Tony Khan confirms if he blocked WWE's Shinsuke Nakamura from facing beloved star in his retirement match

One of Shinsuke Nakamura's former rivals is set to have their retirement match soon. There have been rumors that Tony Khan has blocked this match from happening, and he has finally addressed this.

Hiroshi Tanahashi, the Ace of NJPW, is set to compete in his final match in the squared circle at Wrestle Kingdom 20 this weekend at the Tokyo Dome. While many hoped there would be a way for him and Shinsuke Nakamura to face off one final time, this did not happen. Instead, another longtime rival of his in Kazuchika Okada, will be the one to retire him.

While appearing on Q101, Tony Khan was asked about the rumor that he had blocked Shinsuke Nakamura from facing Tanahashi, and instead found a way to have Okada do so. He thought it was entertaining and very detailed, but debunked this, saying that none of it was true.

“That is actually something I read about and I was surprised to read that,” Khan said. “I’m not sure where that all came from, I don’t really understand some of that story. It was a very detailed story with a lot of, if I may, it seemed like they thought they could read minds when they wrote that story. Not only did they say this happened and this happened, but he felt his way about it and he felt this way about it and then he was thinking. It’s like, well, are you telepathic? A lot of that never happened and a lot of it was like, how would you know what that guy was thinking or that guy? I thought that was an interesting story, I’ll put it that way.”

He then mentioned how he had gotten to talk to Tanahashi about the match, and how having Okada as his final opponent made for an iconic moment. He enjoyed the partnership AEW had with NJPW and how the Rainmaker could be part of a big moment like this.

“I’ve talked to him extensively about his retirement, worked with him and the idea of having Kazuchika Okada as his final opponent, it’s such an iconic thing. Their rivalry is so important to New Japan Pro Wrestling and to both men’s careers an to what has gone on to be a very successful promotion with AEW. I think it’s perfect and I’m very happy involved for Okada to be involved at Wrestle Kingdom as the final opponent of Tanahashi for his retirement match.” [H/T WrestlingNews.Co]

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Shinsuke Nakamura was recently spotted with an AEW star

With Wrestle Kingdom 20 just around the corner, unfortunately, fans won't be able to see Shinsuke Nakamura, as he is affiliated with WWE. But he recently spent time with a popular AEW star who is also set to be on the show.

At the pay-per-view, Konosuke Takeshita is set to take on Yota Tsuji in a title vs. title match. Both the IWGP World Heavyweight and Global Heavyweight Championships will be on the line that night.

A few days before this major bout, Takeshita posted pictures during his time in Savannah, Georgia. He was with Shinsuke Nakamura, who had his dog with him.

Wrestle Kingdom 20 is stacked with some blockbuster bouts, so this is a show that everyone should check out if they can. Apart from the top NJPW talent, two of the biggest AEW stars now and Takeshita and Okada will be on the card, so this is must-see action.

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Edited by Enzo Curabo