Celebrating his 45th birthday, New Japan Pro Wrestling’s (NJPW) Hiroshi Tanahashi is Wrestling Republic’s Wrestler of the Day for November 13th.
Hiroshi Tanahashi Biography:
Name: Hiroshi Tanahashi
Age: 45 (November 13th, 1976)
Height: 5’11
Weight: 223 pounds
Debut: October 10th, 1999
Place of Birth: Ogaki, Japan
Accolades: 8x IWGP Heavyweight Champion, 2x IWGP Intercontinental Champion, 3x IWGP United States Heavyweight Champion, 3x IWGP Tag Team Champion, 2x IWGP U-30 Openweight Champion, 1x NEVER Openweight Champion, 3x NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Champion, 3x G1 Climax Winner, 1x G2 U-30 Climax Winner, #3 on PWI’s Top 500 in 2013, 4x Tokyo Sports MVP, 3x Wrestling Observer Match of the Year.
One of the top stars in New Japan, Tanahashi played a vital role in getting the company to the spot it’s in today. Since today is his birthday, he is being honored as the Wrestler of the Day.
Known as one of the best wrestlers in the world, there was a time when Hiroshi Tanahashi trained to become a lawyer. Thankfully for the fans, NJPW noticed Tanahashi while he was wrestling on the side, and signed him to their dojo. He got popular quickly but unfortunately was stabbed by an ex-girlfriend, putting him out of action.
Thankfully, not only did Tanahashi fully recover from his injuries but his star continued to rise. He continued to have success in NJPW, feuding with Shinsuke Nakamura, Hiroki Goto, Keiji Mutoh, and AJ Styles, among others. In addition, after winning the IWGP Heavyweight Championship, Tanahashi defended the title a record eleven times before losing it to Kazuchika Okada.
Hiroshi Tanahashi made his AEW debut on June 1st in preparation for the Forbidden Door pay-per-view. Despite earning a title opportunity, Jon Moxley defeated Tanahashi for the AEW Interim Championship. Hiroshi Tanahashi has also appeared in TNA and in Mexico.
Photo Credit: NJPW
