Ladies and gentlemen, the land of the rising sun just witnessed a wrestling spectacle brighter than a Tokyo sunrise! AEW star Konosuke Takeshita made an explosive debut in New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) by securing two points in Block B of the G1 Climax 34. Takeshita, a former DDT Pro Wrestling sensation, notched his victory against Yota Tsuji in a thrilling 17-minute clash during the opening night in Osaka.
The match was nothing short of a blockbuster. Both Takeshita and Tsuji went full throttle from the get-go, exchanging hard-hitting offense that had the crowd roaring. Takeshita took early control with a devastating lariat, followed by a spectacular tope con giro that sent Tsuji crashing into the guardrail. But Tsuji, channeling his inner luchador, turned the tide with a dazzling array of lucha libre moves, including a tijeras and a breathtaking tornillo to the floor.
The back-and-forth battle saw Takeshita survive a grueling Boston Crab, only to reverse a suplex attempt into a brainbuster. He then unleashed an Akiyama knee and a German Suplex for a near fall. Tsuji wasn’t done yet, stunning the audience with a Spanish Fly off the top rope, a headbutt, and a Marlowe Crash that almost sealed the deal. But it was Takeshita who had the final word, countering Tsuji’s Gene Blast with a flying knee and following up with his signature Razing Fire to clinch the pinfall victory.
Now sitting proudly with two points in Block B, Takeshita joins the ranks of Boltin Oleg, Yuya Uemura, Jeff Cobb, and HENARE. His next battle in the G1 Climax will be against HENARE on July 23 in Hiroshima. Stay tuned, wrestling fans—this tournament is just heating up!