Hiroshi Tanahashi names NJPW stalwart as his toughest opponent so far (Exclusive)
The Ace of NJPW, Hiroshi Tanahashi, will be making his way back to AEW this weekend as he takes on MJF. In light of this bout, the veteran was asked who his toughest opponent has been and named none other than Kazuchika Okada.
Tanahashi notably faced Jon Moxley during last year's Forbidden Door pay-per-view, and despite walking away with a loss, he made an impression on fans. This weekend, the veteran will have a shot at MJF for the AEW World Championship, but could this bout match up to his clashes with Okada?
During a recent exclusive interview with Sportskeeda's Bill Apter, Hiroshi Tanahashi briefly noted how long his toughest match against Kazuchika Okada was.
“Against [Kazuchika] Okada. Each match. [I] almost [wrestled him for] 30 minutes.” [01:28 onward]
Check out the full interview below:
Later in the same interview, the NJPW star was asked why Okada is his toughest opponent and jokingly said he has no idea why, and that he's never been tired.
“Uh, I don’t know! I am tough. I have never been tired!” [01:44 onward]
Reports suggest that Tanahashi might be in for a disappointing loss at Forbidden Door II, as according to Dave Meltzer, NJPW no longer considers the veteran to be "unbeatable" and, as such, wouldn't protest him suffering a defeat.
Missed out on this week's episode of AEW Dynamite? Catch up with the results right here.
The NJPW veteran has massive aspirations to headline AEW All In in Wembley
AEW All In is already set to be one of the biggest pro wrestling events this year, and naturally, many stars are eying the pay-per-view. While the card has yet to be announced, Hiroshi Tanahashi believes he will not only appear on the card but also main event the show.
During an interview with Tokyo Sports, the Ace of NJPW boldly claimed that he'll win at Forbidden Door, G1 Climax, and the main event Wembley this year.
"My Wembley debut is coming soon. I will prove that I am the first Japanese to win a title match and main event at Wembley in 100 years. I haven't left my name in the history books yet, so I will start from here. Winning the belt in the U.S., winning the G1, and the main event at Wembley. It's all set up nicely. It's Mr. Blueprint." (H/T Fightful)
Hiroshi Tanahashi would like some alphabet soup ahead of his upcoming meeting with MJF at Forbidden Door
https://t.co/QExxY2g8qT
The NJPW veteran is clearly not lacking in confidence and has the accolades to back up his claims. Only time will tell, but with Forbidden Door II taking place this weekend, fans will get to see if his first prediction will come true.
If you use any quotes from the first half of this article, please embed the YouTube video and give a H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling.