Professional wrestling is a sport that allows for older people to still compete at a somewhat-high level. Some, like Ultimo Guerrero and Randy Orton, just kept going as usual in spite of their age. Others, like Tomohiro Ishii or LA Park, had to adapt to different circumstances due to their age, but had consistently good or better work since. But, there are some that should’ve just hung up the boots when they had the chance.
Tetsuya Naito is one of those wrestlers that should’ve just hung it up, more specifically last year after leaving New Japan Pro-Wrestling.
None of this article is to take away from Naito’s career as a whole. Naito is a five-time International Wrestling Grand Prix Heavyweight champion, eight-time IWGP Intercontinental champion, three-time winner of the Grade-1 Climax and has main evented Wrestle Kingdom five times. He was also one of the pivotal members of both Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre’s “Los Ingobernables” and NJPW’s “Los Ingobernables de Japón” (“LIJ”) stables, being a founding member and only leader of the latter. All things considered, Naito has had a historic career, so much so that he could have a spot in the “Greatest Wrestler Ever” list done by the forum Pro Wrestling Only every decade. He was nominated in 2016, but, with a much weaker case than he has now, didn’t make the list.
However, like most athletes, age and injuries caught up with Naito, compared to most of his contemporaries who are still going at a high level. Naito would leave New Japan alongside fellow “LIJ” member BUSHI in May, citing dissatisfaction with the company as a whole for his departure and ending “Los Ingobernables de Japón” in the process.
Since leaving, Naito has been a freelancer. Naito and BUSHI have formed “Los Tranquilos de Japón”, a spiritual successor to “LIJ”, which currently contains the two in addition to third-generation wrestler Ryusei Yasuda (better known by the ring name RYUSEI, he is the brother of New Japan Pro-Wrestling’s Masatora Yasuda and son of the luchador Zumbido) and standout Spanish prospect Angel Reyes. Naito also holds two championships, the Southeast Asian championship in Singapore Pro Wrestling and the Global Honored Crown Tag Team championship alongside BUSHI in Pro-Wrestling NOAH.
Despite holding titles and receiving bookings in Japan, the rest of Asia and Europe, Naito’s in-ring performance itself has fallen off of a cliff. He seems extremely disinterested with most of his matches, with knee injuries and consistent eye problems certainly not helping with his ability to perform either.
As far as I watched, Naito’s best match since leaving New Japan was against Connor Mills at Banger Zone Wrestling, but even then that match was fine. While this match did have some frankly-sometimes-good matwork, a lot of it falls under Naito’s typical involvement in matches nowadays. That formula sees Naito come in, just be there for most of the match, and then attempt, and sometimes perform, his greatest hits.
It’s kind of sad, really. But, Naito isn’t the only wrestler going well past their glory days. In the U.S.A., Chris Jericho spent years stinking up All Elite Wrestling and Ring of Honor’s products before having his contract frozen recently. In Mexico, there are guys like Canek, Rayo de Jalisco Jr. and Blue Demon Jr. still going, despite the fact they’re well past their prime. However, the main difference between them and Naito is their ages. Naito is only 43, while Jericho is 55, Blue Demon Jr. is 59, Rayo de Jalisco Jr. is 66 and Canek is 73. Naito is, at the very least, 12 years younger than these guys and is someone I’d say needs to hang it up.
Frankly, I hope Naito is able to get what he needs in order to return to his peak performance in a safe and healthy manner. However, given he’s been wrestling with all the problems I mentioned previously for a while now, I really doubt it.
