Speculation is heating up over a potential dream match between Shinsuke Nakamura and Hiroshi Tanahashi at the 2026 Tokyo Dome show—but nothing is official just yet.
During Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer addressed the buzz after Nakamura teased Tanahashi mannerisms during WWEâ€s recent tour of Japan. That sparked speculation that a major WWE vs NJPW crossover match could be in the works. But despite how real the chatter sounds, Meltzer poured cold water on assumptions. He explained that although the idea is floating around, itâ€s far from confirmed.
“Thereâ€s been a lot, a lot, a lot of talk about Tanahashi and Nakamura at the Tokyo Dome show. And I would just say—itâ€s not a done deal right now.â€
Nakamuraâ€s current WWE contract reportedly includes a clause allowing him to wrestle in Japan, which would open the door for the match. Still, Meltzer pointed out that the political situation is tricky, since NJPW has a strong working relationship with AEW.
“Itâ€s a weird political thing because obviously, New Japan and AEW work very closely together, and Nakamura is a WWE guy. They havenâ€t had a WWE guy really do anything [with NJPW] except for Karl Anderson, and that was very complicated.â€
Despite that, Meltzer believes this might be one situation where personal respect and legacy could win out over business competition. And it all comes down to what Tanahashi wants.
“My gut is, even though WWE and AEW are feuding… if Tanahashi wants to retire against Nakamura and they can pull it off, I think that should be okay.â€
If the match happens, it could be one of the most meaningful swan songs in Tanahashiâ€s legendary career. But with no deal in place, fans will have to wait and see if this dream bout turns into reality.
Please credit Ringside News if you use the above transcript in your publication.
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