Wrestler Profile

Hiroshi Tanahashi

Hiroshi Tanahashi saved New Japan Pro-Wrestling. When the company cratered in the mid-2000s, the self-styled Once in a Century Talent dragged it back with air guitar, high fly flows and a relentless star's charisma — building the foundation on which the promotion's global golden era was constructed.

An eight-time IWGP Heavyweight Champion with a record number of defenses, his decade-defining rivalry with Kazuchika Okada passed the ace's torch across more than a dozen classics. His matches with Shinsuke Nakamura, Kenny Omega and Kota Ibushi fill any credible list of the century's best.

In his final years, wrestling on ruined knees, Tanahashi served as New Japan's president while still taking bumps for its future. The Ace's retirement countdown made every remaining match a gift. WrestleRanks voters rank him as history will: the man who made everything after him possible.

Promotions

Hiroshi Tanahashi is associated with NJPW (2026).

Championship history

PWI rankings history

Hiroshi Tanahashi has been ranked in the PWI 500 17 times, first at No. 43 in 2006 and most recently at No. 80 in 2025. The highest placement is No. 3, reached in 2013.

Placements by year: 2006 (No. 43), 2007 (No. 40), 2008 (No. 20), 2009 (No. 7), 2010 (No. 39), 2011 (No. 22), 2012 (No. 11), 2013 (No. 3), 2014 (No. 11), 2015 (No. 11), 2018 (No. 31), 2020 (No. 38), 2021 (No. 62), 2022 (No. 15), 2023 (No. 42), 2024 (No. 81), 2025 (No. 80).

Compiled from the annual rankings published by Pro Wrestling Illustrated. See the 2025 edition.

Hiroshi Tanahashi in the WrestleRanks rankings

Hiroshi Tanahashi is tracked as a respected veteran on WrestleRanks. WrestleRanks standings are decided one week at a time, from fan voting and editor input. Read more about how our rankings work, or see the live, interactive profile with weekly rank history and voting on the Hiroshi Tanahashi ranking page.

More NJPW wrestlers

Callum Newman · Kosei Fujita · Zack Sabre Jr. · Aaron Wolf · Alex Zayne · Drilla Moloney