John Cena isn’t the only legendary wrestler retiring in the coming months as NJPW’s Hiroshi Tanahashi is set to call time on his career in January, and there’s speculation about whom he may face in his final match. 

Like Cena, there’s secrecy around Tanahashi’s final opponent, with “Fightful Select” reporting that three stars are in the shortlist to potentially be the last opponent of the 8-time IWGP Heavyweight Champion. The report claims that WWE star Shinsuke Nakamura was a possible option, but called him wrestling in NJPW against Tanahashi a “pipe dream” and that he will not face his former rival. “Fightful Select,” however, revealed that the Japanese promotion will announce Tanahashi’s final opponent at a press conference next week.

Tanahashi will cap off his Hall of Fame career at NJPW’s Wrestle Kingdom pay-per-view, which will be held on January 4 at the Tokyo Dome, just a few weeks after Cena wrestles his final match on December 13. 

Speculation about Nakamura potentially returning to NJPW to face his compatriot has picked up steam in recent weeks, with the Wrestling Observer’s Dave Meltzer stating that Nakamura has a clause in his contract allowing him to wrestle in Japan. This is possibly why Nakamura wrestled at a NOAH show earlier in the year. However, Meltzer also noted that AEW’s partnership with NJPW was the biggest stumbling block preventing the match from happening. In another report, Meltzer claimed that there was a lot of “political stuff” surrounding the potential clash. The last time that Nakamura and Tanahashi wrestled each other in a singles match was at the G1 Climax final in 2015, just a few months before Nakamura debuted in WWE. 

Tanahashi has been part of the Japanese promotion for over two decades and is one of the most successful stars in NJPW history. He has also transitioned into a backstage role, becoming the President of NJPW in 2023.