Japan in 2012. The weight of the responsibility for keeping NJPW afloat during those dark years fell squarely on the shoulders of The Ace. The King Of Strong Style, Shinsuke Nakamura would also do his best to help bear the brunt of that burden, and together they helped raise the IWGP Intercontinental Championship to new levels of prestige. Over the next few years, their nearly ten year rivalry would carry NJPW to new heights and set the international wrestling scene on fire as the promotion would survive those dark years after video game company Yukes bought the majority share from its original founder, Antonio Inoki in 2012.
That year, another Tanahashi’s greatest rivalries began as the Ace went to war against the Rainmaker, Kazuchika Okada over the IWGP Heavyweight Championship. Their historic feud would last about six years and produce some of NJPW’s most iconic matches. It would also play a vital role in making Tanahashi a living legend and developing Okada into one of modern pro wrestling’s greatest champions. Their encounter at WRESTLE KINGDOM 10 is widely regarded as as one of the industry’s most memorable passings of the torch. They Ace would go on to have incredible matches against the likes of The Phenomenal AJ Styles and the Best Bout Machine, Kenny Omega.
Throughout his record setting seven reigns as IWGP Heavyweight Champion, Hiroshi Tanahashi proved himself as invaluable part of the NJPW roster as well as a respected leader in the locker room. He has also served as a great mentor and friend to younger talent like current IWGP United States Champion, Juice Robinson, Kushida, David Finlay. At forty one years of age, the Ace Of The Universe remains a force to be reckoned with, known for his fighting spirit and high energy having famously said “The Ace never gets tired.” His love of playing air guitar after winning a big match remains the same and chants of “Go Ace!” still follow as he makes his way to the ring. His signature cry of “Aishitemasu (I love you)!” still echoes through legendary venues like the Tokyo Dome, Korakuen Hall, and Ryōgoku Sumo Hall.
Passion and talent made him a star. His loyalty and sacrifice have made him a living legend. Few wrestlers have been able to positively impact the Japanese wrestling culture the way Hiroshi Tanahashi has. For ten years he bore a responsibility that so many others would have crumbled under the weight of. Because of this Tanahashi shares an unbreakable bond with fans that remains as strong as ever. His Once In A Century Talent Moniker exists for that reason. Whenever a challenge has come his way, he has always done his best to face it head on and knock it down like a brick wall. Along they way he did it all with love and energy. Talents like Hiroshi Tanahashi really do come along once in a century or maybe once in a lifetime.
