Tiger Mask IV has announced his intention to retire from the ring in July 2026, marking the end of a career spanning three decades.
He shared the news with Tokyo Sports on Sunday following a match with Hiroshi Tanahashi during the New Japan Soul tour finale at Korakuen Hall.
The fourth man to compete under the iconic mask, Yoshihiro Yamazaki debuted in July 1995 after training under the original Tiger Mask, Satoru Sayama, and The Great Sasuke. He began his career in Michinoku Pro Wrestling, where he captured the UWA World Middleweight Championship.
After joining New Japan Pro Wrestling in 2002, he became a pillar of the junior heavyweight division. His accomplishments include six reigns as IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion and winning the Best of the Super Juniors tournament in both 2004 and 2005.
Throughout his NJPW tenure, he carried on the legacy of the character’s rivalry with Black Tiger, competing against multiple wrestlers who used that gimmick, including Rocky Romero and Tatsuhito Takaiwa.
Although primarily based in Japan, Tiger Mask also made appearances in the United States for TNA as part of a talent-sharing agreement with NJPW.
In addition to his singles success, he was a two-time IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champion, holding the titles with Jushin Thunder Liger and, more recently, with Robbie Eagles in a team named Flying Tiger. During his 2021 reign with Eagles, he became the oldest wrestler to hold that championship at 51 years old.
As the longest-tenured performer in the role, he has been synonymous with the Tiger Mask character for a generation of fans.
