Manabu Nakanishi to Retire on February 22

New Japan Pro-Wrestling held a press conference on January 7. The conference was primarily concerned with the events that had transpired at Wrestle Kingdom 14. However, President Naoki Sugabayashi also announced that wrestler Manabu Nakanishi would be retiring from in-ring competition on February 22, at an event at Korakuen Hall, in Tokyo. His retirement match has yet to be announced.

Nakanishi:
On February 22 2020 in Korakuen Hall, I will retire. Due to a neck injury I couldn't compete for a long time but I kept wrestling after that. I gave all I had and by that date on February 22 I plan to have put in all I have left. #njpw

— NJPW Global (@njpwglobal) January 7, 2020

Nakanishi, age 52, began his wrestling career in 1992 in New Japan Pro-Wrestling, following an amateur wrestling career that included participation in the 1992 Barcelona Summer Olympics. Following a stint as a young lion, he spent several years in World Championship Wrestling under the alias Kurasawa. He has been an active wrestler in NJPW since 1996, and has held accolades including an IWGP Heavyweight Championship reign, three IWGP Tag Team Championship reigns, and a single G1 Climax victory.