WRESTLING NEWS
Facts Only Hardcore Fans Know About Konosuke Takeshita
By RUSS GOOD
At the 2012 DDT "Peter Pan" show, the 17-year-old Konosuke Takeshita debuted against the former DDT Extreme Champion El Generico (Sami Zayn) in a competitive match where the teenager put in his best efforts. Takeshita took some brutal offense but never looked overwhelmed and presented himself as a worthy challenge to Generico.
Facing A WWE Veteran
Takeshita hadn't graduated from high school when, according to f4wonline, "Takeshita was named Rookie of the Year in Japan." At 16 years of age, Takeshita showed enormous promise as a trainee for DDT, and he got to work with some of the promotion's biggest stars to promote him as "The Future."
Rookie Of The Year
In July 2022, AEW announcer Excalibur announced, "Konosuke Takeshita is a man that wrote his graduate thesis on the German Suplex." The Nippon Sports Science University graduate wrote a 20-page essay about the pro wrestling move with details with references to masters of the move like Daisuke Sekimoto and Yoshihiro Takiyama.
His Thesis On German Suplex
Takeshita was facing the top-notch performers in DDT in only his first year and the promotion was putting him in the ring with the big names, showing their confidence in him. After partnering with Kota Ibushi, Takeshita also shared the ring with Kenny Omega, Tatsumi Fujinami, and Danshoku Dino — the man who inspired him to get into the business.
Facing The Big Names
In a decade as a pro wrestler, Takeshita has over 900 matches, but regarding his favorite match, he has said, "My turning point [was] me and Tetsuya Endo vs Kenny and Ibushi." On September 28, 2014, Takeshita and Tetsuya Endo as "Happy Motel" took the DDT KO-D Tag Team Titles off champions "Golden Lovers" Kenny Omega and Kota Ibushi.
His Favorite Match