Folks, Konosuke Takeshita is out here collecting frequent flyer miles like he’s got a personal challenge to wrestle in every country before the year ends. Fresh off defending his AEW International Championship this Wednesday, the man is packing his bags, hopping on a plane, and heading straight to Mexico to defend his other title—the NEVER Openweight Championship.
That’s right, Takeshita will make his Arena Mexico debut this Friday for CMLL, where he’ll put the NJPW NEVER Openweight Championship on the line against CMLL mainstay Ángel de Oro. It’s a historic match, marking the first-ever NEVER Openweight Championship defense in Mexico.
Takeshita’s Schedule: A Case Study in No Sleep
- Wednesday (March 6): Defends the AEW International Championship against Orange Cassidy on Dynamite.
- Friday (March 8): Flies to Mexico and defends the NEVER Openweight Championship against Ángel de Oro.
- Sunday (March 9): Likely facing Kenny Omega at AEW Revolution (if he beats Cassidy).
At this rate, Takeshita might defend another championship on the flight over. TSA Openweight Champion?
Ángel de Oro’s Biggest Match Yet?
While Takeshita has been everywhere, Ángel de Oro has been holding it down in CMLL for 19 years. The CMLL World Tag Team Champion has wrestled internationally, but this might be the biggest match of his career. A win here wouldn’t just give him NJPW gold—it would put him on the global map.
Will Takeshita add another country to his growing list of title defenses, or will Oro shock the world in Arena Mexico? Find out this Friday!
Either way, Konosuke Takeshita vs. Sleep remains the most competitive rivalry in wrestling today.