NJPW superstar and former multi-time IWGP World Champion Hiroshi Tanahashi recently spoke with Sports Illustrated to hype up this weekend’s Resurgence event in Long Beach, where The Ace will battle Will Ospreay in the tournament semifinals to determine who will challenge Kenny Omega for the IWGP United States Championship.
During the interview, Tanahashi discussed a number of different topics, which included him providing an update on his rib injury that has slowed him down over the last few months. Here is what he had to say.
My rib injury is completely healed. The last thing I have to do is get my power and speed back, but I am going into Long Beach at 100%.
Regarding Ospreay, Tanahashi calls him one-of-a-kind, someone who is unlike anyone else he’s ever faced before.
Will Ospreay is one-of-a-kind. There’s never been anyone like him, and there never will be. Ospreay has amazing speed and athletic ability, but it’s his power that worries me most. His raw strength is off the charts.
Tanahashi would be asked about his WrestleKingdom 13 main event showdown against Kenny Omega. The Ace recalls the match being a brutal brawl, one that left a bad taste in his mouth.
The match with Kenny Omega in the Tokyo Dome show was a savage one. It left a bad taste in my mouth to have to wrestle that way. For Kenny, there is a chance for revenge. But I have to win the tournament first.
Finally, Tanahashi says he hopes to wrestle Jon Moxley a lot more after their encounter at Forbidden Door last summer.
I hold Jon Moxley in high respect. Moxley’s style is brutal, but there’s a beauty to his brutality. I want to wrestle him a lot more.
The full card to this weekend’s Resurgence can be found here.