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Shinsuke Nakamura: Retirement, NJPW, WWE Deal, Tanahashi?

Added 2025-10-21 00:20:11 +0000 UTC

A former IWGP World Champion and Royal Rumble winner has been heavily discussed in multiple wrestling companies of late.

Fightful Select learned recently that Shinsuke Nakamura’s name was discussed internally in New Japan Pro Wrestling as a possibility to face Hiroshi Tanahashi in his retirement match. However, based on what we heard, that was floated more as a pipe dream than anything else. We can confirm that it was brought up, though.

When we spoke to people within New Japan Pro Wrestling there were a variety of potential factors. Among them included Shinsuke Nakamura’s contract status, and the highly unlikely possibility that WWE would let it happen. Then on the off-chance it did happen, how using a WWE talent would affect NJPW’s relationship with AEW, WWE’s direct competitor, and CMLL, AAA’s direct competitor.

Whether or not Nakamura is even available outside of WWE has been a heavy piece of discussion. Fightful has been following tips all year suggesting that Nakamura’s WWE deal could be up this year. However, NJPW brass are of the impression he actually re-signed with WWE last year. We’ve been unable to confirm either.