#konosuke takeshita imagine

[thesupreme316]

Hey hun! I was wondering if you wrote for Takeshita? If you do can I have him and a gender neutral reader baking cinnamon rolls together?

Cinnabon Love (Konosuke Takeshita x GN!Reader):

Summary: You and Takeshita bake cinnamon rolls together.

Word Count: 931

Supreme Speaks: hey yall, thanks to anon for requesting this (sorry for taking so long). also thanks for being patient. it was my first time writing for him but I hope I did him justice. please remember that you are loved and appreciated.

Warnings: I AM TALKING ABOUT PRE DON CALLIS (EW) TAKESHITA CUZ MY LIL CINNAMON ROLL BOI WAS PURE AND DELIGHTFUL

Taglist: @wwenhlimagines @hooks-martin @sheinthatfandom @cassie0sstuff @triscillal

We all know that Takeshita loves Cinnabon

Like you were even doubting that he loves you because of how much he talks about it/eats it

I mean did he have a relationship confirmation on Twitter with the company

You: So is this our relationship? Or am I the third-wheeler?

Takeshita: You are the third wheeler….don’t ever think otherwise

You never understood what was so special about them…especially when you could get a whole pack from Walmart at a cheaper price

He gave you major side-eyes when you said that

Sometimes he would be very heartbroken that he couldn’t get some either due to a time crunch or the state not having one

So when you told him that you could make some at home; he lit up like a Christmas tree

But he quickly went back to his pouting state as he said he was a horrible baker

To which all you said was that he just had to put the desert on the sheet and bake it

You took him to the store and he just stared at the different products Cinnabon had

Cinnamon rolls, cookies, cake, even breakfast sandwiches

But he ultimately decided to get cinnamon rolls and cookies after a rough day (of Don Callis trying to corrupt his sweet mind)

You brought the bags in as Takeshita raced to the kitchen, slamming the chilled dough on the counter. Quickly, you put the groceries up while Takeshita was scrambling for bowls. Once he found said bowl and slammed the cabinet door shut, he slumped his shoulders, pausing all actions. You looked over at him confused, questioning why he suddenly lost energy.

“Takeshita, honey, what’s wrong?” You asked

He looked over at you with puppy dog eyes, “I don’t know what to put in the bowl. Even if I did, I can’t bake.” If this man was a dog, you would have sworn you saw his tail stop wagging. You giggled a little bit.

“Honey, we don’t have to mix anything. Cinnabon has their rolls ready to bake.” You said as you wrapped your arms around his tall (beautiful, structured, golden, toned-) body. He smiled as he put an arm over your back, reciprocating the embrace. But you couldn’t help to notice that his hand twitched when it made contact with your back, it only does that when a certain thing happens. You sighed as you proceeded to ask, “Takeshita, did you slam your finger in the cabinet?” He nodded slowly against the top of your head. “Do you want ice?”

A moment of silence went by, and as soon as you were gonna repeat yourself, Takeshita spoke up in a very sheepish and quiet tone, “Yes, please.”

After getting him the ice, you instructed him to sit down as you popped open the cylinder of cinnamon roll dough. His eyes lit up as he saw the raw dough rise ever so slightly. With his other hand, he started to place the rolls in the buttered pan. You soon had to take over as he nearly ate a raw roll and almost dropped the pan.

You slid the full pan into the hot oven, damn near burning your eyebrows off. As you closed the oven door, music started to play in the background. You turned around to Takeshita doing a little dance, making you laugh. You joined in and started dating as time went on. As the rolls were baking, Takeshita played some of his favorite songs and reminisced about the trips you two would take to different bakeries (each time having a different lead-up).

As the last minutes approached, Takeshita just sat in front of the oven, waiting for it to ding. When it did, you nearly ate the floor trying to make sure he didn’t open it immediately and take out the scorching pan.

“Why are you getting in the way of my love?” He pouted. You rolled your eyes as he basically disregarded you.

“They need to cool down first and then you can touch them…you overgrown toddler.” You said smacking his noninjured hand away.

As soon as the rolls came out of the oven, Takeshita started to ice them (you didn’t even know when he heated the icing). You stayed back and just watched as joy overtook his face. You loved seeing him so happy, especially after a long week of traveling and wrestling. You knew he needed this; a very cheap and content version of therapy.

You watched him plate a single cinnamon roll, grab a fork, and dig into it. Biting into it, a smile took over Takeshita’s face (and yours as well). “How does it taste?” You asked leaning your head on your hand.

“It tastes even better cause we made it together.” He said with a massive grin on his face. Your heart fluttered at the statement. You reached over the counter, aiming to pick up a roll. But your chance was quickly stopped as Takeshita’s hand lightly hit yours with the icing spoon. You dropped your jaw in disbelief as he didn’t allow you to get a treat. “No, you can eat one of your disgusting Walmart rolls.” He said with a mocking voice. Your face scrunched up before he gave you a small corner of his on a napkin.

The nerve of this man….but you still loved him regardless.

[daddyhausen]

last one (i said i had ideas)

just simple, sweet “boyfriend konosuke takeshita” headcanons 🖤🖤

• boyfriend headcannons — konosuke takeshita •

.*•…………………..•⊹•…………………..•*.

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{ masterlists } | { aew masterlist } | { konosuke takeshita masterlist }

.*•…………………..•⊹•…………………..•*.

{ warnings } —none

{ word count } — 212

{ pairing } — fem!reader x konosuke takeshita

{ genre } — fluff

.*•…………………..•⊹•…………………..•*.

{ taglist } — @cosmoholic13 @boutmachines @thewrestlingbitch @omg-im-such-a-masochist @baysexuality @legit9thlunaticwarrior @slut4kennyomega @wardlow @alexisquinnlee-bc @sammiejane22 @im-just-a-mississippi-girl @omegasluvbot @melissahausen @writtingrose @drummergrl1310 @unoficialy-married-to-ace-austin @bonehead-playz @cherrytheeredheadmamaclaymore @crowleysqueenofhell @romanreigns-supreme @janetreader @thenerdybaker523 @sunshinevirus @nicoleveno14 @rubyred1980 @elsteenerico @igncrxntripley

{ comment if you want to be added to the taglist }

.*•…………………..•⊹•…………………..•*.

he’s always been super shy around you

to some extent it heightened when the two of you started dating

something so simple as holding hands would make him blush

no so much with embarrassment

more so because he was so incredibly in love with you

he adores everything you do

your beauty, your style, the way you reciprocate his affections in ways that some people might find unappealing or way too clingy

he loves the way you stick your tongue out in concentration when you’re deep in thought

or the way you scrunch up your nose in frustration

the language barrier can be. a difficult challenge at times

his reactions are the cutest when he’s trying to understand, same goes for you

date nights are quite simple, i don’t think he’s really one to plan anything too extravagant unless its for a special occasion such as an anneversery or a birthday

he prefers quality time over anything

most of your dates reside within the home

cuddled up on the couch watching movies or making forts with pillows and blankets in the backyard

he’ll teach you some words in japanese and you would teach him some in english

he hopes to take you to japan one day so you can meet his family

.*•…………………..•⊹•…………………..•*.

[gh0st-patr0l]

God FUCKING damn it Kyle. I guess Takeshita's pussy is just that good

[sheinthatfandom]

prompt: Asking permission to send a dick pic

rating: T

word count: 632 of the words in story idk how many in the texting picture

pairing: blackpool polycule, konosuke takeshita/Bryan danielson

@wrestleprompts hopefully I’m doing this right lol

“Okay, walk me through this so I understand. Bryan asked for a dick pic? Your dick?”

“Hello Yuta, I believe so yes.”

He sighed tiredly, “Hello Konosuke, can you tell me exactly what was said?”

“Well, we talked about my plans for upcoming matches. I told him that Don thinks Kenny and I should go for the tag titles but I was thinking the international championship.”

Yuta nodded along even though Takeshita couldn't see him. “Okay umm, so what, Bryan invited you to BCC?”

Yuta fought back against the hurt feelings bubbling up inside him. Bryan promised he would discuss with the group any future prospects instead of what he did with Danny.

“No no no, I do not want to join the Blackpool Combat Club and Bryan never asked me.”

Claudio walked out of the bathroom a cloud of steam drifted in behind him as he titled his head to Yuta. A silent message, he quickly shook his head letting his boyfriend know all was well.

“Okay, so you were talking about your career and which alliance you were joining okay, where did the dick pic talk come from?”

Claudio coughed out a laugh and quickly tried to cover his mouth to not interrupt the call. Yuta playfully hit the Swiss man's still wet arm before Claudio seated them both on the bed. Yutas back pressed against a warm chest.

“Ah well, I don't feel comfortable telling you. I just wanted to make sure it was okay. I don’t want to cause a rift.”

“Oh man no there’s no rift. We’re all allowed to go outside the group and me and Bryan are good now.”

Claudio kissed the side of Yutas head and he smiled. The thought of Bryan and Konosuke together was an interesting one. They both have beautiful long, soft, pull-able hair. And Takeshita looked like he’d make great noises once he had someone meticulous in doling out pleasure and hearing them. The intrigued hum from Claudio signaled Yuta wasn’t the only one thinking of the pair together and liking it.

“Look if you’re interested in him and you want my permission you got it. Send him the dick pic. Do you need advice on how to snap the photo?”

He could practically hear the eye roll through the line, “no I can do that myself thank you. Good bye Yuta”

“Bye Takeshita, have fun.”

Claudio squeezed Yuta around his middle, pressing a soft wet kiss to his neck.

“How are you feeling Hase?”

“I was telling the truth, I don’t mind Bryan and Konosuke. I’m just protective of the club I guess.”

A thoughtful hum was his only reply, the silence making Yuta continue.

“I know this is supposed to be a school and we’re going to have to bring more guys in someday but-“

“-You don’t wish to have everyone we train also share our bed. That’s understandable meine liebe, but that’s not going to happen. I don’t think any of our dicks could handle the strain.”

“Claudio!

“I mean, if we had 100 students even with the 4 of us that’s only so many holes we could fill.”

Yuta was crying through his laughter, his abs hurting from laughing so hard. “Oh my god Claudio, I can’t!”

“Neither can I, even with pills I can’t see it being done. I guess I’ll just have to fill myself with you then.”

Yuta was flipped onto his back before he realized it but he didn’t complain. There was more important things to focus on, like sweet Swiss lips against his.

[wrestlingisfake]

Wrestle Dynasty preview

Half of this card is effectively a spoiler for last night's show, so watch out for spoilers.

Also, I thought this show was going to overlap with AEW Collision, but it looks like Collision airs 8-10pm EST, and the Wrestle Dynasty pre-show starts at 10pm EST. So unless AEW does a big overrun, it's fine!

Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Ricochet - Sabre is defending the IWGP world title. On November 4, both Shota Umino and Ricochet challenged Sabre for the belt. Last night, Zack took care of Shota, and now it's Ricochet's turn. Ricochet grew up in Paducah; I'm guessing this is the first time anyone from Kentucky has ever headlined the Tokyo Dome.

Cagematch lists seven singles bouts between these two, between 2013 and 2017. Sabre leads the series with four wins, but Ricochet won their last three encounters. Of course, that was all before Sabre joined NJPW full-time, and Ricochet signed with WWE. Both men are older and wiser today, but the fundamentals of the matchup haven't changed--it's a noodly grapply guy versus a speedy flippy guy.

Over in AEW, Ricochet has been trying real hard to be a contemptible jackass, to the point that fans pelted him with toilet paper in the Hammerstein Ballroom. It's not clear if the New Japan crowd will be as hostile to him. (For example, Konosuke Takeshita would get booed in the US just for bringing Don Callis out with him, but last night nobody in Japan seemed to mind.) I'm curious if Ricochet will try to work as a heel, or if he'll just go whichever way the crowd leads him.

It would be remarkable if Sabre drops the title tonight, less than 24 hours after crushing Umino's dreams. But I just don't see it happening. Putting the IWGP world belt on an AEW guy is a cool idea, but they just did it last year with Jon Moxley, and Ricochet is no Jon Moxley. I expect Sabre to retain here, and take the world title to San Jose against Hechicero, and Osaka against (presumably) Hirooki Goto.

Gabe Kidd vs. Kenny Omega - Kidd is the STRONG men's champion, but the title isn't on the line in this match. This is Omega's first match since December 5, 2023; ten days after that, he announced he had been hospitalized for diverticulitis.

To hype his in-ring return, Kenny did a media tour in Japan a couple of months ago. In an interview he was asked about up-and-coming NJPW wrestlers and namedropped "Greg Kidd." Gabe's whole character is being a fucking psycho with a short fuse, so you can imagine how well he took that. When Omega appeared on the November 4, show, they staged a backstage fight with Kidd, and at that point you knew this match had to happen.

Omega is a big draw for New Japan, and knows how to build himself up as a "final boss" type that shouldn't lose. That being said, Kidd reacts to everything like a soccer hooligan with rabies after you cut him off in traffic, and that energy is enough to make me think he can punch above his weight against anyone. Like, Kenny is going to do his big Final Fantasy entrance and show of his finesse and Gabe is going to fucking throw a chair at his mouth.

The fun thing with Kidd is that, even when his psycho brawling seems to be overwhelming his opponent, his rage and pride work against him, and he makes mistakes that cost him the match. If he ever learns to control that, he'll be unstoppable, but we're years away from that happening. Ordinarily I'd say Omega would be able to weather the storm for a surefire victory. But if Kidd hits Omega RIGHT IN THE DIVERTICULITIS~! (and they've made it clear that will happen), then there's a logical way for Kenny to put Gabe over. As far as I'm concerned, this match is too close to call.

Yota Tsuji vs. Jack Perry - Tsuji won the IWGP global title last night, so this is his first defense. This match was made weeks ago, when Perry laid out Tsuji on November 8. I guess Perry is mad that he didn't win the New Japan Cup, and Tsuji did? Or maybe Jack sees Tsuji as the kind of smiling popular babyface that he used to try to be. It probably doesn't matter.

Perry has been absent from AEW ever since he lost the TNT championship. It is implied, but not directly stated, that he has joined his cohorts Matt and Nick Jackson in hiding, "working from home" to avoid a run-in with Jon Moxley's Death Riders. This match might give us some insight into what's next for the little guy, but I sort of doubt it.

Giving Perry the win wouldn't be a bad thing, except Tsuji literally just won the title, after two years of half-assed stop-start pushes. I need Yota to just win for a few months, dammit. Even though Jack's whole deal is spoiling everything, I choose to believe this will be like the scene in Jurassic Park where they feed the goat to the T. rex.

Matt Jackson & Nick Jackson vs. Great-O-Khan & Jeff Cobb vs. Tetsuya Naito & Hiromu Takahashi - This is a three-way tag team match for the vacant IWGP heavyweight tag team title. So each team gets a corner, and only two men can legally be in the ring. Anyone from any team can tag one of the legal men to get into the match. The first man to score a pinfall or submission on any opponent will win the match and the title for his team.

Weeks ago, the Young Bucks (Matt and Nick) declared their intention to win the tag title on this show. At the time, it wasn't even clear who they'd be challenging for the title, since World Tag League was still in progress, and everybody expected the winners of that tournament to challenge for O-Khan and HENARE for the title on January 4. Then New Japan just announced O-Khan & HENARE vs. the Bucks on this show, as if World Tag League and Wrestle Kingdom were irrelevant.

Then Henare was injured, so the champs had to pull out of the tournament and vacate the belts. Naito and Hiromu won World Tag League and decided not to challenge for the tag title at all, I guess? So we ended up with O-Khan and a mystery partner versus the Bucks. Then, less than 24 hours before this match, Khan revealed Cobb as his partner, and challenged Naito and Hiromu to join the match and make it a three-way. Okay? Why didn't they just make it a three-way last month? I don't understand.

If any AEW talent on this show is going to win a New Japan title tonight, I think the Bucks make the most sense. I like O-Khan and Cobb but there's no reason to think they're so special that they need to win this match; I'm not even sure why they're here expect to get them on the show. Naito and Hiromu would be fun as the tag champs, but if that was the plan they sure tried real hard to act like nobody came up with that plan until the last minute. So I have no idea who the favorites are in this one. Welp, when in doubt, pick the Bucks to win.

Konosuke Takeshita vs. Tomohiro Ishii - Ishii is challenging for the NEVER title and the AEW international championship. For weeks the build to this weekend has been Takeshita vs. Shingo Takagi, winner take all, on January 4, and then the winner goes on to defend against Ishii. I like Ishii a lot, but having him waiting for two top champions to fight over which one gets to fight him seems odd. Clearly the goal was for Takeshita to fight two heavy-hitting mean guys, one right after the other, but they couldn't just say that without giving away the outcome of the Takagi match. This should be fun, but there's no way Ishii is going to beat Takeshita.

Shota Umino vs. Claudio Castagnoli - Jon Moxley sent a video in to New Japan, where he explained that Claudio was coming to this show to send Shota a "message." Reading between the lines, Mox mentored Umino for years in New Japan, but now Mox is a supervillain in AEW, so it stands to reason he's pissed that Umino is a babyface that wouldn't approve of Mox's war on "complacency." The bottom line is that Castagnoli is here to beat the fuck out of Shota. Umino has been working through an ankle injury and he's 24 hours removed from a huge loss to Zack Sabre. He'll be dead meat if he doesn't pull himself together, and I'm not confident that he can.

It feels like the long-term direction is to set up Moxley vs. Umino, but if they don't want to do it here, in the Tokyo Dome, I can't believe they're going to do it any time soon. It's conceivable that Claudio will "convince" Shota to see things Mox's way and align with the Death Riders. But the safer bet is that Shota will remember his principles and valiantly defeat the bad guy for all the kids out there.

David Finlay vs. Brody King - Brody called out Finlay weeks ago, before we knew this wasn't going to be an IWGP global title match. Without the belt this feels like it's just sort of there, although I like both guys and I love the idea of them savagely beating the piss out of each other. Now that Finlay has put over Yota Tsuji, there's less of a need to protect him, so King might just be able to put him away and send him further into a downward spiral. On the other hand, if Finlay was going to lose here, I think AEW would have sent a bigger name to beat him. I think this could go either way.

Mercedes Mone vs. Mina Shirakawa - This is a double title match. Shirakawa is defending the RevPro British women's title, which was unified with the Queen of Southside title in 2023, so that's why she carries two belts for one championship. Mone is putting the STRONG women's title on the line, but the AEW TBS title is not involved. Basically, if Mercedes wins she gets all of the belts, but if Mina wins she will only get one of Mone's belts.

Mercedes has been on a roll lately with two great bouts against Kris Statlander, and an even better match against Hazuki. I figure there's no reason this match can't be on that level. Then again, being the third match on the main card works against them--I can't picture the bookers giving them 20-30 minutes to steal the show. I could see this match going either way, but my gut says it's about time for Mone to drop some of her hardware, and there may never be a better place to do it than in the Tokyo Dome.

Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Katsuyori Shibata - This match was made last night, when Shibata did a run-in to save Tanahashi from the House of Torture. Twenty years ago, Tana, Shibata, and Shinsuke Nakamura were dubbed the "New Musketeers," and they lived up to the hype by leading New Japan into its glory years. Now Tana is kicking off his retirement tour, and Shibata wants one last match.

If people act like they thought they'd never see this match again, that's because they almost didn't. During a 2017 match, Shibata suffered a nearly fatal hematoma in his brain due to his brutal headbutts. His career looked to be over, but he returned for a pair of exhibition grappling matches in late 2021 and early 2022. In the second match, he appeared to go into business for himself and demanded a normal match, and I'm still not sure if that was just part of the show. Either way, it seemed like New Japan benched Shibata, and it felt like he had to go to AEW/ROH to resume even a part-time in-ring career.

This is the kind of match where sentiment is more important than who should go over. I could see Tana putting over the guy who's not retiring, or Shibata doing the honors so Tana can celebrate with the crowd. It really makes no difference what they do here.

Lucha gauntlet match - This is supposed to be an eight-man gauntlet, so two men will start the match and each additional man will enter at one-minute intervals. The match can end before all the participants have entered, but I'm guessing it won't. All we know about the participants is that four will be from the NJPW roster, and four will be coming in from CMLL. Dave Meltzer reported that most of the top names in CMLL are booked in Mexico, and only a handful of key guys would be available for this match. So I guess maybe Hechicero might be here, but it seems far more likely that we're getting four NJPW midcarders and four CMLL midcarders.

This match clearly exists to give us a hot opener for the main card, and to justify putting the CMLL logo on the advertising. Other than that, nothing about the match matters. I think a CMLL guy should win, but that's hard to say for sure when I don't even know who's in the match.

Dustin Rhodes & Sammy Guevara vs. SHO & Yoshinobu Kanemaru - This is scheduled as the second kickoff match. The Sons of Texas (Rhodes and Guevara) are defending the ROH tag team title. This is Sammy's first match in the Tokyo Dome; Dustin was last here in 1993, about six months before Sammy was born. Sho and Nobu are obviously in this match to put the champs over.

Athena vs. Willow Nightingale vs. Persephone vs. Momo Watanabe - This is set to be the opening match in the kickoff. This is a four-way match, and the final of the International Women's Cup tournament. Whoever scores the first pinfall or submission over any opponent will win the match. Athena's ROH women's world championship is not at stake.

The winner will earn a title shot, apparently for any women's championship available in New Japan, AEW, CMLL, Stardom, ROH, and maybe RevPro for all I know. I'd say Athena is the heavy favorite, but I don't know what she needs with a title shot. Willow would be my pick, although that's without knowing much about Watanabe or Persephone. So I expect this match to surprise me one way or another.

[romiswired]

Kazuyuki Fujita vs. Go Shiozaki (Pro Wrestling NOAH 20th Anniversary ~ NOAH The Chronicle Vol. 2)

30 minutes.

When you look back at the pandemic era of professional wrestling, you think about many promotions that stood up and had to change a lot of things to survive. You think of the big ones, like WWE and AEW, who changed their whole presentation for a more intimate and let's say creative approach. The Thunderdome was something straight out of a dystopia, but it was accurate to the times we were going through. I mean, the idea of a pandemic always sparks fear and intimidation for whatever happens to you or your loved ones, so the idea of wrestling in front of multiple screens with people watching over you ALL the time didn't feel like that much of a nightmare, although it was.

AEW had their own shows, and they made the talent the crowd so you could at least try and remember the times when real people were there, cheering or booing the wrestlers in the ring and making sure they have a reaction, or they don't. The thing about the AEW roster working as a crowd was that they reacted to everything and everyone. At the time we didn't question if that was practical or not because we were so needed of human interaction anything resembling our ordinary lives before this behemoth called COVID-19 struck in our world was appreciated, even if in its nature lied a blatant dishonesty with everything surrounding wrestling.

The first months of 2020 were weird looking at them in retrospective. It seemed like wrestling was going to continue a route of mediocrity at least in the United States, while in Japan the new guard was slowly building itself to be recognized, while the present stars were still shining through the darkness of this world. In promotions like DDT, you had the likes of Konosuke Takeshita and Tetsuya Endo running things and making sure you remember their names while Chris Brookes and Yuki Ueno were slowly becoming more and more important.

In New Japan Pro Wrestling you still had the likes of Kazuchika Okada and Tetsuya Naito to remind you they were the biggest stars in Japanese wrestling, but names like Jay White and Will Ospreay were starting to break through the mold, specially Ospreay who started his transition to a Heavyweight wrestler. In All Japan Pro Wrestling, Kento Miyahara was kicking it and bringing back Zen Nihon to the conversation once again, and while we had all of this, there were projects to be made in the sphere of Joshi wrestling, like STARDOM building the myth of Utami Hayashishita, and Miyu Yamashita becoming the definitive Ace in Tokyo Joshi Pro Wrestling.

Among all of this, lied a promotion with enough ups and downs to build a video-essay of three hours. Its name was Pro Wrestling NOAH, and in 2020 they were starting a new era. Long lost were the days of Suzuki-gun's invasion and NOAH's attendance issues, as CyberFight bought the company and was starting to build it almost from scratch, bringing a new logo, a new image, and of course, new stars and some established ones that had a lot in the tank. NOAH was a mix of everything you could imagine, and in a certainly interesting fashion, they became the home for the shooters and hoopers of the wrestling world.

In 2017, no one knew if NOAH could continue running things, as the promotion was going through a big crisis. In the beginning of 2020, a new roster was brought to fruition. Alongside the drawing power of Keiji Muto, the likes of Kenoh, Kaito Kiyomiya, Masa Kitamiya, Kazushi Sakuraba, Takashi Sugiura, Hideki Suzuki, Katsuhiko Nakajima and Kazuyuki Fujita built a roster of absolute monsters with something to prove. After defeating the young Kiyomiya, Go Shiozaki, the last disciple of Mitsuharu Misawa, became the GHC Heavyweight Champion and started a new chapter.

To understand Shiozaki's struggle we need to go back to 2009, when Misawa received a back suplex and was left in the middle of the ring gasping for air. In the biggest irony of all, the man that subjected himself to the sickest bumps in history was taken down by a mere, simple thing. As Misawa tragically died, Shiozaki was given the crown and was expected to get to inhuman heights for a guy his age and with his experience. He was a NOAH-born wrestler, but the fans were merciless with him and didn't settle for less than the best. The pressure was massive, and Shiozaki basically left NOAH in pursue of different opportunities.

Contrary to his master, Shiozaki continued his story in All Japan, the place that saw the myth of Misawa be born and brought to the spotlight. After winning the Triple Crown, and becoming one of the best wrestlers Japanese wrestling had to offer, he then returned to NOAH in 2015/2016, amidst the Suzuki-gun invasion and the Sugiura-gun angle. Shiozaki promised to protect NOAH from their invaders, but Naomichi Marufuji (potentially, THE NOAH guy you may think of) didn't believe in Go's intentions and doubted his loyatly because he left the company where things got tough.

After years of working his way through the ranks of the company, Shiozaki was building a status deserving of more opportunities. He formed AXIZ, a tag team with Nakajima that was really popular in the company and helped him build a resume of worth seeing matches, giving the company a new feeling. NOAH was no longer the promotion you could ignore, as they were building something big in the hands of Shiozaki and Nakajima. As I said, Shiozaki entered 2020 defeating Kiyomiya for the GHC Title, and was waiting for his contender to arise. What he couldn't predict nor control was the situation he was going to get involved in.

Kazuyuki Fujita was his first challenger. Fujita was the last disciple of Antonio Inoki, and the last son of Inokism, which meant his style was leaning on insane strikes and claustrophobic holds. Fujita was as stiff as they come, and he had a lot of accolades to fear him, more so when you consider he was part of Sugiura-gun, the "bad motherfuckers" group by excellence. He didn't sell for nobody, he bumped on his shoulders, and he was a stubborn S.O.B. as learned from his master who carried his philosophy to the biggest Puroresu company in the world today, this being New Japan.

While this match's significance was already in the table, being a clash between two of the most stubborn, narcissistic, egostistical and disruptive philosophies of professional wrestling who ran the 2000s clashing with each other for dominance, longevity and prestige (and were also literally contrary to each other in every single aspect) something else happened. A thing that was only permitted in the dystopical landscape we were living.

NOAH was forced to run their 20th Anniversary show in an empty Korakuen Hall, and the Main Event of this evening was Fujita vs. Shiozaki. Keep in mind what I already said. This was a match between the last of a dying breed, because Misawa-ism and Inoki-ism are no longer living as they did before. Marufuji can teach the young wrestlers the "Misawa way" but he'll never be that, he'll never reach that status. The same goes for someone like Katsuyori Shibata. You can't teach spirit. It's something that comes with you. You can't teach passion. It's something that lives within you. You can't teach like Misawa or Inoki because it goes further. It's not only "Misawa vs. Inoki" but part of it is "Baba vs. Inoki".

Part of what made NOAH characteristic was its evolution of King's Road methodology. Like it or not, All Japan's DNA lives in NOAH's first steps in the wrestling world, and the first arc of the company lies heavy on the stories that couldn't end in AJPW. The "Misawa vs. Kobashi" series, the "Misawa vs. Kawada" series, even the idea of Jun Akiyama being crowned GHC Champion when he couldn't be a Triple Crown holder is also proof of this. Therefore, this match has all of this significance behind.

Its setting just amplifies it.

If you never watched this match during the pandemic, there's a chance you will not understand why this is one of the best matches you could see in your life. It's all about the atmosphere to me. When you write on paper "30-minute staredown" it surely does not sound as interesting as it actually is in the match. I think the unique nature of it helps for that complex idea to be accepted and embraced. There's no one watching this. No one has to go anywhere. We're all stuck in our homes, fearing the death of our loved ones and ourselves.

Maybe we're going through some tough shit even, therefore why should we care about "time", when the world just stopped and doesn't seem to run accordingly? Why is "time" an imperative necessity for us to enjoy this match, when its setting just tells the story more so than 100 camera shots and a 20-minute speech? This match is actually a great exercise in how to use the limitations bestowed upon you to build something magical. Everything about this match feels natural because it's the only thing that you can think of. It also helps you understand the weight this has for someone like Shiozaki, because there's also something really profound hidden. This is the last challenge of Go Shiozaki's career to prove he has everything needed to run NOAH and carry it like Misawa once did. It's sink or swim, and the biggest shark wants a bite of him, so he has to fight through. He has to prove to ourselves and HIMSELF he can go, and he can carry that weight. The finishing stretch of this match just speaks louder than words. The final Gowan Lariat takes down the beast, and helps Shiozaki build his myth once and for all.

Watch this match. It's the best match in the pandemic era BY FAR, and it's also the best match in 2020. I've said this in 2020 when I first watched this, and I continue to think the same in 2025. After five years, I can say Shiozaki's reign with the GHC Title was so legendary it brought NOAH to heights that it didn't reach for a long time. While the current NOAH fails to catch my interest and has sincerely lost the plot, there's always this reminder of what a great company they were in the beginning of the decade, and how that short two-year run was a gift to NOAH fans around the world, and the NOAH-born wrestlers who had a lot of ghosts from their past, haunting at them and reminding them of their condition. For Shiozaki, those ghosts have disappeared, and he can finally stand in the middle of the ring and shout: "I am NOAH."

[hidden-redrum]

My AEW Revolution 2024 Predictions

I am so excited for this ppv and I have to much energy on myself so, deal with it

Tornado Tag Match Sting's Last Match - Darby Allin & Sting (AEW Tag Team Champions) VS Golf Trainers- oh sorry- AEW EVP'S Matthew & Nicholas Jackson

Let's start with the cherry on the top, I am so ready to cry on this match, even knowing that most likely Sting will appear again on AEW but not wrestling again

But for sure, 100% that the not Young Bucks anymore will win this match - I mean if its Sting's last match will Darby defend both belts alone?? I mean he is capable of it. but come on, one last match of this amazing tag team against the non Young Bucks is the perfect finish for this era

AEW WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP - Samoa Joe (C) VS Swerve Strickland VS Hangman Adam Page

Everyone is imagining that it will Swerve versus Hangman and Samoa Joe will be like third wheeling or something like that

this one will be pretty intense both men fighting for the gold and Samoa Joe defending it

I really want Swerve to win it but I think Samoa Joe will retain it, I mean it's the first ppv that he defends it

AEW WOMEN'S WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP - "Timeless" Toni Storm (C) VS Deonna Purrazo

Besides the Zero Hour one with Kris and Willow versus Julia Hart and Skye Blue, this is the only women´s match on the ppv..........come on AEW, your women's division is so freaking powerful and you still don´t know how to properly promoted, and we are on the International Women's month, come on......

I think Deonna Purrazo will win it for sure, but if Toni retains it I am so excited to see how this feud will keep going, because this feud was so well played, I am more than seated for this match

AEW INTERNATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP - Orange Cassidy (C) VS Roderick Strong

It has to be Orange Cassidy, if it isn´t I will shave my eyebrows

Roderick Strong is being too annoying for Orange it has to be our denim and thumbs up man

AEW CONTINENTAL CROWN CHAMPIONSHIP - Eddie Kingston (C) VS Bryan Danielson

I am a bit uncertain with this one, but I think Eddie will retain it

and what an hell of a match this will be

Will Ospreay VS Konosuke Takeshita

another one that I am have no clue too who might win

but I guess Will Ospreay

TNT CHAMPIONSHIP - (Pro Pokemon Hunter) Christian Cage (C) VS Daniel Garcia

I am so excited for this one

But still for how much I would like to see Daniel with the gold, I am 100% sure that the Patriarchy will mess with this match

But its more than time for Daniel to be a champion (again)

FTR VS Jon Moxley & Claudio Castagnoli

I am also unsure about this one, just to be different

But I think Jon Moxley and Claudio Castagnoli will win it

ALL STAR 8-MAN SCRAMBLE - Dante Martin VS HOOK (FTW Champion) VS Brian Cage VS Magnus VS Chris Jericho VS Powerhouse Hobbs VS Brian Cage VS Wardlow

yes I am pretty HOOK biased but I dont think he will win this one, even tho I am an huge fan of this fighting big dudes agenda

also 2/5 of the Lads fighting each other

also 3/5 of Team Taz fighting each other

I think it will be more between Hobbs and Wardlow for sure, after yesterday's Collision

Zero Hour: Kris Statlander & Willow Nightingale VS Julia Hart (TBS Champion) & Skye Blue

I am so excited for this one!!!

I think it will be Kris and Willow, in my mind if it Julia and Skye Blue, I think Willow will possibly turn on Kris idk why

Zero Hour: 12 MAN TAG MATCH - Bang Bang Scissor Gang VS Jeff Jarrett, Jay Lethal, Satnam Singh, Private Party & Willie Mack

Come on it has to be Bang Bang Scissor Gang because they are Bang Bang Scissor Gang!!!!!!!!!

Anyway, what do you guys think?? Pls talk to me-

[gutwrenchflowerbomb]

Here are my Double or Nothing predictions and/or fantasy bookings that no one asked for! These things will absolutely not happen but in my mind, this is what should happen.

Thunder Rosa vs. Deonna Purrazzo

Rosa. I like them both but like Rosa a little more than Deonna.

The Acclaimed & Daddy Ass vs. Brian Cage & Gates of Agony

Daddy Ass and the Acclaimed

The Bang Bang Gang (Jay White, Austin & Colten Gunn) (c) vs. Death Triangle (PAC, Rey Fenix & Penta El Zero M) for the Unified Trios titles

This is a tough one because I low key love the train wreck - one brain cell ass combo of the Bang Bang Gang BUT I’m a Lucha Bros Babe from before AEW so I’m giving the edge to Death Triangle

Orange Cassidy vs. Trent Beretta

Listen. Here’s all I’m gonna say. I’m Team Chuck Taylor above all others. And Chuck chose Orange. So if that’s what Chuck thought, that’s what I think

Jon Moxley vs. Konosuke Takeshita in an IWGP World Heavyweight championship Eliminator

That arm in the chair spot handicaps Mox a bit which I think leaves this open for Takeshita to take this win (only to lose when the actual title is on the line)

Chris Jericho (c) vs. HOOK vs. Katsuyori Shibata for the FTW title

Anyone but Jericho. Fuck outta here.

(low key rooting for Shibata tho)

Adam Copeland (c) vs. Malakai Black in a Barbed Wire Steel Cage Match for the TNT championship

If I had my way, Adam is gonna come out to the whole old school Brood entrance, I’m talking with the original music, the ring of fire and Gangrel carrying the blood filled chalice.

Anyway I’m thinking Adam has the edge (get it lol) and this is clearly leading, as I said when Adam first got inked by Malakai, to Adam turning evil and taking over HOB (so that Malakai and maybe Buddy can fuck off back to WWE to be with their SOs, which I don’t fault them for wanting)

Roderick Strong (c) vs. Will Ospreay for the International championship

I want Ospreay to come out and immediately decapitate Matt Taven with a round house kick and for Matt Taven’s head to fly into Mike Bennett’s gut and go clean through it leaving a comical hole like in the movie Death Becomes Her.

And then he beats Roderick.

Timeless Toni Storm (c) vs. Serena Deeb for the AEW Women World title

Toni Storm cross body blocks Serena and then just starts mocking a seizure and her acting is so good that Serena immediately submits.

Willow Nightingale (c) vs. Mercedes Moné for the TBS title

Willow picks up Mercedes and tosses her into the rafters like she was a paper plane. When Mercedes floats back down to the ring after 15 mins of gliding, Willow powerbombs her so hard that Earth’s magnetic poles shift

Swerve Strickland (c) vs. Christian Cage for the AEW World championship

Swerve should roll Nick Wayne up in one of Mother Wayne’s dusters and use him like a lance to take out Luchasaurus/Killswitch, since he has a masters degree in Medieval history, I believe Luchaswitch would appreciate it.

Then Swerve would have to defeat Mother Wayne as Christian would be hanging on to her leg like a scared kitten.

Once Mother Wayne was disposed of, Swerve will have Nana dance so hard that Christian will pass out resulting in a win via TKO

The Elite (The Young Bucks, Kazuchika Okada & Jack Perry) vs. Team AEW (FTR, Bryan Danielson & Darby Allin) in Anarchy in the Arena

This is too ripe for wild shit. Nothing I could imagine would come close to whatever inevitable insane shit Darby does.

I’ll just say I’m Team Elite. Because I can’t stand FTR.

[silverxxs-world]

Prediction pt2

(C) Bryan Danielson vs Jon Moxley

Who I think will: I have a feeling Jon might

Who I want: both tbh

(C) Will Osprey vs Ricochet vs Konosuke Takeshita

Who I want: Takeshita pls pls pls pls pls

Who I think will: Will might but ple let cinna babe win

(C) Mariah May vs Willow Nightingale

Who I want: Mariah please

Who I think will: Mariah enough said

(C) Jack Perry vs Katsuyori Shibata

Who I want: Shibata omg imagine

Who I think will: Jack

(C) Young bucks vs Private Party

Who I want: don’t really care tbh

Who I think will: Bucks

Mark Briscoe vs Chris Jericho

Who I want: Mark I guess idk it’s a ROH belt and k don’t watch ROH

Hologram vs The Beast Mortos

This is the most random match on the card I don’t care at all

Darby Allin vs Brody King

This is a dream match I am happy with who ever wins I love when they wrestle each other

“Hangman” Adam Page vs “Switchblade” Jay White

Who I want: Hangman

Who I think will: Hangman

[nooseoff]

Punk Rock and Professional Wrestling

For months and months on end, I feel as if punk rock and professional wrestling has intertwined itself in my brain. I can't help but to think about professional wrestling when I listen to punk rock and think about punk rock when I watch professional wrestling. They're 2 loves of mine brought together by........I don't know what to be honest. Maybe I'll know by the end of this directionless ramble.

I'd like to list an example of this entanglement. Goons of Hazzard is one of my favorite works from the Dead Kennedys. It's a song criticizing the glorification of cops in western media. The cops in those movies seem cool and righteous, but those films are far from the truth when it comes to policing, especially in the United States of America. However, any time that I think about this song, my mind tends to think back to AEW All In 2023 at Wembley Stadium. Specifically 2 matches:

FTR(c) vs. The Young Bucks for the AEW World Tag Team Championship

The Golden Elite ('Hangman' Adam Page, Kenny Omega, Kota Ibushi) vs Bullet Club Gold (Jay White and Juice Robinson) and Konosuke Takeshita

I didn't listen to any music during the event, but the 2 things can never seem to escape each other. Granted, July and August 2023 were when I really started to get deeper into the DK's discography. I feel that this connection has something to do with a certain feeling. When I listen to Goons of Hazzard, I feel that I am on some sort of journey. My brain tends to imagine myself moving through African plains or forests in Asia. It's not as calm as you think though. I'm going through these places in some sort of rush. Perhaps I'm moving through an Africa/Asia riddled with proxy wars (the Kennedys would nevverrrrr talk about such things). When I listen to the song, a part of me starts to act in a scramble. I want to move quickly, I want to kick my worst enemy in the face, I want to......hey. This sounds a lot like professional wrestling.

You know what ended in a quick shootout of signature moves, people getting kicked in the face, and had a finish that required quick thinking from the pinning man? That's right. The trios match.

It's those fast paced, hard hitting moments in matches that I'm thinking of. The tag team bout also had a finish in which a lot happened in the waning moments of the match.

Punk rock is loud, fast paced, makes you wanna punch a wall. My favorite wrestling matches involve high energy moments, fast moments. Exchanges full of successive reversals, rope running, ending sequences where wrestlers play some of their finest notes. I mainly get this kind of wrestling from AEW, where guys like Bryan Danielson, Will Ospreay, and Kenny Omega build this connection for me.

Crushing strikes remind me of the loud percussion found in punk rock. The way that guitarists strategically play their riffs in order to get the desired sound reminds me of wrestlers doing the right counters and following a game plan that doesn't need many, if any, words to explain beforehand. The vocals in punk rock and the displayed emotion from wrestlers are both vital in telling you a story in their respective art forms. The pain wrestlers exhibit, the body parts they choose to sell, their motivations for doing what they do paint a picture in the same way punk rock vocalists tell you a story about the USA's interventions in Central America. Wrestling matches are peformed in the same way any other band plays, but my flavor of ice cream in professional wrestling is best characterized by punk rock. Loud, in your face, aggressive, and giving me a story or idea to invest myself in.

[wweassets]

And I'm still horny and honestly a little buzzed so fuck it I'll go for konosuke takeshita and will Hobbs right now too..kinda need them to stand above me and share my mouth and grab my head and make me take turns putting their dicks into my.mouth. Or just rubbing their dicks on my face and even when I get hard they'll tell me I can't touch myself. I was so excited when I saw on aew that they were in the same ring temporarily because I need them both so badddddd and I am begging that in the future we'll see them in a tag team.match using a tag team maneuver on some poor jobber twink so i can imagine it's me

oh you were HORNY horny… i love it anon

[daddyhausen]

sfw and nsfw headcanons for cinnabae being possessive after mjf try to flirt with reader? 👉🏻👈🏻

• possessive nsfw and sfw headcannons — konosuke takeshita •

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{ masterlists } | { aew masterlist } | { konosuke takeshita masterlist }

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{ warnings } — 18 + { minors do not interact }

{ word count } — 239

{ pairing } — fem!reader x konosuke takeshita

{ genre } — smut

.*•…………………..•⊹•…………………..•*.

{ taglist } — @cosmoholic13 @boutmachines @thewrestlingbitch @omg-im-such-a-masochist @baysexuality @legit9thlunaticwarrior @slut4kennyomega @wardlow @alexisquinnlee-bc @sammiejane22 @im-just-a-mississippi-girl @omegasluvbot @melissahausen @writtingrose @drummergrl1310 @unoficialy-married-to-ace-austin @bonehead-playz @cherrytheeredheadmamaclaymore @crowleysqueenofhell @romanreigns-supreme @janetreader @thenerdybaker523 @sunshinevirus @nicoleveno14 @rubyred1980 @elsteenerico @igncrxntripley

{ comment if you want to be added to the taglist }

.*•…………………..•⊹•…………………..•*.

max was always one to flirt despite your obliviousness to it

he was like that with every single one of the girls backstage

wether they were taken or not

so you just decided to ignore it considering nothing max was all bark and no bite

little did you know max’s intentions were a hundred percent authentic when it came to you

takeshita had noticed max’s antics from the beginning

how every chance he got max always had to be around you, always talking to you, touching you in some way acciedental or not

it sparked a jealousy within him that he was not even sure he had

it would be the simple things that you’d notice first

how silent he’d become, not even offering you a word in response

his grip would tighten around you whenever max was near

not daring to leave your side until he was certain max was not around

other times, especially when his frustrations got the better of him

he’d kiss you much harsher than he normally would

sometimes even leading you back into the locker rooms

making sure you were loud enough that max would hear who you really belonged too

despite his innocence demeanour, takeshita’s possessiveness was second to none

he’s mark you up

leaving dark splotches of purple across your neck and chest

the lustful bruising visible under your sheer ring gear

a sight that would definitely make max’s blood boil

.*•…………………..•⊹•…………………..•*.

[onewingedangel3]

konosuke writing his graduation thesis at university about german suplexes is one of the funniest things i've ever heard

[houseofpunk]

Okay but can you imagine how much of a banger a match between Buddy Matthews and Konosuke Takeshita would be?

[wrestlingisfake]

G1 Climax night 1 preview

This is the opening night of New Japan's annual heavyweight singles tournament. This year's format involves twenty men, divided into two blocks of ten. Over the next month, each participant will have one match against each of the other nine men in his block. The goal is to have the best win-loss record among your block.

The top three in each block advance to a knockout stage on July 15 and 17. This is a pretty big change that I'm excited about, because it means more wrestlers will be mathematically alive much later in the block stage. Basically it'll be #2 vs. #3, for the right to face #1, to decide the block winner. Finally, on July 18, the winner of A Block meets the winner of B Block, with the winner earning a trophy, a flag, and the right to challenge the IWGP world champion on January 4, at Wrestle Kingdom in the Tokyo Dome.

A Block: Tetsuya Naito vs. Shingo Takagi - Naito regained the IWGP world title a couple of weeks ago in New York; the title is not at stake throughout the tournament. If Naito wins the G1, he'd earn the right to choose the challenger for Wrestle Kingdom, but I don't expect that to happen. On the other hand, if anyone beats Naito during the tournament, they'll likely get a title shot within the next couple of months, and I definitely see that happening.

Naito won the tournament in 2013, 2017, and 2023. Takagi's personal best is 7-2-1, which would probably be good enough to get out of the blocks this year. This is only the second time these two have met one-on-one; Naito won their last encounter.

Star power aside, the big draw here is that Naito and Shingo are members of the same faction, Los Ingobernables de Japon. I don't expect any dissension in the ranks, but they're also not going to go easy on each other. Takagi's whole style is to clobber the fuck out of dudes, which is a problem when Naito has been visibly banged up for years. The most exciting finish would be for Shingo to score a bit of an upset over his leader, the world champion. But I can't really see them running this match back in September, so I'm picking Naito to win.

B Block: Yota Tsuji vs. Konosuke Takeshita - This is Tsuji's second trip to the G1; last year he debuted with a 3-3-1 record that I found somewhat disappointing given all the hype around him. Takeshita is new to the tournament. He's been affiliated with DDT for years, and his big claim to fame is AEW, but if he's representing any group it's probably the Don Callis Family. Not counting crossover shows like Forbidden Door and All Together, I think this is his first time stepping onto New Japan's cerulean blue canvas.

I like that Tsuji is second from the top because he's one of the guys they need to elevate, and quickly. I don't know that I'd pick him to win the tournament, but I would definitely give him a a lot of key wins, and probably finish in the top three. But he's got a tough draw tonight, because this is a must-win situation for Takeshita.

I think Takeshita will probably end up in the middle of the pack, maybe finishing around 4-5. Newcomers and outsiders tend to only do so well in the G1, and he's both at once. But in light of that, New Japan knows he needs a strong start, and Tsuji is the kind of guy they can feed to someone who needs a strong start.

A Block: EVIL vs. Gabe Kidd - Evil reached the semifinals last year, mostly to tease what a debacle it would be if he won the whole thing, without actually doing it. I can't imagine they'll take it that far again this year. Kidd, the STRONG men's champion, debuted last year with a 2-4-1 record, because he's more concerned with hurting people and freaking out than figuring out how to win. That's a good character for him to play, but this tournament is about results, not tantrums, so he's probably not going to be competitive in the G1 for a couple more years.

Back in the day, whenever two Bullet Club guys faced off in a tournament, they'd do a comedy routine about how one of them is willing to lay down for the other, but then they'd have second thoughts and end up having an actual match. Nowadays, though, they don't even bother to act like collusion is possible--the War Dogs (such as Kidd) are too belligerent, and everybody in House of Torture (like Evil) is too devious. My guess is that Kidd will come out swinging, and Evil will hit a low blow (or get someone else to do it) to level the playing field. Evil should probably win here, although I don't expect him to be a major factor late in the tournament.

B Block: David Finlay vs. Yuya Uemura - Finlay is the IWGP global champion, and he was one of the quarterfinalists in last year's G1. Uemura returned from excursion last fall, so this is his first trip to the big dance. Typically when Young Lions graduate to full-time wrestlers and qualify for the G1, they do very poorly in the first year, so it'll be a moral victory for Yuya to secure even one win. But he's definitely not going to pick up that win here. I expect Finlay to start very strong and then stumble in the home stretch. This is going to be a mugging.

A Block: SANADA vs. Jake Lee - Sanada won the 2020 tournament; last year he went 7-0 in block matches, so you'd have to figure he's a heavy favorite. Lee, coming in from Pro Wrestling NOAH, is appearing in the tournament for the first time.

The big story is that, on July 13, Lee disbanded NOAH's Good Looking Guys stable, turned on his ex-partners, aligned with New Japan's War Dogs, and declared his exit from NOAH altogether. I'm not exactly sure what that means, but this will be our first glimpse of Lee and whatever repackaging he'll undergo for this new direction.

Sanada is an easy pick to win the G1, simply because he lost the world title at the last Wrestle Kingdom, and it'd be straightforward to tell a story about him getting it back one year later. But the easiest story to tell for Sanada in this tournament is if he stumbles early and has to climb out of a hole. So Lee is my pick to win here.

B Block: Jeff Cobb vs. Hirooki Goto - Cobb, the NJPW World television champion, went 8-1 in the 2021 tournament, so he's got what it takes. Goto has won the whole thing, but that was waaaay back in 2008; even his big second-place finish in 2016 feels like a lifetime ago. Much has been made of the way this year's tournament excluded aging mainstays like Hiroshi Tanahashi, Tomohiro Ishii, and KENTA; the fact Goto made the cut suggests they have a purpose for him here. But I suspect that purpose is to finish 2-7 so he can put over a bunch of guys like Cobb.

A Block: Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Great-O-Khan - Sabre was a quarterfinalist last year. Khan (the KOPW champion, for whatever that's worth) has never scored better than 4 wins and 5 losses. Throughout 2024, Sabre has been acting like he knows big things are awaiting him on the horizon, and he's repeatedly commented that he needs to win the G1 this year. He sounds like someone who's been told he's getting a big push. Now, I don't know why he would telegraph that to the audience in such a blatant fashion. So I could be totally off the mark, or he could be feeding us a red herring.

Regardless, I think Sabre will finish in the top 3 for the block. To create suspense about that, though, he should give up some wins against weaker opponents, and I think Khan fits the bill nicely.

B Block: HENARE vs. El Phantasmo - Henare only won one match in his first G1, and only two in his second, and that really pissed me off. I'm always pulling for this guy and being bitterly disappointed. Hopefully that's going to change after he recently won the NEVER championship in the biggest match of his career so far. Phantasmo's personal best isn't much better--three wins, three losses--but I'm not as worried about him finding ways to get ahead.

In 2023 Phantasmo was turfed out of Bullet Club, and he went into last year's G1 feeling incredibly isolated until the Guerillas of Destiny invited him into their stable. In 2024, all the Tongans in GOD have left to join the Bloodline in WWE, so Phantasmo is headed into this year's G1 feeling even more isolated. Will Jado still be by his side? Will he introduce a new look or something? Will he just be a sad sack devoid of motivation? This match will answer those questions. I just hope ELP protects his neck, or Henare will run him down like a truck.

A Block: Shota Umino vs. Callum Newman - You'd think Umino would be pushed as the future of the company, but his G1 debut last year with a 2-3-2 record suggests otherwise. He needs to post a higher score, and it'd be pretty hard not to. Newman is a newcomer, and I wouldn't have expected him to make the cut in 2024 except that he won a six-man tournament to qualify, scoring upset wins over the likes of Kenta and YOSHI-HASHI.

Umino ran into some trouble a month ago when he suffered hip and back injuries in a routine AEW match. I was real curious if he'd even make it to the G1, and he didn't confirm so until this past Monday. I doubt they would rebook the tournament to give him more losses on account of that. But if he's still hurting, this could be a particularly grueling tournament for him. I don't expect Shota to get out of the block, but he could surprise me. As for Newman, he's at the "just happy to be here" level where a 0-9 record is very possible; he's the heavy underdog in all of his matches, including this one.

B Block: Ren Narita vs. Oleg Boltin - Narita debuted in the G1 last year with an anemic 3-4 record. Boltin is entering for the first time, following a six-man qualifying tournament where he knocked Toru Yano, Hiroshi Tanahashi, and Taichi out of the field.

Boltin was a Young Lion when he, Tanahashi, and Toru Yano captured the NEVER trios title a few months ago. I expected that to effectively "graudate" him out of the Young Lions system, and he'd get to pick out custom gear and have his own entrance music. But so far, he's had none of that--even when he qualified for this spot, he was wearing the plain black trunks and they played the generic curtain jerker theme. So maybe this match will be his big coming out moment. Or maybe he just doesn't give a crap, I don't know.

If any other Young Lion made it into the G1 like this, I'd expect him to lose every match. But Oleg is 265 pounds of solid muscle, and they've given him Brock Lesnar's finisher. They have big plans for this guy. Big enough to get past the chicanery Ren Narita brings to the table? Well, we'll see. I think this one could go either way.

[jellyfishjuliet]

real talk, real glad president takagi pulled the trigger on endo’s heel turn cuz BOY was he havin some trouble gettin assimilated into the kayfabe besides being extremely talented, super pretty, and takeshita’s not-as-good-stablemate. not sayin happy motel wasn’t the shit (it was and i loved it and it was a GREAT stable for the kids to enjoy), but endo’s character work needed soooo much help lmfao, thank god for daisuke. im glad the turn wasn’t abrupt, but more than that, im glad the turn wasn’t violent. his pushing away takeshita and putting on the tee in front of a full house in korakuen was just... heartstopping. because he was in pain, he was ashamed, but more than anything else, he was a failure. like imagine coming in at the same time as someone who went from lanky rookie stick to buff boi heir to the promotion’s fucking throne, whereas all he got out of it was pity, shared title runs, and scraps of glory that went to takeshita first- that’s heartbreaking. it’s heartbreaking and it’s brilliant because they pulled the trigger at the best moment- the moment when harashima’s just coming down, not when harashima’s already mid-card, but at the point where takeshita’s hype is only building up and the future of DDT required a story instead of just another wrestler to burden with the future of the entire company.

and it’s helped konosuke immensely as well. before his rivalry with endo bloomed, his story was about as puro-cliched as ever. not to say the cliches are bad, but what would make ddt stand out in the future above the usual campfire madness? a fissure that would last into the future. endo/takeshita managed that. it works because endo’s turn wasn’t fueled by rage, but by loss. more than that, he smiles. he’s happy hanging out with the other DAMNATION thots. konosuke sees it, and he’s livid. there’s no ‘i hate this world and i hate living’ bullshit coming out of endo’s mouth, and though he’s losing his money, he’s... happy. like happy-motel!endo was happy, but DAMNATION!endo is a fucking delight! because he’s always corpsing in the back! because daisuke actually gets through to him! because paulie and shuji are his big brothers! because, at the end of the day, they’re just men who dont want to conform to the rigid standards of masculinity, traditionalism, and all the other stuff that makes takeshita a great Ace, as he appeals to both the non-traditional audience obsessed with the niche comedy promotion, as well as the mainstream puro fandom that wants its honorable, handsome, strong wrestler. they’re perfect foils of each other, takeshita still cares about his former stablemate, and endo’s moved the fuck on.

tl;dr: takeshita/endo need to fight forever the end.