In an interview with Tokyo Sports, Finn Balor expressed huge gratitude toward his former NJPW colleague Hiroshi Tanahashi.
Tanahashi — one of the greatest wrestlers in NJPW history — will retire from the ring at the Tokyo Dome in January 2026. Balor told Tokyo Sports that he would love to face Tanahashi one more time, though he does not expect to be Tanahashi’s final opponent.
“That would be awesome, but I’m not that lucky,” Balor said about potentially facing Tanahashi in his retirement match.
“But I want to take this opportunity to say something to Mr. Tanahashi. You’ve had an incredible career. Thank you for being so good to the foreign wrestlers in New Japan. Mr. [Takashi] Iizuka, Mr. [Jushin Thunder] Liger, Mr. [Yuji] Nagata — everyone was so warm. Having teammates like family supporting me helped me adapt quickly to the ring’s harshness. Living in a distant country where you don’t speak the language is scary. But New Japan welcomed me with open arms. I’ll always be grateful.”
Balor rose to international prominence while competing for NJPW as Prince Devitt in the 2000s and 2010s. He is looking forward to heading back to Japan next month for two WWE house shows.
“Performing in Japan is always a joy and an honor. Japanese pro wrestling fans are the best in the world. They show respect, are well-studied, and passionate,” Balor said. “Plus, you can’t fool Japanese fans. They spot a bad wrestler immediately. I feel my age now, and my style is different from my NJPW days. But I want to show the high level of skill I had during my time in Japan. I want to deliver the same passion and energy.”
The WWE live events are being held at Sumo Hall in Tokyo on Friday, October 17 and Saturday, October 18.
As president of NJPW, Tanahashi will remain a key figure behind the scenes after his in-ring retirement. He was first appointed to that role in December 2023.
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