Wrestle Kingdom 20 will be remembered for many reasons, but the emotional farewell to Hiroshi Tanahashi stole the show—and Kenny Omega’s heartfelt message hours later captured the weight of it all.
Taking to Twitter just after the event, Omega offered fans a deeply personal reflection on what it meant to share the ring one last time with the man known as The Ace of NJPW. Omega described the moment he returned backstage, alone in quiet reflection.
“Tonight I had the incredible honor of participating in Tanahashi’s retirement ceremony. To stand with him in that ring, to see what he saw in those final moments… I felt the reality of it all, the weight of his decision. Once I returned backstage I sat in stand-by lost in thought watching the monitor. Before I knew it, everyone around me had left.”
But the most touching part came next — a quiet, unscripted walk shared between Omega, Tanahashi, and Kota Ibushi. The three, once fierce rivals on the biggest stages in wrestling, walked together one final time.
“Tana, Ibushi, and I made the final walk. I joked that all 3 of us had to take the stairs slowly one by one—something I’m usually self-conscious about (it doesn’t look cool), but today was different. We owned it proudly.”
That walk led to one last conversation in the car—one Omega won’t forget, even if the words are hard to explain. Then, the line that hit hardest for fans who’ve followed their journey for years:
“In the car ride back to the dressing rooms we shared one last conversation. I could easily type what was said, but to explain the real meaning of it was probably different for all 3 of us. Broken down rivals now turned comrades. It’s really a beautiful thing, isn’t it?”
Omega closed his message by thanking fans around the world for tuning in to honor one of the greatest wrestlers in history.
“Thanks to all that tuned in to celebrate the retirement of one of the greatest to ever do it.”
It wasn’t just a farewell — it was a moment of unity, respect, and reflection from men who helped define an era of professional wrestling.
What did Tanahashi mean to you as a fan? And how did Omega’s message hit after such a historic night? Let us know in the comments.
