As noted before, Hiromu Takahashi will be leaving New Japan Pro Wrestling this month and his final date will be at The New Beginning in Osaka 2026 event on February 11th in Osaka, Japan.
Tuesday’s Road to The New Beginning 2026 event in Iwaki, Japan featured United Empire (Callum Newman, Francesco Akira, Great-O-Khan, & Jakob Austin Young) defeating Unbound Co. (Takahashi, David Finlay, Gedo, & Taiji Ishimori) in an Eight-Man Tag Team match. Following the match, Takahashi gave his thoughts in a backstage post-match press conference about his decision to leave NJPW.
“It really hit me how much I was loved. I knew it, I was aware, but it made me realize just how much I was cherished. Honestly, it makes me happy.
My dream hasn’t changed. As a junior, I want to hold the IWGP Heavyweight Championship and compete in prime time. Plus, another huge dream has taken root inside me. Wanting to achieve that is huge.
It’s a well-thought-out decision… But I thought that if I didn’t act now, if I didn’t move now, and ended up regretting it 10 or 20 years down the line, then acting now would let me finish my life without regrets. That’s why I made this decision.”
In a recent new post on his official blog on NJPW’s website, NJPW President Hiroshi Tanahashi gave his thoughts about Takahashi’s upcoming departure and how he tried to keep Takahashi in the company to no avail.
“Today, it was announced that Hiromu Takahashi will be leaving New Japan Pro-Wrestling.
I’m sure fans were surprised. We’ve had several discussions since the start of this year.
It was about his desire for further personal growth and testing his potential.
It’s hard to just accept it and say, “Oh, I see! Good luck!” Hiromu is a popular wrestler, and I’d be happy to have him. But his feelings were very strong.
What do you think is the best part of a professional wrestler’s job?
Winning. Becoming champion. Getting the crowd hyped. Making money. All correct answers, but there’s one more. It’s “challenging your own potential.” Strangely enough, I never imagined two wrestlers who debuted in 2009 would find themselves in this situation at the same time. The future really is unpredictable.
With these departures continuing, some people are starting to ask , “Hey! Is New Japan okay?”
He’s a popular wrestler, so there’s bound to be anxiety. Even at yesterday’s Korakuen Hall show, I saw many fans holding Hiromu merchandise and support boards.
It’s a difficult situation, but I want to be a president who can send off wrestlers who have found new goals.
There are temporary emotional ups and downs, but I imagine the current roster doesn’t appreciate excessive worry either… I certainly wouldn’t like it if I were still active.
The timing of this announcement, just before his final match in Osaka, came from Hiromu’s request to “express his gratitude to the fans.” I sincerely hope you can understand.
Go expand your dreams, Hiromu-chan. Go out there and give it your all.”
Source: Tokyo Sports
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