Yoshinari Ogawa Retires From Pro Wrestling

Following a career spanning 39 years, it was announced today by Pro Wrestling NOAH that Yoshinari Ogawa has retired from professional wrestling due to a neck injury. Following Ogawa's request, there won't be a retirement press conference or ceremony and it seems he will simply disappear from pro wrestling. 

"#BREAKING Yoshinari Ogawa has decided to retire with immediate effect due to his neck injury Ogawa, who debuted in 1985, is a former GHC Heavyweight, GHC Tag, GHC JR HVT Tag & GHC JR Champ. At Ogawa's strong request, there will be no retirement press conf. or ceremony," NOAH tweeted.

Yoshinari Ogawa began his career in All Japan Pro-Wrestling in 1985 and he established himself as one of the promotion's top junior heavyweights in the 1990s, becoming a three-time AJPW World Junior Heavyweight Champion, during which he was part of legendary stables like Tsuruta-gun and Holy Demon Army. He became a longtime tag team partner of Mitsuharu Misawa in 1998 and they had one reign in All Japan as All Asia Tag Team Champions. 

Ogawa was part of the exodus from AJPW to form Pro Wrestling NOAH in 2000, where he continued to team with Misawa until Misawa's untimely death in 2009. Ogawa enjoyed considerable success during his 24-year stint in NOAH, becoming a two-time GHC Tag Team Champion with Misawa, and Ogawa reigned as GHC Heavyweight Champion in 2002, holding the belt for 153 days. 

Ogawa became a featured performer in the junior heavyweight division in NOAH and he is a nine-time GHC Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champion, having held the belts with the likes of Zack Sabre Jr., HAYATA, Chris Ridgeway, and Eita between 2013 and 2023. Ogawa captured the GHC Junior Heavyweight Title in 2020, becoming the fourth man to hold NOAH's four major GHC titles behind only Naomichi Marufuji, KENTA, and Takashi Sugiura.