This year has already seen the retirement of two New Japan stalwarts in Tanahashi and Tiger Mask, and now it’s time for a third, as Hiroyoshi Tenzan has decided to call it a career. Tenzan debuted in 1991 as a Young Lion under his real name, Hiroyoshi Yamamoto, before going on to win the 1993 Young Lion Cup. After that he went on excursion to Europe, before returning to New Japan in 1995 at the Tokyo Dome, now going by the Tenzan name he’s best known by, and with a win over Manabu Nakanishi.
Over the course of his 35-year career Tenzan would wrestle over 3,000 matches, and would enjoy significant career success. Notably, he’s a twelve time IWGP Tag Team Champion, the most of any individual, while also holding record for most defences (23) and days (1,986) with those titles. Most of this success was split between two teams, each hugely successful in their own right – with Masahiro Chono (one of New Japan’s original Three Musketeers) as Team Wolf, later Cho-Ten (5 reigns, 12 defences, 1,008 days, as well as winning the 1995 Super Grade Tag League), and Satoshi Kojima as TenCozy (6 reigns, 11 defences, 929 days as champions, as well as the NWA World Tag Team Championship, the 2001 and 2008 G1 Tag Leagues and All Japan’s World’s Strongest Tag Determination League in 2006 and 2008). He also had one reign with Osamu Nishimura, and the two won 2003 G1 Tag League together.
In addition to being half of the two most successful tag teams in company history Tenzan also enjoyed great success as a singles star. He won the IWGP Heavyweight title four times between 2003-05, the last of these coming in the main event at the Tokyo Dome with a win over his long-time partner Kojima, the two also being prolific career rivals starting from their time as Young Lions, Tenzan being Kojima’s first ever opponent. He also won the G1 three times, in 2003, 04 and 06. A rare level of success, this is matched by Tananhashi and Naito, and surpassed by only Okada (4 wins) and Chono (5 wins), putting him in elite company. His last singles title came in 2015 when he won the NWA Worlds Heavyweight Championship.
Unfortunately, a career like Tenzan’s has an impact on the body. He last wrestled in April of last year, and has since been trying to rehab back and knee injuries before concluding that a full-time return to the ring would not be possible. With that in mind, he has set himself the task of getting in the best possible shape for one last match, and not unreasonably his final match will be a five minute exhibition. Fittingly, his final opponent will be his rival, partner and friend Satoshi Kojima. From Young Lions together to the main event of the Tokyo Dome (uniquely, as both partners and opponents – they teamed together at Wrestle Kingdom 1) to G1 finals to one final time at Ryogoku Sumo Hall, it’s been a long road for TenCozy. So long, Raging Bull. After his retirement Tenzan intends to continue working for New Japan behind the scenes, and hopefully he will find success and fulfilment in his new role.
Of course, there’s more to the show than just Tenzan’s retirement: this show will also feature the G1 semi-finals. A block winner and IWGP Heavyweight Champion Yota Tsuji will take on B block runner up Yuya Uemura. The two were frequently matched against one another as Young Lions (much like Tenzan and Kojima), with Tsuji holding an 18-12-22 record against Uemura. Since their returns from excursion they’ve faced off five times, with Tsuji winning three – including a Global title defence in May of last year and a Hair v Hair match the year before.
The other semi-final sees B block winner Callum Newman take on A block runner up Ryohei Oiwa. While Tsuji and Uemura is a clash of frequent career rivals this is only the second time these two have faced off, the first being in last year’s G1, a match Oiwa won. Both men have grown a lot since then, especially Newman whose 2026 has already seen him become the youngest winner of the New Japan Cup and the youngest IWGP Heavyweight Champion, and he’d love to add in youngest G1 winner to that list.
In addition to that is the usual bevy of undercard tag matches. This show (and Sunday’s finals show) will probably give us some indicators of what’s next for various people coming out of the G1. Are you planning to check it out? Who do you see advancing to the finals? Do you have any fond memories of Tenzan? Whatever your thoughts, feel free to drop a comment below, and enjoy the show everyone.
