AEW International Champ Konusuke Takeshita Wins Another Title At NJPW Wrestle Kingdom
AEW International Champion Konosuke Takeshita has kicked his year off in style, becoming a double champion by defeating Shingo Takagi for the NEVER Openweight Championship at NJPW's Wrestle Kingdom 19 event.
🏟️WRESTLE KINGDOM 19 in 東京ドーム🏟️
第5試合 NEVER無差別級選手権＆AEWインターナショナルダブル選手権試合
🆚 NEVER王者 @Takagi__Shingo × AEWインターナショナル 王者 @Takesoup登録・視聴はこちらから ⇒ https://t.co/CcdQ1X9P52#NJPW #njpwworld #njwk19 pic.twitter.com/EknlYZLGcM
— NJPW WORLD (@njpwworld) January 4, 2025
The 13-minute match was one that didn't waste any time getting to the big moves, as the two men charged at each other to start off, with Takeshita gaining the upper hand after landing a big elbow strike, a Takeshita-line, and a senton from the middle rope. However, once the action spilled to the outside, Takagi landed a Death Valley Driver on Takeshita to put some space between them. Takagi followed this up with a superplex and a sliding lariat, all of this happening within the first five minutes. The Tokyo Dome crowd were firmly behind Takagi as he shouted his famous catchphrases, but Takeshita wasn't done yet, as the two men exchanged a series of suplexes before Takeshita landed another big elbow, and a wheelbarrow German suplex. Takagi would level the playing field briefly with another lariat, and after some back-and-forth strikes, Takagi hit Made In Japan for a near-fall. Takeshita then quickly mounted his comeback, hitting a Hurricanrana from the top rope, and a knee strike which only got him a one count, while a Blue Thunder Bomb almost got the win but Takagi kicked out.
After just over 10 minutes of action, Takagi landed his Last of the Dragon finisher, but didn't get all of it, allowing Takeshita to kick out, with the two men trading Poisonranas for a double-down. The end of the match came when Takeshita knocked Takagi loopy with some strikes, before hitting the Raging Fire for the win. Once the dust had settled, Takeshita had a stare down with Tomohiro Ishii who was watching on from ringside, as he will now face Takeshita for both the AEW International and NEVER Openweight Championships at Wrestle Dynasty in less than 24 hours.