Record-holding 8x IWGP Heavyweight Champion Hiroshi Tanahashi and 2x IWGP Heavyweight Champion Yuji Nagata took to social media to announce they re-signed with New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW). The rough Google translation of their tweets follow each message.
新日本プロレスと選手契約を更改しました。来年も頑張ります。よろしくお願いします！ pic.twitter.com/tDLVycnnJp
— 棚橋 弘至 (@tanahashi1_100) December 24, 2019
The player contract with New Japan Pro Wrestling has been updated. I will do my best next year. Thank you!
今年のクリスマスイヴは本当に寒いですね。
ここ数年で一番寒いのでは(笑)⁈そんな本日契約更改しました。
2020年も新日本プロレス永田裕志を宜しくお願いします。— 永田裕志 (@nagata769) December 24, 2019
Christmas Eve this year is really cold. It may be the coldest in the past few years (laugh) ⁈ Such a contract was renewed today. Thank you for New Japan Pro-Wrestling Hiroshi Nagata in 2020.
Nagata and Tanahashi were GHC Tag Team Champions in Pro Wrestling NOAH together back in 2003, and it isn’t surprising for either to have renewed their contract with NJPW.
Yuji Nagata is of the 3rd New Japan Dojo (Tokyo Branch) generation and is a first-level trueborn, beginning his training after wrapping up a successful amateur career. Nagata made his debut on September 14, 1992, against Hiroyoshi Yamamoto (Hiroyoshi Tenzan) and is the only wrestler to win the Global League (N-1 Victory) in NOAH (2013), Champions Carnival in All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW) [2011], and the G1 Climax in NJPW (2011).
According to Cagematch, Nagata has wrestled in 2,846 matches under the NJPW banner at the time of the writing of this article.
Hiroshi Tanashi is also a first-level trueborn who graduated from the New Japan Dojo (Tokyo Branch), he would make his in-ring debut on October 10, 1999, against Shinya Makabe (Togi Makabe). Tanahashi was the face of NJPW as they were coming out of their ‘dark age’ which existed in the early to mid-2000s.
Since winning his first IWGP Heavyweight Championship in 2006, he has carved his legacy with numerous stellar matches against many opponents. His rivalry with Nagata in 2006-2007 produced several highly thought of singles matches between the two, helping carve the modern reputation of NJPW’s in-ring excellence.Tanahashi has led the marquee for 9 out of the 14 Wrestle Kingdom events.
According to Cagematch, Tanahashi has wrestled in 2,188 matches promoted by NJPW as of the writing of this article.
