New Japan Pro Wrestling announced the first two matches for the card of their Windy City 2025 event, which takes place on April 11th at the Wintrust Arena in Chicago, Illinois.
The first new match announced was a singles match of Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Konosuke Takeshita.
The second new match announced was a NJPW Strong Openweight Championship 30-Minute Iron Man match of Tomohiro Ishii vs. Gabe Kidd (c).
Both of these new matches were setup during this past Sunday’s Battle in the Valley 2025 event over Takeshita challenging Tanahashi to be his opponent for his final match of his career in the United States and Kidd challenging Ishii for a rematch under Iron Man rules.
Two massive matches set for Windy City Riot!
Tanahashi’s last US match, Ironman match for STRONG title confirmed for April 11
The first two matches have been made official for Windy City Riot, and NJPW’s return to Chicago on April 11. Last year, Chicago showed up in force for one of the most memorable events of 2024, and 2025 is sure to be just as hard fought-and emotional.
Topmost in fans’ minds heading into this Chicago event will be the final ever match on US soil for the Ace, Hiroshi Tanahashi. From defending the IWGP Heavyweight Championship to winning IWGP United States gold in New Japan’s return from the pandemic, to memorable outings in TNA, ROH and AEW, Tanahashi’s legacy is indelible in America as it is Japan. With his last match coming up on January 4 2026 however, the final road for the Ace runs through Chicago for its last American stop, opposite the Alpha Konosuke Takeshita.
Way back in 2014, Tanahashi wrestled a then teenage prodigy Takeshita in DDT, and was far from charitable in his comments toward either Takeshita or his then home promotion following the match. The Ace’s comments back then that the two ‘didn’t belong in the same conversation’ would lit a fire that burned brightly in Takeshita, and saw his transformation from the ‘The Future’ to ‘the Alpha’ and now NEVER and AEW International Champion.
Takeshita will not let Tanahashi retire without taking out this pent up aggression on Tanahashi, and while this is a Final Road “Kinship” match for the Ace, feelings will be anything but friendly. In Chicago, Takeshita will seek to show he is erverything to the modern era that Tanahashi was to his own, and perhaps more.
Also official for Chicago is a rematch for Gabe Kidd and Tomohiro Ishii, under Ironman Match rules. At Battle in the Valley, an intense, wild fight for Ishii and Kidd saw both men at their hard hitting best, battling for the NJPW STRONG Openweight Championship. As both men went the 30 minute distance with no decision rendered however, Kidd took a draw as good as a loss. Now, it might not be one fall that decides this issue for the Mad Man and the Stone Pitbull; under the Ironman Match rules, the most decisions rendered in the 30 minute time period will settle the bout and the fate of the STRONG gold. Should the two tie again however, sudden death will mean they will go as long as it takes. Who will leave the better man?
Current card for NJPW Windy City Riot 2025:
- NJPW Strong Openweight Championship 30-Minute Iron Man match – Tomohiro Ishii vs. Gabe Kidd (c)
- Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Konosuke Takeshita
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