Legendary professional wrestler Tanahashi Hiroshi wrote a message to the fans in Cygames Magazine on his role as Beelzebub
(translated from Cygames Magazine: all errors are vibratingsheep’s)
Hi, this is Tanahashi Hiroshi, president of New Japan Pro Wrestling and active professional wrestler. In a commercial that started airing December 22, 2025, I play the role of Beelzebub from Granblue Fantasy (GBF).
I was surprised that, with my retirement match coming up on January 4, 2026, the offer for the role in the commercial came in. It’s an honor to be part of a franchise as well loved as GBF, and when you love pranks and surprises as much as I do, it was clear as day that I wanted to do this!
Beelzebub is cool in all the ways that make him the exact opposite of me, but as soon as I put on the costume I got way more into the role than I expected (laughs). When I was filming the commercial, I really felt the Cygames touch and they lived up to their slogan of creating the best in entertainment. We at NJPW strive to create the best in professional wrestling, so we connected on that level.
My story is very much like the story of GBF, an adventure surrounded by close friends and comrades . The fans and my fellow wrestlers have supported me my entire career and I would not have been able to do it without them. This was especially true during the COVID-19 pandemic, when the fans came to support us while keeping everyone around them safe. I am truly proud of the fans during that time. I hope that the fans and all the GBF skyfarers will be able to enjoy this little prrformance. I love you all!
Tanahashi Hiroshi