Hiroshi Tanahashi Recalls Getting Stabbed In 2002, Trying To Return To The Ring For Tokyo Dome Show

Hiroshi Tanahashi speaks of the time he got stabbed nearly two decades ago and his journey back into the ring.

Back in November 2002, Tanahashi was a victim of a stabbing incident and was out of action for months, dealing with a collapsed lung. That still didn’t stop Tanahashi from doing his best to try and wrestle on the January 4, 2003 show at the Tokyo Dome. In an interview with NJPW as part of the “Ace’s HIGH” series, Tanahashi admitted that it was foolish of him to target a return to the ring that soon.

“Looking back, it was a bit selfish of me, to want to be back for the Tokyo Dome. In the end, I couldn’t get back in time, and I ended up being in Manabu Nakanishi and Masahiro Chono’s corner,” Tanahashi said.

Prior to the January 4, 2003 show, Tanahashi did have a sparring session with Chono to determine whether or not he could wrestle and Tanahashi was deemed unable to wrestle at the show. Tanahashi ended up being Chono’s corner and spoke on the reaction he got from the crowd as well as his physical state of that sparring session.

“I think it wasn’t so much a negative reaction as apathy that was problematic to me. The thing is even if I were put into a match I was in no state to have a good one. You have to remember I was coming back from a collapsed lung; when I sparred with Chono I was absolutely blown up inside of a couple of minutes,” Tanahashi said.

You can check out the full interview at this link.