Kazuchika Okada returned to NJPW on Saturday to challenge Hiroshi Tanahashi for his retirement match at Wrestle Kingdom 20.
The AEW star appeared at the NJPW Road event in his hometown of Anjo, confronting the NJPW President after the show’s main event.
Tanahashi had just defeated Yuto-Ice after a competitive match with the High Fly Flow and was addressing the crowd. Okada’s old New Japan music then played, and he entered the ring accompanied by his long-time manager Gedo.
The appearance, which happened to fall on his 38th birthday, marked Okada’s first time in a New Japan ring since his departure from the company.
Okada, who first joined NJPW in 2007, completed his final matches for the promotion in February 2024 before joining All Elite Wrestling the following month.
Okada addressed Tanahashi, paraphrasing the words from his 2012 return to the company post-excursion:
Congratulations on your retirement, and thanks for your hard work.
He then issued the challenge for the Tokyo Dome show on January 4, 2026, adding, “Don’t get too tired before then.”
Gedo, wearing his Rainmaker bandana, followed up on the challenge:
Okada vs Tanahashi will make for the best retirement, because Okada is on a whole other level! The rain will fall on Wrestle Kingdom 20.
?NEW JAPAN ROAD in ANJO?
「1月4日、よかったら僕がやりますよ」
AEWのオカダ・カズチカが安城大会に登場‼️#njpwworld で配信中?視聴＆登録⏩「NJPW WORLD」で検索#njpw #njpwworld #njroad pic.twitter.com/1yjEXbYrCT
— NJPW WORLD (@njpwworld) November 8, 2025
This will be the fourth Wrestle Kingdom singles match between the rivals. Tanahashi holds victories at Wrestle Kingdom 7 and 9, while Okada defeated him at Wrestle Kingdom 10. In total, it will be the 18th singles match between the pair.
NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 20 (January 4, 2026)
- Winner Takes All: IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Konosuke Takeshita vs. IWGP Global Heavyweight Champion Yota Tsuji
- Hiroshi Tanahashi Retirement Match: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Kazuchika Okada
- NEVER Openweight Title: EVIL vs. Aaron Wolf
- Winner Takes All: NJPW Strong Women’s Champion Saya Kamitani vs. IWGP Women’s Champion Syuri
