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220px-Hiroshi tanahashi NJPW

Hiroshi Tanahashi (棚橋 弘至 Tanahashi Hiroshi?, born November 13, 1976)[1][2] is a Japanese professional wrestler who works primarily for New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where he is currently in his second reign as one third of the NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Champions, while also being a former seven-time IWGP Heavyweight Champion, one-time IWGP Intercontinental Champion and a two-time IWGP Tag Team Champion. Through NJPW's working agreements with Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL) and Pro Wrestling Noah, Tanahashi has also held the CMLL World Tag Team Championship, the CMLL World Trios Championship, the CMLL Universal Championship, and the GHC Tag Team Championship. Tanahashi holds the record for most reigns as the IWGP Heavyweight Champion, while his fifth reign holds the record for most successful defenses, with eleven. He has also won NJPW's premier tournament, the G1 Climax, on two occasions (2007 and 2015).

When Tanahashi was inducted into the Wrestling Observer Hall of Fame in 2013, Dave Meltzer stated that "you could make a strong case for him as the best in-ring performer in the business today", adding that he was "the leading star in New Japan Pro Wrestling's comeback from being in terrible shape a few years back to being the No. 2 pro wrestling company in the world".

In wrestling[]

  • Finishing moves
    • High Fly Flow (Frog splash)
  • Signature moves
    • Dragon Suplex Hold; originally used as a finisher
    • Lightning Speed Cradle (Running inside cradle, sometimes as a counter to an oncoming opponent)
    • Sling Blade, sometimes from the top rope[1]
    • Texas cloverleaf
  • Other moves
    • Dragon Rocket (Suicide dive)
    • Dragon screw
    • Dragon sleeper, sometimes while applying a hammerlock
    • Enzuigiri
    • Flash Elbow (Elbow drop, with theatrics)
    • Flying forearm smash
    • Multiple suplex variations
      • Bridging German
      • Bridging half-hatch
      • Release dragon
      • Straight jacket
      • Twelve Six (Leg hook sitout slam)
    • Rolling senton
    • Shining wizard
    • Styles Clash (Belly-to-back inverted mat slam) – 2013–present; adopted from A.J. Styles
    • Twist and Shout (Snap swinging neckbreaker) – 2015–present
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