Konosuke Takeshita talks his entry into the G1 Climax 34.
As part of this year's tournament in New Japan Pro Wrestling, AEW's Konosuke Takeshita will feature in the B block. Takeshita is a name who has wrestled in Japan previuosly on DDT, with this being his first attempt at winning the G1 since he made his professional wrestling debut.
In a recent interview with NJPW ahead of the 2024 G1, Takeshita spoke on how he feels heading into his first time competing in the tournament.
"I’m looking forward to it. I’ve been wrestling 13 years now, but I was a fan before that, and the first wrestling I remember was right when Antonio Inoki was retiring- I was about two or three. We had a ton of Inoki tapes in the house. When I was little, we’d go to the rental store, and I’d always get a Kamen Rider or Ultraman tape. My dad was an Inoki fan and he’d get these Inoki videos. When he was watching I asked him ‘who’s that guy?’ and he’d say he was stronger than Kamen Rider and Ultraman put together. That’s when I became a wrestling fan, so NJPW was my way in. From there I got into the majors, the indies, Japan, America, Mexico, just all the wrestling I could watch. NJPW wise, it would have been when Yuji Nagata was champion. To a heavyweight wrestler, having that G1 experience is a big difference maker. After my name was announced , the AEW wrestlers that have done it all told me how this is the toughest tour in professional wrestling. I’m definitely looking forward to the experience."
Takeshita last competed on AEW programming last Saturday, when he took on Tommy Billington on Collision.
Takeshita recently commented on the timing of the G1 and what he hopes to achieve during his time in New Japan Pro Wrestling. You can read more about that here.
