Hiroshi Tanahashi’s final match in the US has been confirmed.
The former IWGP Heavyweight Champion has been wrestling for nearly three decades. The 48-year-old has been one of the top stars of New Japan Pro-Wrestling for years now due to his in-ring ability and charisma; however, the new president and representative director of the Japanese promotion has confirmed that he plans to transition into an office role full time after his match on Wrestle Kingdom 20 on January 4, 2026.
However, on April 11th, Tanahashi will have his final match in the United States at Windy City Riot. That match will be against the current NEVER Openweight Champion Konosuke Takeshita. This will be a non-title match. This will be the first-ever meeting between the New Japan stars.
But that isn’t the only match confirmed.
A huge title match will take place at Windy City Riot as Gabe Kidd is scheduled to defend the NJPW Strong Openweight Championship against Tomohiro Ishii in a 30-Minute Iron Man Match.
This is actually a rematch from their Battle in the Valley bout where it ended in a 30-minute draw. This will be Kidd’s sixth title defense as he’s beaten Lio Rush, Anthony Henry, Ultimo Guerrero, Kosei Fujita, and Ryohei Oiwa to retain his belt thus far.
However, Tomohiro Ishii is no stranger to holding titles. The New Japan veteran is a former six-time NEVER Openweight Champion and came seconds away from beating Gabe Kidd at Battle in the Valley. However, Kidd is the one who initiated the challenge when the belt rang last month.
Two great matches set in Chicago on April 11th. Windy City Riot is off to a good start so far. Below are the confirmed matches for the upcoming show:
- Hiroshi Tanahashi's Last US Match: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Konosuke Takeshita
- 30-Minute Iron Man Match for NJPW Strong Openweight Championship: Gabe Kidd (c) vs. Tomohiro Ishii