Earlier this month, Tama Tonga became the new NEVER Openweight Champion by defeating Shingo Takagi at Wrestle Kingdom 18. However, in a backstage segment, Tonga announced that he would be leaving NJPW at the end of January.
Today, Tama Tonga dropped the NEVER Openweight Title to EVIL at The New Beginning in Nagoya. This was Tonga’s final match in New Japan Pro Wrestling.
After the bout, Tonga addressed the fans.
“New Japan fans, thank you. Thank you for everything, thank you for taking care of me, thank you for giving me a home, thank you for giving me a chance to know you, I love you.”
Tama Tonga said the following backstage at The New Beginning in Nagoya:
“Where would I be if it wasn’t for New Japan? Where would I be if it wasn’t for the New Japan fans? I’ll tell you what I wouldn’t be, I wouldn’t be right here right now. 15 years later, everything I’ve learned not just about wrestling… about the Japanese culture of people and work, this has been the greatest experience of my life, and I’ll never forget it. It will be with me everywhere I go, and it will be seen anywhere I go. All because of New Japan and the fans, I love you all.”
Tama Tonga was asked what the biggest memory of his New Japan Pro Wrestling life was. He said the following:
“The friendships that I made here, the lifelong friends that experienced I had with fans, I remember that forever.”