Emotional Scenes As NJPW Star Wrestles Final Match Before Exit

There were emotional scenes in Osaka as a multiple-time NJPW champion competed in his final match before leaving the company.

NJPW was rocked in 2025 by the exits of Tetsuya Naito and BUSHI from the company, but few knew then that the company was facing a completely new era in the coming months.

Hiroshi Tanahashi retired from the ring at Wrestle Kingdom in January 2026 to fully focus on his role as the company’s president. It’s since been revealed that former IWGP World Heavyweight Champion EVIL is on his way out of NJPW and could be joining WWE.

Another former Los Ingobernables de Japon star then confirmed they were leaving as well, and now the time has come to say goodbye for Hiromu Takahashi.

Hiromu Takahashi Says See You Later To NJPW

At The New Beginning in Osaka, Takahashi competed in his final NJPW match as he teamed with Taiji Ishimori to defeat United Empire members Jakob Austin Young and Francesco Akira. Takahashi forced Young to submit to win the bout.

Afterwards, Takahashi began to say his goodbyes to the crowd when he was attacked by his United Empire opponents, only for Robbie X to run in and make the save.

After Yota Tsuji successfully defended his IWGP Heavyweight Title in the main event, he gave Hiromu Takahashi a proper chance to say his farewells. Takahashi told the crowd that even though he was leaving, he still wanted to win the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Title again as well as the IWGP Heavyweight Title, and that it was not goodbye, just see you later.

Takahashi’s teammates in his current group, Unbound Co., then celebrated with him, including Yuto-Ice, who was very emotional as he said goodbye.

Takahashi leaves NJPW as a 5-time IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion, and he also had reigns with the NEVER Openweight Six-Man Tag Team Title and the IWGP Tag Team Championship.