At Saturday night’s NJPW Road in Anjo event in Anjo, Japan, AEW Unified Champion and Don Callis Family member “The Rainmaker” Kazuchika Okada made a surprising appearance and challenged wrestling legend Hiroshi Tanahashi to a retirement match at Wrestle Kingdom 20 in January 2026.
During the segment, Okada greeted Tanahashi after he had already defeated Yuto-Ice in the main event.
As Tanahashi was about to entertain the fans with an air guitar performance, Okada’s music hit, and he entered the ring alongside Gedo. Okada echoed the words he had spoken to Tanahashi after his return from excursion in 2012, saying, “Congratulations on your retirement, and thanks for all your hard work.” He then issued a challenge to Tanahashi for Wrestle Kingdom, adding, “Don’t get too tired before then.”
Gedo remarked, per NJPW, “Okada vs. Tanahashi will make for the best retirement match because Okada is on a whole other level!” He also stated, “The rain will fall on Wrestle Kingdom 20.”
Saturday night’s show marked Okada’s first appearance in an NJPW ring since New Beginning 2024.
The two legends have a storied rivalry that dates back to their first singles match at New Beginning 2012, which includes main event bouts for the IWGP Heavyweight Title at Wrestle Kingdoms 7, 9, and 10. Okada left NJPW in early 2024 and officially signed with AEW later that year.
NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 20 is scheduled to take place on Sunday, January 4, 2026, at the Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan. It will be broadcast live on NJPW World.
