:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/46023454/njpw1tanahashi.0.0.jpg)
Ring of Honor (ROH) is getting ready for their annual May dates with New Japan Pro Wrestling in Canada and the United States. This year, those shows are happening on May 12 - 13 at the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and May 15 - 16 in Ted Reeve Arena in Toronto, Ontario.
To build excitement for the Philly War of the Worlds shows and the Toronto Global Wars nights, ROH is rolling out the names of the visiting New Japan superstars one at a time. And the first name is someone who will be very familiar to fans who bought Wrestle Kingdom 9 on pay-per-view (PPV) back in January, since he headlined that show and left it with IWGP Heavyweight title.
Hiroshi Tanahashi is the signed to compete at #WarOfTheWorlds & #GlobalWars http://t.co/BSQv5aK7kt pic.twitter.com/qozC3yf0Vf
— ROH Wrestling (@ringofhonor) April 1, 2015
Tanahashi is pretty much unanimously considered to be one of the finest pro wrestlers in the world. While the way he's booked may not be your cup of tea - thus the "Japanese John Cena" jokes - he's a great in-ring storyteller and his High Fly Flow style is always fun to watch.
His amazing seventh reign as IWGP Heavyweight champ was a short one, ended by The Bullet Club's AJ Styles in February at The New Beginning. Styles is, of course, also ROH-affiliated and will most certainly be on some of these May shows, but will probably be kept away from Tanahashi.
But who knows? ROH is asking for fans to Tweet them with suggested match-ups for one of Japan's biggest stars.
Express you excitement and fantasy book his matches below, Cagesiders!