Hiroshi Tanahashi (49), president of New Japan Pro-Wrestling, who retired on the 4th of this month, updated his Instagram on the 17th. He posted a photo of his new hairstyle, a refreshing short black haircut, in which he cut off his trademark bright long hair, announcing, "I got a haircut." He also posted on X (formerly Twitter) with the hashtag "#haircuttingceremony" and wrote, "My hair is now shorter."

Tanahashi's retirement match took place at the Tokyo Dome on the 4th of this month, where he fought a fierce battle with Kazuchika Okada (38) for 33 minutes and 3 seconds before being defeated with a Rainmaker. In front of a packed house of 46,913 people, Tanahashi announced his intention to end his 26-year career as a professional wrestler and focus on his role as president by cutting his trademark bright long hair.

At the Pro Wrestling Awards ceremony on the 7th, he announced a makeover, saying, "I'm going to cut off the back of my hair. I'll become a cool older man (laughs)." He continued, "I'm thinking of going for a more subdued hair color. It's a change of scenery for me. I used to believe that professional wrestlers had long hair in the back, but I misunderstood that (laughs). With my retirement and my role as president in mind, I hope that cutting my hair will finally bring about a change of scenery for me."