AEW's Will Ospreay Shares Heartfelt Message To Hiroshi Tanahashi Ahead Of Retirement

By Max Everett
Will Ospreay strikes Hiroshi Tanahashi Etsuo Hara/Getty Images

Will Ospreay shared a message for Hiroshi Tanahashi in the hours before his career comes to an end at Wrestle Kingdom 20. 

Tanahashi will face long-time rival and AEW International Champion Kazuchika Okada in the main event in the Tokyo Dome on Sunday morning, drawing to a close his career of 26 years with NJPW. The retirement match is set to be viewed by a sold-out Tokyo Dome and present for the occasion will be the likes of Ospreay and Kenny Omega, both with their own storied connection to Tanahashi stemming from their years in Japan. 

Ospreay took to social media to address that connection as the clock winds down, crediting him for helping him grow into a better person and wrestler as well as setting the bar for everyone to follow. 

"Tanahashi San, I wish I could put into words how much just being around you as a young man meant to me. You showed so many of us how important it is to be kind and respectful to every person you came into contact with. Getting to travel [around] Japan with you was one of the most rewarding things I ever experienced as it showed me exactly who I want to be as a wrestler and human being. You set the bar for all of us. So honoured to get to witness your last ride in a sold out Tokyo Dome. Thank you for everything and congratulations on an amazing career," he wrote. 

Ospreay faced Tanahashi twice in singles action, first defeating him in the 2019 G1 Climax and then at NJPW Resurgence 2023, in the semi-final of a tournament to determine a new number one contender to the IWGP United States Championship. They wrestled alongside one another on the same Blood & Guts team last year, defeating the Death Riders. 

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