Episode 104: The Tiger Column
July 7, 2026
Today, on July 7, 2026, Tiger Mask IV will pull down the curtain on his 30-year journey as a professional wrestler right in the ring at Korakuen Hall.
The holy ground of our sport, packed to a completely sold-out crowd, will undoubtedly be enveloped in a sense of sadness—but even more so, by roaring Tiger Chants and thunderous applause of gratitude.
Tiger-san, thank you so much for your incredibly long and dedicated service. I offer you my deepest, most heartfelt respect.
Looking back, Tiger-san and I share memories together that I will never forget. One could say our origin point goes back exactly 20 years ago to 2006—at the inaugural event of WRESTLE LAND, an experimental brand that had just chosen to make its roaring debut.
In the main event of that show, instead of my usual long tights, I wore black short tights—the absolute symbol of the traditional Strong Style—and clashed with Tiger-san in a singles match.
While I received highly positive reviews that the short tights "suited me well," I also remember there were plenty of opinions saying, "You should just stick to the black short tights on a regular basis!" (Laughs).
Steering the conversation back, amidst that highly unconventional, creative environment of WRESTLE LAND, I can still vividly recall the sharp, piercing sobat (back kick) and the ferocious, tiger-style offense unleashed by Tiger-san.
A massive block of time then passed, and during my own "Final Road" series in July 2025, I stood across the ring from Tiger-san in a singles match once again. The bittersweet, vivid memories of that night in WRESTLE LAND came rushing right back into the forefront of my mind.
The moment we exchanged a rock-solid handshake inside the ring after that match, I felt as though we were firmly validating our unbreakable bond as "brothers-in-arms" who had battled through the turbulent, chaotic eras of New Japan Pro-Wrestling side by side.
The entity known as Tiger Mask IV carried the lineage of the legendary First Generation. While he surely faced a mountain of immense pressure, he successfully established his own definitive, unique identity as Tiger Mask. His contributions to defending the rings of New Japan and continuously providing dreams to the fans—no matter how grueling or difficult the dark ages of the promotion became—are completely immeasurable.
Tonight’s retirement match will feature two highly passionate, distinct bouts that Tiger-san personally requested, completely fitting for his "final chapter as Tiger Mask." I ask all of you to please pour your maximum voice into the Tiger Chants.
As the President of New Japan Pro-Wrestling, I will firmly etch his final, majestic performance into my own eyes.
To be completely honest, I feel like this is going to tug at my heartstrings even more than my own retirement match did.
Let's all come together to send off the final, heroic display of the Golden Tiger!
GO! GO! TIGER!
GO! GO! TIGER!