Konosuke Takeshita reflects on his journey in AEW.
DDT star Konosuke Takeshita made his untelevised AEW debut at The House Always wins in April 2021. He then competed on AEW Dark: Elevation and later returned to AEW in April 2022. Takeshita started wrestling for AEW on a regular basis, and he eventually signed with the company in November 2022. In recent months, he has gained plenty of momentum, as he has beaten former AEW World Champion Kenny Omega twice.
Speaking with DDT Pro-Wrestling's website, (via DeepL), Takeshita recalled how he wanted to come to the United States, and he felt like the choice was between WWE and AEW. He stated that, at the time, there weren't many Japanese male wrestlers in AEW. Takeshita noted that it was a matter of timing, and he stated that he wouldn't be where he is todau without AEW.
"When I lost the KO-D belt to Tetsuya Endo at Ryogoku Kokugikan last March, I said, 'This is the second chapter of Konosuke Takeshita's career.' At that time, I felt that if I did not jump into a new world, the people watching me would not be able to entrust their dreams and hopes to me. As a champion, I had already gone one or two times around the world, so I felt that the only way to show what I could do was to cross the ocean. That is when I had to choose between WWE and AEW. At that time, there were not that many men in the main division of AEW, and moreover, there were no Japanese who wore the singles belt, except for women. I wanted to do something that no one else was doing. At that point, I wasn't sure if AEW would become as huge as it is now, but it was still a choice I made. If I had taken the plunge one year later, I probably would not have had the chance. It all comes down to timing, and the impetus for me to join AEW came at the end of 2021. When the [COVID-19] Pandemic made it impossible for Japanese professional wrestling to make its voice heard, I thought to myself, 'This is no good for me to be wrestling, I've been doing it for 10 years, I've had enough of it.' I went to the U.S. because I wanted to give it one last try, and I think that may have been my destiny. I would not be where I am today without AEW, which guided me, and DDT, which sent me here, so the best way for me to repay them would be to fight Chris Jericho, which will be realized as a result," Takeshita said.
Takeshita remains featured in AEW, as he is a member of the Don Callis Family alongside Powerhouse Hobbs, Will Ospreay, sammy Guevara, and Kye Fletcher. Takeshita will face Chris Jericho at DDT Ultimate Party 2023 on November 12.
The Don Callis Family will face Chris Jericho, Kenny Omega, Kota Ibushi, and Paul Wight on the Novembwe 15 episode of AEW Dynamite. More information is available here.
