AEW's Konosuke Takeshita Takes NJPW Wrestle Kingdom Title Loss In Stride

By Max Everett
Konosuke Takeshita at Wrestle Kingdom conference Etsuo Hara/Getty Images

Konosuke Takeshita addressed his IWGP World Heavyweight Championship loss to Yota Tsuji at Wrestle Kingdom 20. 

The AEW star followed up a loss in the semi-finals of the Continental Classic to Kazuchika Okada by losing his World Championship in the semi-main event of Sunday's Tokyo Dome show. Having won the G1 Climax last year and dethroned Zack Sabre Jr. in October, Takeshita had completed just one title defense before setting the scene for this weekend's Winner Takes All clash with Tsuji's IWGP Global title also on the line. 

Tsuji won out to become double champion, tapping him out after half an hour of action, and sending Takeshita back to AEW without a title. But Takeshita maintained, talking to press after the event, that he would be back someday and will pursue a rematch with the new champion. 

"Was I able to show a new era, a new style of pro wrestling?" he asked before getting into his mission statement. "Yota Tsuji, you're strong! Someday, I'll go after your belt."

Takeshita had beaten Tsuji in his very first NJPW match in the G1 Climax of 2024, but they later met in their block's playoff stage where Tsuji got the chance to eliminate him and advance. Tsuji finished runner-up in that tournament before Takeshita returned last year and won it. 

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