Hiroshi Tanahashi

[9.0] "He is a great wrestler with a decent moveset but He is a very lovely man in Japan and He is the definition of NJPW"

[10.0] "My personal choice for the absolute GOAT, with more accomplishments and classic matches that I can count. The quintessential babyface, the ace of the universe, and we'lll likely never see another like him."

[10.0] "Not just the ace of New Japan, he is the ace of the universe. He's not just great in the ring, he saved New Japan in the dark ages and will probably restore the company to its former glory now he's the new president. He also has the best frog splash in history, fight me."

[10.0] "The ace is one of the greatest wrestlers of all time easily top 10 ever the ace carried njpw through its dark times had classic matches with okada Suzuki could literally have a great match with anyone tanahashi is truly one of a kind wrestler easy 10 for me"

[10.0] "The Ace. One of the best ever. I only got to watch him in the final year of his career, but he became one of my favorites either way. I can't get tired of watching his classics of the past decade. I already miss him wrestling a lot. He really is one in a hundred years."

[10.0] "Literally pulled NJPW back up from certain doom. Incredible in ring worker, super charismatic and just all around good guy. You couldn't ask for a better face of your company and was super flexible in the ring. Could work any style and honestly I prefer him over Okada even though I think both are great. Even as he aged and his body broke down he could work a fantastic match."

[10.0] "My old review vanished into the ether, so it's time to write another about how Hiroshi Tanahashi is the greatest professional wrestler to ever exist in the history of pro wrestling. The man could light up arenas with just one step. It cannot be overstated how important this man was and still is to Pro Wrestling. in short, Hiroshi Tanahashi is the greatest professional wrestler on planet earth. Go Ace."

[7.0] "I'm not saying Tanahashi is a bad wrestler, not at all, but the reason I'm giving him a 7 is because I've seen the matches where he isn't at his prime. I did see some singles matches of his, and he is really good. So I get the hype and don't get the hype at the same time."

[10.0] "What can i say about tana, he carried ney Japan trough them dark days and was a Big reason of why they were Big again, his quality in ring IS undenieable even without knees, go Ace."

[10.0] "The absolute best wrestler in Japan history the Bret hart of Japan one of those wrestlers that you can't find a bad match for him"

[10.0] "Goodbye Ace, as he finally retired. He was a legend and one of the best ever. I see some people compare him to John Cena but Cena was never as consistent as Tanahashi."

[10.0] "Hiroshi Tanahashi is simply put, one of the best of lace up a pair of boots. Even now on his final run as a wrestler, with 26 years of intense wear and tear on his body, he still finds ways to get every fan in the arena invested, and put on a show for the ages in the process - while also making every fan in any arena feel seen, showing genuine care for all of them. This has especially been the case for his retirement run, as he has always taken time to see as many as possible before and after his matches. You couldn't get a better face of a company than Tanahashi. He's been consistently among the best in the world for the majority of his career for a reason, no matter the stage or opponent, Tanahashi did everything possible to live up to the lofty heights of The Ace of the Universe. His influence on professional wrestling will be felt for decades to come. He got one of the greatest send offs in wrestling history, leaving us with one final statement before leaving his in-ring career behind - "I'm glad I fell in love with professional wrestling." It's the genuine love for wrestling, the fans who pay to come watch it, and those who will continue to lace up their boots for the love of wrestling that keeps us all coming back, and Tanahashi perhaps understands that better than anyone. If I could give him an 11 here, I would."

[10.0] "I feel very comfortable putting him in my top five babyface wrestlers of all time now that his career is over. I only began to watch New Japan Pro Wrestling in late 2014/early 2015 after a long period of not being into the fandom as a result of the double whammy of Eddie Guerrero's untimely passing and the Chris Benoit double murder/suicide. My younger brother had consistently kept up with WWE and had been mentioning various angles throughout the years (The Nexus invasion, CM Punk's Pipe Bomb promo, etc) but I had mostly just listened politely and not really delved back into the world of professional wrestling. Around 2014 I'd been hearing rumblings of this "Bullet Club" faction that was taking the wrestling world by storm, and how wrestling as a whole as beginning to be "cool" again. The real impetus for me getting back into professional wrestling however was hearing about AJ Styles and his match with Minoru Suzuki in that year's G1 Climax tournament. I had already been a fan of Styles in my TNA watching days and was very interested to hear his name come up as opposed to the people I'd still heard about like John Cena and The Rock and began to watch random uploads of NJPW via YouTube, Dailymotion, and sailing the high seas of the internet. One wrestler that immediately stood out to me was Hiroshi Tanahashi. He just exuded immediate heroic charisma that I hadn't seen since I was a kid watching wrestling back in the day both in his physique and how he carried himself. On top of this, and as I was delighted to find out in learning increasingly more about the ins and outs of what makes professional wrestling "good" on a technical level, he was also an incredibly gifted in-ring worker who could go with the best of the best in a promotion with an extremely high standard of work. His "High Energy" theme was an instant hit for my ears, really making my heart soar every time it played to herald his entrance. And my god, that hair. The hair of legends. I got back into WWE not long after and their glory years of the NXT days, discovered Pro Wrestling Guerrilla and various other indies around the world, and so on. But Tanahashi was always a constant I'd return to, even as I began learning about non-WWE wrestlers like his most famous rival Kazuchika Okada, absolute dynamo Kenny Omega, the incredibly cool Shinsuke Nakamura, and so on. Tanahashi is an absolute model for a perfect babyface wrestler that carries your company out of its darkest times and really compels people to sit down and watch even when they barely know the language he's speaking. True heroes transcend all barriers, and Tana is one of the biggest heroes in wrestling history. I hope he's as happy as possible in his retirement and he can continue to be a beacon for those who need light in the darkness. He's more than earned it. Go Ace!"

[10.0] "Maybe the greatest to ever do it. I can't express how much I love Tanahashi. Wrestling won't be the same without him. Go ACE go."

[10.0] "Words can't describe how incredible this man is and his impact on professional wrestling. Thank you Hiroshi Tanahashi"

[10.0] "Top 10 Wrestler Of All Time - What this man has done for wrestling is just stratospheric, and we can never thank him enough. Tanahashi is a living legend."

[9.0] "John Cena but Japanese. Great wrestler, Ace for a long time, but, like John Cena, has those samey-samey matches. But definitely a must-watch for everyone (mostly his 2009-2017 period)"

[10.0] "Go Ace! Tanahashi is NJPW and NJPW is Tanahashi, he is so much of what made New Japan's boom period possible. The Okada series is the stuff of legends, the G1 Final against Ibushi is one of the greatest performances I've ever seen. He'll be missed greatly when he retires in 2026."

[10.0] "Tanahashi might've had the greatest career one could have, president/CEO of a company he carried and loves, 26 championships in his home promotion of NJPW, what I would argue to be the greatest rivalry of all time with Okada, and a godly catalogue of matches. There aren't words loud enough to describe how much his work has meant to me and so many others throughout the years and I will be shedding grown adult tears at his retirement match."

"Tanahashi. The ace. Genuinely one of my favorite wrestlers ever, being able to carry new Japan from the brink of bankruptcy into what it is today is unheard of ."

[10.0] "I don't have much to say about Tanahashi that nobody else here has already said a dozen times except that I've watched this entire currently ongoing SJTL and even in some backwater town NJPW hasn't been to in 30 years, after having some meaningless six-man tag, Tana still made sure to slap every hand and wipe his face with every towel that he could because he knew that despite the tournament he was a big reason people showed up and this would be the last chance they'd get to see him. He's pure class. He's the wrestler every other wrestler should aspire to be: Universally respected in the locker room and loved by the fans, impossibly talented in the ring, fantastic look and physique, and a natural charisma that has translated seamlessly into his executive role in New Japan. People throw the phrase "GOAT" out a lot but Tanahashi genuinely is the greatest of all time. I'm gonna really miss hearing that awesome theme song after January 4."

[10.0] "Tanahashi not only has a strong case for best Japanese wrestler, but best wrestler to ever live. At his prime, Tanahashi was the most impactful wrestler to ever watch. The feeling that he produces when you watch him work is one of a kind."

[10.0] "Tanahashi is one of the best ever. Charismatic, with a huge presence, and one of the best frog splashes ever. He has chemistry with almost everyone, and his matches against Naito, Ibushi, AJ Styles, Nakamura, Suzuki, and Okada are bangers. I don't care if he is not in his prime--what he did in the past still matters and was one of the main reasons why NJPW thrived in the last decade. Lesnar fears Tanahashi, by the way."

[10.0] "What can I say that hasn't been said? Tanahashi is a GOD of modern pro wrestling and maybe one of the most influential figures of all time without it being so obvious. Look at Seth Rollins using the sling blade and frog splash. The truth is Tana truly upgraded the quality of matches worldwide. His matches with Suzuki and his 2 with Okada changed the wrestling landscape and would build the way to Okada Omega years later. In his later years his body has given up on him. But even if Tanahashi retired 7 years ago he would still be a 10"

[10.0] "In his prime, almost unfathomably good. Past his prime, still able to put on bangers despite no longer having knees. I mean, it's Hiroshi Tanahashi. C'mon."

[10.0] "i don't even know what i can say about him that wasn't said before, one of the few miracles, blessings of the wrestling world. thank you, and go ace!"

[10.0] "One of the greatest ever. Even in his old age, where is body is clearly going against him, he still gets emotions out of me like few others can."

[10.0] "Here you have a guy who is a naturally likeable babyface, with a really cool look to him, amazing ring gear and one of the best frog splashes ever. He might just be the perfect "never say die" type babyface, through his spirit fighting and knowing how to gain sympathy from the fans, he has it in spades. He was the Ace of New Japan in his prime for a reason, a very organic babyface who is viewed as NJPW's version of John Cena, but done right (saying this as a big fan of the guy). He's an incredible wrestler, storyteller and worker, having clinics with the likes of Kazuchika Okada, Kota Ibushi, Minoru Suzuki, AJ Styles, you name it, he's also a master of carrying opponents to great matches no matter how bad they might be (except Mike Bennett). While Tanahashi has been slowing down these days due to his knees being in pretty bad shape, his career and legacy speaks for itself and there will never be another Tanahashi. Also, his air guitaring is cool, it's a nice touch to make him stand out from everyone else in NJPW, especially when he "throws" it towards the crowd."

[10.0] "Hiroshi Tanahashi.... My GOAT, i think nobody in the world of pro wrestling is like Tanahashi. The charisma, the in ring, just everything makes him the best babyface of all time, he puts on so many great matches and those great matches tell amazing stories, he is the John Cena of Japan and one of if not THE greatest wrestler of all time for sure."

[10.0] "No one in the history of professional wrestling is more befitting of the title of 'Ace' than Hiroshi Tanahashi. Whilst his tireless work ethics, talent, and understanding of in-ring psychology make him a fantastic pro-wrestler, it's his imcomparable charisma, that unparalleled babyface fire that makes him truly special. Wrestling's best ever good guy, and in my opinion the greatest to ever do it altogether. Even now as I'm writing this whilst Tanahashi is on his Retirement Road and his body is broken down thanks to the wear and tear of such an incredible career, the levels of emotion he's able to bring out of a crowd are breathtaking. Add all of that to the fact that he not only singlehandedly rescued New Japan Pro Wrestling from financial peril by being such an undeniably popular star, but is now leading the company into a new generation as President with a crop of exciting young talent ready to succeed him and his peers, and there's truly no one better."

[10.0] "GOAT. There's no other way to describe Hiroshi Tanahashi. Simply the best wrestler to ever strap on a pair of boots"

[10.0] "Tanahashi is a legend. A locker room leader. A master. A legend who saved NJPW from the gutter and elevated so many wrestlers. I want him to win one last Climax and main belt before he retires."

[10.0] "I guess it's time to let a comment saying how much I appreciate Tanahashi as a wrestler and as a member of the wrestling community. He is my favourite wrestler and will always be because of his work ethic, his skills, his charisma, his will to make New Japan a better place for everyone, fans and wrestlers. It all started at Forbidden Door 2022 where he competed in the main event against Jon Moxley, I saw his presence in the ring, I saw how important he was, later I discovered his evolution by watching every edition of Wrestle Kingdom and some other matches against Minoru Suzuki, Bryan Danielson or Katsuyori Shibata, I think I know how Tanahashi evolved and all I have to say is that he's the Japanese equivalent of John Cena in terms of charisma, in temps of career and in terms of fame. It's also wonderful to observe how much he has done to pass the torch to Okada while remaining relevant in upper midcard and sometimes in main event from 2015 to 2019. His later career, despite his legs issues hasn't damaged his fighting spirit, he is now sort of All Might from BNHA, he is a symbol we all know is declining, but he does his best to secure the future of New Japan while begin there for the fans as much as possible. Thank you Tanahashi-san !"

[10.0] "Greatest babyface of all time and a wrestler deeply influential to me in terms of exploring different styles of wrestling outside the United States."

[10.0] "He's the Ace for a reason. Very few people in wrestling can say they were single-handedly the reason for saving a promotion, and that describes what Hiroshi Tanahashi did for NJPW to a tee. He simply has unmatched babyface fire and next-level in-ring psychology. When people talk about how guys like Steph Curry could come off the bench as shooters until they were 50 is basically what Tanahashi is like right now with his knees, thanks to his out of this world charisma. Easily one of the greatest of all time, and possibly the greatest."

[10.0] "The Ace of New Japan is truly a one a kind performer, Hiroshi is one of the best babyfaces of all time. He is the John Cena of Japan. Tanahashi is the biggest new Japan star ever without a doubt and has cemented his legacy as that. He's Been a top guy for 15 Years now, he's main evented multiple wrestle kingdoms won the IGPW Heavyweight Championship 8x and is also 3x G1 climax winner. He has now took over as the President of New Japan and their couldn't be a better person to lead them into the Future. I'm Sad that one of my favorites is Retiring soon but happy i got to witness the amazing charismatic performer that he is."

[10.0] "He's not the Ace for no reason, he has a genuine case for being the greatest to ever do it, one of the absolute deepest match catalogs you'll ever see and no doubt a big part of what put New Japan on the map on a larger scale, one of the best babyfaces ever and again, one of the easiest 10/10 ratings I'll ever dish out..."

"An all time great of this sport and quite possibly the greatest babyface of all time. However, his rating is marred by his current state. 7/10"

[10.0] "Tanahashi is my personal GOAT, and this rating reflects his overall career and contributions to the business. The older, slower man we see today may well be a far cry from the Ace of the Universe, but his work to lug NJPW out of the dark days and get the next generation of stars over cannot go unnoticed. He can work babyface and heel (watch the 2008 Champions Carnival, it's on YouTube) and seems to still have a magnetic connection with the crowd"

[9.0] "Tanahashi was the Ace of New Japan with an ability to only do about 10 total moves, and just an old school throwback in so many ways. He exudes charisma and is an impressive physical sight. He's able to captivate an audience and is extremely memorable, and realy knows how to put a match together; however, he's not quite exceptional at any one thing in the ring and actually has somewhat average athleticism. He absolutely was the best overall package as a wrestler, but largely due to how well he was booked. To his credit, he's always been able to live up to the level of any opponent he has."

[8.0] "Curious as to how these ratings are done. Lots of recent ratings of 10..... Hiroshi Tanahashi during his time prior to 2020, i would say was clearly a 9 or 10, but he continues to wrestle and put on terrible matches (He is probably about a 6 now). 8.0 to average Tana before and Tana now.... I do think it is good that he realized he cant do the GI Climax anymore and allowed himself to be booked as to not get into the tournament. However, He still has put himself over way too much latin 2024......getting himself booked to beat Zack Sabre Jr for the NJPW TV title at Wrestle Kingdom. That was a self serving move.... Than to lose it to Matt Riddle, the part timer who got fired from WWE for substance abuse issues....that was also pretty lame....why not let Zack take it back from you? Fortunately it looks like Zack may win G1 Climax this year... Tana please do us a favor and stay out of Title Matches....please drop the Never Open 6 man tag team titles."

[10.0] "The ace of NJPW. Highly talented and charismatic. Tanahashi is a great technician and good high flyer. He saved NJPW in the lowest they have been to their golden years 2016-2019. He's put on some of the greatest matches ever with Okada, Omega, Ibushi, Naito, and Suzuki. Living legend"

[10.0] "Tanahashi is such a revolutionary and legendary wrestler to the business who help NJPW in some of it's darkest times. I loved his IWGP World Championship reigns and his feud with Okada and Omega was even more legendary. Later in his career he's a lot slower and now doing more booking and behind the scenes work, Tanahashi is still considered to be one of the greatest of all time."

[8.0] "(Sorry english is not my firtst language) I dont like him that much like the others but still its the legend"

[10.0] "Yes Tana is older now and has stepped back from regular in ring work, his career was nonetheless spectacular and he carried his company to financial and critical success in his time at the top."

[10.0] "While his recent work leaves much to be desired President Ace will forever be one of the greatest wrestlers to ever grace the Cerulean Blue. He's had so many classics with so many legends, a true must know figure in the greater wrestling universe"

[10.0] "I have nothing but great things to think about when this man's name is mentioned. The hero NJPW needed when the other egotistical bums decided to leave after causing damage, leading them through the dark days. Thanks to Tana, we got Okada, we got Naito, we got Hiromu, we got Shingo, we got all those great wrestlers because Tanahashi made it possible that there was a NJPW for them to perform and for us to watch. Which is why my rate here is only 10 because this man is a wonderful figure and believe me, his funeral will be bigger than Inoki's if he ever leave us. However, it hurts to see current day Tana; his body's flabby, he moves slowly, can't jump for the High Fly Flow anymore, and constantly look like he is in pain. Soon he will end up like Nakanishi if he doesn't do something about it. Please Ace, be healthy!"

[9.0] "The Ace has been one of the top tier talented athletes in the world of professional wrestling for quite a long time. His work in the ring has been solid for a long time. He has the ability to still put on classic matches even at this stage in his career. The only knock against Tanahashi is that his matches against bigger opponents can feel stale at some points but the story still comes across well as a fan. Tanahashi is the Fernando Alonso of the business as he continues to evolve and do wonders as he gets older. As a long time fan of wrestling, he's one of the superstars in the industry that will make me wanna watch a show that he will be on."

[10.0] "He's the Ace of New Japan for a reason. Incredible skill and charisma, and puts on amazing bouts like it's nothing. He can even get great performances from wrestlers thought to be mediocre. He's not only gonna go down as arguably NJPW's greatest of all time, but as one of the best ever."

[10.0] "This man saved NJPW. Let that sink in, he saved NJPW. That era of MMA in the promotion almost killed it, if it wasn't for Tanahashi then who knows what NJPW would look like today. Has had so many classic matches, great on the mic, great look, great wrestling ability, there's literally nothing more you could ask from him. I know he toyed around with the idea of going to AJPW in mid-late 2000s but he ultimately stayed and helped the likes of Okada become the next big thing in the world of Japanese pro-wrestling. Will be interesting to see how he does in a more senior role in NJPW, unless he does something incredibly stupid then I can't see my rating for him changing."