News

AEW Champion Teases Debuting In Another Promotion

By John Canton • Published 8th January 2025
AEW logo over blurred Daniel Garcia Christian Cage

The final match of Hiroshi Tanahashi in the US has led to a current AEW champion wanting to show up in another company.

Hiroshi Tanahashi plans to make 2025 his last full year as a wrestler with retirement coming at Wrestle Kingdom 20 on January 4th, 2026. Tanahashi is continuing to wrestle for NJPW while also serving as the President of the company.

In his NJPW career, Tanahashi won the IWGP Heavyweight Championship for the first time in 2006 and has gone on to win NJPW’s biggest prize a total of eight times. He is considered one of the greatest stars in the history of Japanese pro wrestling.

The NJPW promotion will be running a show called Windy City Riot from Chicago, Illinois on Friday, April 11 where the company is saying that it will be Tanahashi’s last time wrestling in the United States.

Daniel Garcia is AEW’s TNT Champion who saw the post on X/Twitter promoting the Windy City Riot and he had a message to share about it:

I will be there no matter what

Daniel Garcia Stayed With AEW Because Of His Love For NJPW

It was announced in October 2024 that Daniel Garcia had re-signed with AEW even though WWE made him a significant offer to go there. When talking about his decision to stay with AEW, Garcia spoke about his love for NJPW and the ability to wrestle in other promotions that AEW works with.

“A big part of the reason why I love AEW is that we can go do other things. I can go do indies if I want. We have those relationships with New Japan Pro Wrestling, CMLL, to where I can still get experience other places.

I feel like New Japan Pro Wrestling was always my dream when I first started being a wrestler. That’s something I always wanted to accomplish. I wouldn’t feel full in my wrestling career until I get to have a little stint there. I feel like keeping those doors open [was] very important to me.”

Daniel Garcia has yet to wrestle on an NJPW show other than co-produced Forbidden Door shows with AEW. Based on his comments on social media, it sounds like Garcia wants to be part of the Windy City Riot event that will feature Hiroshi Tanahashi’s final match in the United States.