Iizuka is hanging it up within the coming month.
New Japan Pro Wrestling has been buzzing with news over the past few hours as Kenny Omega and KUSHIDA are both leaving the company, matches for the 'New Beginning' tour have been announced including an IWGP Heavyweight Championship match between the champion Hiroshi Tanahashi and "Switchblade" Jay White. Also announced during the New Japan presser was that on February 21st a retirement ceremony will be held for former 3-time IWGP Tag Team Champion Takashi Iizuka.
Iizuka has been a part of New Japan dating back to the 1980s and still wrestles for the company to this day as a member of Suzuki-gun. In 2013 Iizuka began making appearances for Pro Wrestling NOAH and during that stretch he became a GHC Tag Team Champion with Toru Yano. The 52-year old Iizuka is now known for making his unique entrances where he appears anywhere but where the other wrestlers enter and is also known for biting opponents during matches and after he finishes up his dates on the upcoming 'New Beginning' tour, the 33-year in-ring career of Takashi Iizuka will be celebrated on February 21st as he retires from the sport of professional wrestling.
Fightful has a video news update about Iizuka's retirement and to view that, head over to the Fightful Pro Wrestling YouTube channel.
