Tuesday, March 19, 2024
Hiroshi Tanahashi

Hiroshi Tanahashi

Born:
11/13/1976
,
Ogaki, Gifu
Birthname:
Hiroshi Tanahashi
Height & Weight:
5'11"
,
223 Ib

Titles Won:

  • IWGP Heavyweight Championship (8 times)
  • IWGP Intercontinental Championship (2 times)
  • IWGP Tag Team Championship (3 times) – with Yutaka Yoshie (1), Shinsuke Nakamura (1), and Kota Ibushi (1)
  • IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship (3 times)
  • NEVER Openweight Championship
  • NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Championship (3 times) – with Michael Elgin and Yoshitatsu (1), Manabu Nakanishi and Ryusuke Taguchi (1), and Ricochet and Ryusuke Taguchi (1)
  • G1 Climax (2007, 2015, 2018)
  • Fourth NJPW Triple Crown Champion
  • Second NJPW Grand Slam Champion

Hiroshi Tanahashi is the record setting eight-time IWGP Heavyweight Champion, while also being a former two-time IWGP Intercontinental Champion, a two-time IWGP Tag Team Champion, two-time IWGP United States Champion, one-time NEVER Openweight Champion, and three-time NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Champion.

Through NJPW’s working agreements with Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL) and Pro Wrestling Noah, Tanahashi has also held the CMLL World Tag Team Championship, the CMLL World Trios Championship, the CMLL Universal Championship and the GHC Tag Team Championship. Tanahashi holds the record for most reigns as the IWGP Heavyweight Champion, while his fifth reign held the record for most successful defenses with eleven until May 5, 2018. He has also won NJPW’s premier tournament, the G1 Climax, on three occasions (2007, 2015 and 2018).

When Tanahashi was inducted into the Wrestling Observer Hall of Fame in 2013, Dave Meltzer stated that “you could make a strong case for him as the best in-ring performer in the business today”, adding that he was “the leading star in New Japan Pro Wrestling’s comeback from being in terrible shape a few years back to being the No. 2 pro wrestling company in the world”.

Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards

5 Star Match (2012) vs. Minoru Suzuki on October 8

5 Star Match (2013) vs. Kazuchika Okada on April 7

5 Star Match (2013) vs. Kazuchika Okada on October 14

5 Star Match (2014) vs. Katsuyori Shibata on September 21

Feud of the Year (2012–2013) vs. Kazuchika Okada

Match of the Year (2012) vs. Minoru Suzuki on October 8

Match of the Year (2013) vs. Kazuchika Okada on April 7

Most Charismatic (2013)

Most Outstanding Wrestler (2012–2013)

Wrestler of the Year (2011–2013)

Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame (Class of 2013)

Other Notable Achievements

IWGP U-30 Openweight Championship (2 times)

G2 U-30 Climax (2003)

New Japan Cup (2005, 2008)

IWGP Heavyweight Title Tournament (2007)

IWGP U-30 Openweight Championship League (2005)

U-30 One Night Tag Tournament (2004) – with Taiji Ishimori

GHC Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Yuji Nagata

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