AEW's Kenny Omega Waxes Poetic About Attending Hiroshi Tanahashi's Retirement
Former AEW Men's World Champion Kenny Omega was one of the many names from Hiroshi Tanahashi's past that bid farewell to "The Ace" at the end of the NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 20 event on January 4. Following his loss to Kazuchika Okada in the main event, Tanahashi had a retirement ceremony that saw New Japan legends from the past and present gift the company President with flowers, hugs, and enough tears to fill the Tokyo Dome. Omega was already confirmed to be part of the ceremony ahead of time, and after the event was over, he penned a heartfelt message on X (formerly known as Twitter) stating how much being part of such a special moment meant to him.
Tonight I had the incredible honor of participating in Tanahashi's retirement ceremony. To stand with him in that ring, to see what he saw in those final moments...I felt the reality of it all, the weight of his decision.
Once I returned backstage I sat in stand-by lost in...
— Kenny Omega (@KennyOmegamanX) January 4, 2026
Omega didn't come alone as he was joined by his long-time friend and Golden Lovers tag team partner Kota Ibushi, who somehow managed to limp his way down the long entrance ramp less than three months after breaking his femur on an episode of "AEW Collision" against Josh Alexander. While Omega and Ibushi did team with Tanahashi at the 2025 AEW Forbidden Door pay-per-view in the Lights Out Steel Cage match, Ibushi's appearance in particular stunned everyone not just because of his recent injury, but because he left NJPW back in 2023 under controversial circumstances, with many people believing he would never step foot anywhere near the company again.
Other performers who paid their respects to "The Ace" were fellow AEW stars Katsuyori Shibata, "Switchblade" Jay White, and Will Ospreay, with White and Ospreay making their first wrestling related appearances since suffering injuries in 2025. NJPW legends Keiji Mutoh and Tatsumi Fujinami were also involved in the ceremony, as were Tetsuya Naito and BUSHI, who made their first appearance for the company in seven months after their contracts expired in the spring of 2025, arriving with their newly won GHC Heavyweight Tag Team Championships that they won at Pro Wrestling NOAH's "The New Year" card on January 1.