Konosuke Takeshita: ‘The Number-One Reason I Came To AEW Was To Wrestle Kenny Omega’

Konosuke Takeshita wrestles Chris Jericho this Sunday in Tokyo at DDT’s Ultimate Party 2023 card

Konosuke Takeshita and Don Callis have become one of the most compelling tandems in all of pro wrestling.

Not many people would have made that prediction at the start of the year. Takeshita looked like a babyface in the making, and on paper, he would have seemed like a peculiar fit with a natural villain in Callis. Yet a heel turn has brought out an entirely new side of Takeshita, who has been on an exceptional run in AEW.

Courtesy AEW

Only 28, the native of Osaka began wrestling for Japan-based DDT in 2011 (he lost to a masked Sami Zayn, then known as El Generico, in his first official match for the promotion). While still in high school, Takeshita was named in 2013 by Tokyo Sports as wrestling’s Rookie of the Year, and he has lived up to the billing.

Signing with AEW allowed Takeshita the opportunity to remain part of DDT. This Sunday, he returns for DDT’s Ultimate Party 2023 in a must-see bout against Chris Jericho. Wrestling at Tokyo’s famed Ryogoku Sumo Hall, the bout will continue Jericho’s feud with the Callis Family, as well as providing a bright spotlight for Takeshita.

In a conversation with Sports Illustrated, Takeshita spoke through a translator and discussed why he chose to sign with AEW instead of WWE, his respect for Kenny Omega, and what is in store this Sunday as he makes his return to DDT.

Justin Barrasso: You were having an outstanding career in Japan. After you lost the KO-D openweight title in 2022, which was the end of your fifth reign with the belt, why did you decide it was time for a new challenge outside of DDT?

Konosuke Takeshita: After becoming the KO-D champion so many times, and setting the record for the most defenses, I felt that there was nothing more I could do in DDT. It was like the end of the first season. So I needed to start “season two” of the Konosuke Takeshita show, and it needed to be more exciting. That is why I decided to go to America.

Courtesy AEW

Barrasso: What made you choose to sign with AEW, especially considering WWE was also interested?

Takeshita: AEW has a lot of wrestlers and superstars that everyone knows. I was still a nobody in the long history of wrestling. I thought it would be cool if I could beat those superstars in exciting matches.

And AEW is the most powerful wrestling organization right now. I wanted to be in the mainstream.

Barrasso: On the topic of defeating stars, you have had multiple chances to work with Kenny Omega, most notably defeating him in a six-man tag at All In at Wembley Stadium before a singles victory a week later at All Out.

Omega has helped introduce you to an even larger audience in North America. You and Kenny both have ties to DDT. What makes it so meaningful to wrestle him in AEW?

Takeshita: The number-one reason I came to AEW was to wrestle Kenny Omega. When I was in DDT with Kenny, I was just about two years into my career, and I was a teenager. Now that I have grown up and experienced many things, I wanted to fight again.

After Kenny Omega left DDT, I tried to make DDT exciting in my own way. It was very difficult. The quality of the matches would change. I've been staring at the back of “The Best Bout Machine” for a long time.

Courtesy AEW

Barrasso: What does it mean to see a legend like Chris Jericho come to DDT?

Takeshita: The superstars who came to DDT in the past have been “former” superstars. I wanted to bring a “current” superstar to DDT. I felt like it was my mission to do that, because I’m now competing at the top of the U.S. scene. I’m glad I was able to make that happen in a big match in DDT.

Barrasso: You are no stranger to gold, but you have yet to win a championship in AEW. How soon would you like to accomplish that?

Takeshita: My biggest goal right now is to become AEW champion. I’m 28 now, so I’d like to achieve that while I’m still in my 20s. That’s because I want to be a champion in the best physical condition possible, and I want to show everyone the best title match I can.

Courtesy AEW

Barrasso: This is one of the most pivotal stretches of your career, and it all takes place in a five-day span. On Sunday in Tokyo, you wrestle Chris Jericho in a DDT ring. Then, on Wednesday, you’ll be in Ontario for AEW Dynamite to wrestle in an eight-man tag against Jericho, Omega, Kota Ibushi, and Paul Wight in a street fight. What can we expect to see from you over the next week?

Takeshita: The answer is simple. We’re going to make people’s hearts burn with excitement when they watch us and remind them why they love wrestling. And Konosuke Takeshita is definitely “The Alpha”. When you watch these matches, you will see why I can testify to that.