Hiroshi Tanahashi’s life story can now be told in this series of autobiographical interviews, available for the first time in English!
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–We usually see wrestlers get to a certain point in their progression and then go on foreign excursion, coming back with a new edge. You never got that opportunity, right?
Tanahashi: Right, everyone around me did, but not me.
–Wataru Inoue went to Mexico, Togi Makabe wrestled in Puerto Rico.
Tanahashi: And the chance never came to me. I wanted to do it. Maybe I think there was a bit of backlash to my calculating ways, heh.
–Knowing that wrestlers get a bump up the cards back from excursion, was that all part of your calculations?
Tanahashi: Well if you think of Japanese wrestlers who made it right to the top without that experience overseas first, it’s me and Kenta Kobashi really (laughs). But I think I got that experience here in the end.
–How so?
Tanahashi: A lot of guys, especially traditionally would become natural heels just by being Japanese overseas. That forces you in the position of learning how to structure a match in many a way. Me, I was here, and presenting myself as a babyface, but I was getting booed out the building anyways, so I learned to work the same way! (laughs)
–Weird to hear you saying that! (laughs)
Tanahashi: And for a lot of guys the goal that gets set for them while they’re overseas is to get into that top flight shape and that’s something I didn’t need, I was already a body guy.
–Right. So was there ever any talk of you going away?
Tanahashi: Nope.
–Not once?
Tanahashi: Not at all. I think from a company standpoint, the tag team with Kenzo was already doing business for both of us, so they decided to leave it.
–So to turn the calendar to 2002, a lot changed at this point. On January 24, Keiji Muto officially left New Japan to join All Japan Pro-Wrestling. Now at this point you were still…?
Tanahashi: ….His assistant, yeah.
–So did you have a sense that this might happen before Muto actually left?
Tanahashi: Not really, no. It was all business as usual, I was doing my chores, and he went ‘hey Tana, let’s go eat’. So I thought ‘yes, off we go to Ginza’!
–Muto treated you a lot.
Tanahashi: Yeah. But instead we wound up going to the Denny’s near the Dojo. He got us some coffees and as we’re sitting there drinking those he explains that he’s leaving for AJPW. And then he says ‘Hey, Tana, I want you to come with me’.
–Oh man, that’s big!
Tanahashi: Tell me about it. I just about did a spit take. (laughs)
–Muto’s departure had a lot to do with Antonio Inoki and what people called Inoki-ism, bringing MMA presentation into pro-wrestling.
Tanahashi: I think he was just done. He’d had enough of NJPW, and this was a chance to try something different, reset and find his passion again.
–And how did you respond to his invitation?
Tanahashi: I didn’t give him an answer right away. But he was very into the idea. He asked me how much I was making, said he could match my deal with NJPW.
–So it got as far as money.
Tanahashi: It did, but to me it was never about money. I was still green, I hadn’t achieved anything here yet.
–So you felt from the start you should stay?
Tanahashi: Yes and no. I mean, here was my teenage idol literally looking me in the face and saying ‘I want you’. That’s just surreal. But I told him I needed some time to think, and then it was the New Year’s holiday.
–Did Muto talk to any of the other young guys?
Tanahashi: I don’t think so. I daresay there were rumours about me, what with me being his assistant, but…
–In the end Muto managed to recruit Satoshi Kojima, Kendo Kashin and a few of the front office staff. Was that something you were aware of at the time?
Tanahashi: No, not at all.
–There was a lot of talk at the time that in the office and the locker room there were conflicting visions, nobody was on the same page. Did you feel that way?
Tanahashi: I didn’t really feel uncertain or unhappy. I always thought I was right, I was full of myself like that, heh. But I felt ‘I chose NJPW because I love it, but I haven’t done anything here yet’, so I didn’t want to leave.
–Did you talk to anybody else about Muto’s offer?
Tanahashi: No, but then I had already made up my mind, really. I just hadn’t told him yet.
–And how did you tell him, in the end?
Tanahashi: I went home to Gifu for a bit, and Muto called me there, asking if I was in or out. To be honest I was thinking ‘oh shit, I forgot to talk to him’ and just said ‘well, I think I’ll stay’. He said ‘ah, ok. Sorry for puttng you on the spot like that’.
–That was a nice thing to say.
Tanahashi: it really was. A true star. Really caring.
