AEW star returns to NJPW at Wrestle Kingdom 19, saves Hiroshi Tanahashi before securing a rematch 10 years in the making

Hiroshi Tanahashi is one of the most iconic Japanese professional wrestlers. He is the heart and soul of New Japan Pro-Wrestling and has been performing in the company since 1999. Apart from being one of the most successful NJPW stars of all time, he is the promotion's President and representative director.

At Wrestle Kingdom 19, Hiroshi Tanahashi locked horns with Bullet Club's Evil. Had he lost this showdown, he'd have retired from in-ring action. However, he won this match by showcasing immense courage and determination. After his victory, Evil and members of House of Torture (a Bullet Club sub-group) unleashed a violent attack on The Ace. Thankfully, AEW star Katsuyori Shibata intervened and saved the legend from getting seriously injured.

After this segment, Shibata challenged Tanahashi for one last match at Wrestle Dynasty. This match has now been made official. The last time these two men met in the ring was back in 2015 during that year's G1 Climax. Just like the Ace, Shibata is also a legend in Japan.

---

Apart from Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Katsuyori Shibata, Wrestle Dynasty will feature 11 more matches

At Wrestle Dynasty, stars from some of the biggest promotions in the world like NJPW, AEW, CMLL, and more will compete in in-ring action.

Here is the show's entire match card.

• Eight-man Lucha Gauntlet match - Four NJPW wrestlers and four CMLL wrestlers: TBA
• Strong Women's Championship and the Undisputed British Women's Championship Winner Takes All Match - Mercedes Moné vs. Mina Shirakawa
• Singles match - Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Katsuyori Shibata
• Singles match - David Finlay vs. Brody King
• IWGP Tag Team Championship match - Great-O-Khan and TBA vs. The Young Bucks
• Singles match - Shota Umino vs. Claudio Castagnoli
• Singles match - Kenny Omega vs. Gabe Kidd
• Singles match - Yota Tsuji vs. Jack Perry
• NEVER Openweight Championship and the AEW International Championship singles match - Konosuke Takeshita or Shingo Takagi (c) vs. Tomohiro Ishii
• Singles match - Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Ricochet
• ROH World Tag Team Championship match - The Sons of Texas vs. House of Torture
• International Women’s Cup final four-way match - Willow Nightingale (AEW) vs. Persephone (CMLL) vs. Athena (ROH) vs. Momo Watanabe (Stardom)

Wrestle Dynasty will take place this weekend at the Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan.