05:09And certainly set to be a night to remember for this young lion right here.
05:13Masa Toriyasura missed out on his connection.
05:16Final road matchup with Hiroshi Tanahashi.
05:18Back on the road to new beginnings.
05:20And we are making up for lost time here at Wrestling Hizenokuri.
05:33It is Hiroshi Tanahashi that has been competing in final road matches on the road to what will be the end of Hiroshi Tanahashi's career.
06:00It was 48 hours ago that the world of Joshi Pro Wrestling lost the one and only Tam Nakano in a career versus career matchup.
06:10Earlier on today, we retired one Meiko Satomura. Legend after legend continuing into retirement.
06:17And Hiroshi Tanahashi will be going into the light. Coming January 4th, 2026.
06:24And it is indeed for the next 300 or so days we are set to appreciate what we have in front of us here.
06:36Just as well as Saga Arena is here tonight.
06:39It is the president, the ace of the universe, Hiroshi Tanahashi.
06:43The light in the dark looks to connect with the final Young Lion of this class in singles competition to kick us off this evening.
06:55And there you get a good shot of your Japanese broadcast booth and man, Murata-san has been following me all around this great country of Japan.
07:18Recently saw the man just about 48 hours ago at the World Wonder Ring in stardom.
07:27And the bell sounds. We are officially underway for Hiroshi Tanahashi and Masatori Asano.
07:42Well, live arena appeal tonight here in Saga. There is a bit of a split, at least very well behind me in that front row.
07:48I think Masatori Asano contingent here tonight.
07:51It wouldn't shock me if Masatori Asano's entire bloodline was in this building here for what is said to be easily the biggest match of this young man's career.
07:59A one-on-one match with Hiroshi Tanahashi.
08:03It was, of course, back on January 22nd, we saw the first of these connection matches between Tanahashi and this Young Lion class consisting of Masatori Asano, Daikinagai, Katsuya Morishima.
08:14And the first match, a currently injured Shomakato, but it was not injured on that night.
08:19Made it just in time for that Corican Hall appearance.
08:22Eight minutes, 31 seconds.
08:24It was 24 hours later, Tanahashi would face off against his own young boy, if you will, in Katsuya Morishima in Corican Hall.
08:33Eight minutes, 58 seconds.
08:35And then, of course, one leak down the line, it would be Tanahashi against a never-defying Daikinagai coming in at eight minutes, 36.
08:45It is not a matter of whether Masatori Asano has it in him to defeat Hiroshi Tanahashi.
08:50It is very unlikely that we see Asano with the victory here tonight.
08:54But I will consider this a beat-the-clock challenge for Asano in singles competition.
08:59Is he capable of outlasting his other young lion compatriots?
09:03Be the measuring stick within the no-gay dojo in this active class.
09:07And right now, well, Tanahashi looks to answer that question sooner rather than later.
09:13The time to be eight minutes, 58 seconds.
09:16I have my own stopwatch going at the sound of the bell.
09:19We are just under two minutes into this encounter here tonight with a 20-minute time limit.
09:30Of course, Hiroshi Tanahashi has his own matches to look forward to.
09:34Coming up, Wrestling Dantaku 2025 night one.
09:37It is our pit stop here at Wrestling Gizen no Kuni.
09:40But on May 3rd, it will be Hiroshi Tanahashi taking on Zack Sabre Jr.,
09:45the man he dethroned for the NJPW World Television Championship back at Wrestle Kingdom 18 in 2024.
09:53It was their final singles appearance to this date.
09:56And it is going to be very interesting to see what happens when we revisit a match we've seen so many times before.
10:02This iteration of Tanahashi and a special Zack Sabre Jr. post-G1 and post-IWGP World Heavyweight Championship.
10:11Of course, a lot of incredible things have been happening all throughout the Bushiro fight system.
10:21If you did not manage to do so, make sure you check out Stardom All-Star Grand Queendom 2025 replay pay-per-view available right now on StageCraft.
10:31And Masatoru Yasuda has taken a lot of inspiration out of these strikes you'll see from Tanahashi going forward just like that.
10:43There is nowhere better to learn how to throw a damnedest dropkick than you will see out of the No-Gate Dojo constituents.
10:51This is Masatoru Yasuda's game to play here today.
10:58Very quickly, we'll be coming up on a one-year tenure in professional wrestling.
11:03A little bit over ten months so far in Masatoru Yasuda's active career.
11:07A lot of pitch missed out on due to various injuries that we have seen come out of Masatoru Yasuda.
11:13It was the late end of World Tag League that we saw Masatoru Yasuda taken out with an injury.
11:20Cover here for Yasuda again. And it is only two.
11:23It was just ahead of the road to New Beginning, another injury plaguing Yasuda.
11:32Of course, this one in very short form back in action here on the road to wrestling Dantaku.
11:37And my oh my, does not look like he has missed a bit of a step.
11:44Yasuda going to have to do everything that he can to step over here.
11:50Hey, this is great work right here out of Yasuda. I love what I'm seeing.
11:55You know that you don't have Tanahashi in position just yet.
11:58You throw a couple extra strikes to the back for good effect.
12:01And that is exactly where Yasuda has Tanahashi.
12:10A position that Daikinagai had once had Tanahashi.
12:13A position that Katsuya Morishima had once had Tanahashi.
12:17Is it likely Yasuda gets the victory here or not whatsoever.
12:21But every dog has its day.
12:23And tonight may be the night for Masatoru Yasuda to pull out the unthinkable.
12:27No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.
12:31And that day is going to come if it does at all at a later point.
12:37Tanahashi 3-0 over this Young Lion class looking to complete the curve.
12:47And turn it to Fuller.
12:49Here's Tanahashi holds on to that top rope.
12:51So much action that you're going to be seeing in the singles department tonight.
13:02Two of which out of our three top title matches.
13:05NJPW World Television Championship and the main event.
13:08El Desperado defends against Templadio.
13:10The IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship on the line.
13:14There's the twist and shout out of Tanahashi to Young Lion Yasuda.
13:22Born in Mexico City.
13:24Mexico raised via Sapporo Japan.
13:27And planted down here tonight in Saga.
13:31This is the genesis of one Masatoru.
13:34And it could be inbound Texas Cloverleaf.
13:41A Tanahashi staple for a long time throughout his career.
13:45And we are going to revisit it here.
13:47If the Boston Crab is not what will humble, it very well may be this.
13:51The Texas Cloverleaf to be sat in right here by one Hiroshi Tanahashi.
13:57And Yasuda is nowhere to go.
14:00Tanahashi is stable footed in the center of the ring.
14:03And everything in the power of Yasuda to try and take Tanahashi off his feet
14:08will be done right here.
14:10These are the moments that test your grip.
14:22And that Yasuda contingent here in Saga Arena growing louder and louder as time
14:27goes on.
14:28But Tanahashi, whoa, sat down even deeper.
14:32And that is going to be all.
14:35Well, far and away underneath the eight-minute mark here is Masatoru Yasuda.
14:50My finger a little bit slow on the stopwatch.
14:52But somewhere around seven minutes, four seconds, Masatoru Yasuda lasting against Hiroshi Tanahashi.
15:03Was Masatoru Yasuda ready for the eights of the universe?
15:06Survey says no.
15:07No, but it is all about Hiroshi Tanahashi connecting with these young lions,
15:12leaving a message, an indelible impression that has been imparted not only on Masatoru Yasuda,
15:18but every single young lion active in the class today.
15:21And there is no one better to leave these impressions
15:24than the ace of the universe focused on our future here in New Japan Pro Wrestling.
15:28And this is what is coming up next for Hiroshi Tanahashi.
15:31And this is what is coming up next for Hiroshi Tanahashi on the Wrestling Tantaku 2025
15:36main card, night one, main third.
15:38It is Hiroshi Tanahashi,
15:43and this is what is coming up next for Hiroshi Tanahashi on the Wrestling Tantaku 2025 main card.
16:02May 3rd, it is Hiroshi Tanahashi, Zack Sabre Jr.
16:05A special singles match in the final row of the Ace of the Universe.
16:16Of course, wrestling fans, this and so much more to come for New Japan Pro Wrestling.
16:23Even here tonight, we are topped out.
16:25El Desperado defending the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship against the CMLL World Welterweight Champion.
16:33That being Templario, that is to come in our main event tonight.
16:37The IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team titles on the line.
16:40Each of them on Sweet Boys, Kosei Fujin and Robbie Eagles defending against Master Watto and Yo,
16:44as well as Great Okan defending the NJPW World Television Championship against El Fantasmo.
16:52Coming up next, folks, six-man tag team action.
