Tony Khan has addressed the swirling rumors suggesting he played a role in preventing a potential dream match for Hiroshi Tanahashi’s retirement. As the legendary “Ace” of New Japan Pro Wrestling prepares for his final bout at Wrestle Kingdom 20, speculation had surfaced that WWE Superstar Shinsuke Nakamura was considered as a potential opponent, only for the match to be allegedly blocked by the AEW President.
In a new interview with Q101, Khan firmly shut down these reports, expressing genuine confusion over where the narrative originated. He specifically detailed the nature of the rumors, which claimed to know the internal thoughts and feelings of the parties involved.
“That is actually something I read about and I was surprised to read that,” Khan said. “I’m not sure where that all came from, I don’t really understand some of that story. It was a very detailed story with a lot of, if I may, it seemed like they thought they could read minds when they wrote that story. Not only did they say this happened and this happened, but he felt his way about it and he felt this way about it and then he was thinking. It’s like, well, are you telepathic?”
Khan denied the validity of the reports, emphasizing that the “telepathic” reporting did not reflect reality.
“A lot of that never happened and a lot of it was like, how would you know what that guy was thinking or that guy? I thought that was an interesting story, I’ll put it that way.”
Instead of Nakamura, Tanahashi will face his greatest rival, Kazuchika Okada, in the main event of Wrestle Kingdom 20. Khan voiced his full support for this direction, noting that he has been in close communication with Tanahashi regarding the end of his in-ring career. He believes that Okada, who shares a history with Tanahashi that helped define modern NJPW, is the only logical choice for such a monumental occasion.
“I’ve talked to him extensively about his retirement, worked with him and the idea of having Kazuchika Okada as his final opponent, it’s such an iconic thing,” Khan explained. “Their rivalry is so important to New Japan Pro Wrestling and to both men’s careers an to what has gone on to be a very successful promotion with AEW. I think it’s perfect and I’m very happy involved for Okada to be involved at Wrestle Kingdom as the final opponent of Tanahashi for his retirement match.”
The final match for Hiroshi Tanahashi is scheduled for January 4, 2026, at the Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan.
If you use any portion of the quotes from this article please credit Q101 with a h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription.
