Konosuke Takeshita Kicks Off 2025 With Gold, Glory, And A Triple Contract Status

Konosuke Takeshita is setting the wrestling world ablaze as he kicks off 2025 with an unprecedented level of success and a packed schedule. “The Alpha” is now leaving Japan not only with two championship belts but also with contracts from three major promotions: AEW, NJPW, and DDT. Takeshita’s rise in prominence highlights his undeniable talent and the growing collaboration between wrestling companies across the globe.

A Triple Threat Career

Since signing with AEW in 2022, Takeshita has balanced his commitments with DDT while making waves in the U.S. wrestling scene. Now, with a one-year deal freshly inked with NJPW following the Wrestle Dynasty event on January 5, Takeshita has expanded his already busy schedule. Wrestling Observer Radio’s Dave Meltzer shed light on how this unique arrangement works.

“Takeshita’s primary contract is still with AEW,” Meltzer explained. “He can work indies and has been active in Japan with DDT. But now, he’ll be wrestling more for New Japan. AEW remains the priority, but Tony Khan and Rocky Romero are collaborating to ensure he can perform for both AEW and NJPW effectively.”

A Historic Start to 2025

Takeshita’s latest accomplishments in Japan only add to his growing legacy. On January 3, he teamed with his mentor Jun Akiyama at a DDT event. Just one day later, at NJPW’s Wrestle Kingdom 19, he defeated Shingo Takagi to claim the NEVER Openweight Championship. The momentum didn’t stop there. At the Wrestle Dynasty event on January 5, Takeshita retained both the NEVER Openweight and AEW International Championships in a hard-fought battle against Tomohiro Ishii.

With two championships to defend and three promotions to juggle, Takeshita is set for a whirlwind year. His next major challenge will come at NJPW’s Battle in the Valley on January 11, where he’ll defend his NEVER Openweight Championship against KUSHIDA.

Collaboration Across Promotions

Takeshita’s triple-contract situation is a testament to the evolving wrestling landscape. The collaboration between AEW, NJPW, and DDT highlights a willingness among promotions to share talent and provide fans with unforgettable matches. For Takeshita, this means greater opportunities to showcase his skills on multiple platforms, while for fans, it promises exciting cross-promotional matchups in 2025.

As Takeshita embarks on this monumental chapter in his career, one thing is clear: “The Alpha” is poised to dominate the wrestling world and redefine what it means to be an international star. Stay tuned to see how he balances this historic run!

NJPW x AEW Wrestle Dynasty 1/5/2025 (Results)

Sorry for this post being so late, but here in Southern Indiana we are dealing with problems from a winter storm with a lot of ice from freezing rain that left a lot of people without power from frozen tree limps falling on power lines. Some are still without power.

So below is the results from Wrestle Dynasty:

Pre-Show:

  • Momo Watanabe def. Athena, Persephone, and Willow Nightingale via pinfall to win the International Women’s Cup
    Momo Watanabe triumphed in a thrilling four-way bout against Athena, Persephone, and Willow Nightingale to claim the International Women’s Cup. The match featured fast-paced action with wrestlers rotating in and out of the ring to break up pinfalls. Athena appeared poised for victory after hitting her O-Face on Willow, but interference from Thekla pulling the referee out gave Watanabe an opening. She capitalized by using her signature bat and finishing with Peach Sunrise to score the pin on Athena. This marked Athena’s first pinfall loss in two years, a point commentary emphasized. Watanabe now has the opportunity to challenge any champion of her choosing.
  • Sons of Texas (Dustin Rhodes & Sammy Guevara) def. House of Torture (SHO & Yoshinobu Kanemaru) via pinfall to retain the Ring of Honor Tag titles
    Dustin Rhodes and Sammy Guevara defeated House of Torture’s SHO and Yoshinobu Kanemaru to retain their ROH Tag Team Championships. Guevara started hot before the challengers’ underhanded tactics slowed him down. A hot tag to Dustin brought the crowd to life as he hit signature moves. After whiskey mist antics from Kanemaru, Rhodes returned the favor and set up Guevara to seal the victory with a 630 Splash.

Main Card:

  • Taiji Ishimori wins the 8-Man Lucha Gauntlet
    In an eight-man lucha gauntlet, Taiji Ishimori outlasted competitors including El Desperado, Hechicero, and Titan to secure the win. Desperado, the new IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion, became the primary target, enduring finishers from several participants. Ishimori used clever strategy, throwing the referee onto Desperado and Kosei Fujita before applying the Gedo Clutch on the champ to steal the victory.
  • Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Katsuyori Shibata’s five-minute exhibition match ends in a draw
    The exhibition match between two legends ended in a five-minute time-limit draw. The grappling-focused bout carried emotional weight for fans familiar with their storied history, as every lock-up and chop exchange felt significant.
  • Mercedes Moné  def. Mina Shirakawa via pinfall to win the RevPro British Women’s championship
    Mercedes Moné added another title to her collection, defeating Mina Shirakawa in a hard-fought contest. Shirakawa targeted Moné’s knee throughout the match, but Mercedes adapted, using her resilience to stay in the fight. A Moné Maker sealed the deal, though Shirakawa rejected a post-match handshake in frustration.
  • David Finlay def. Brody King via pinfall
    The Bullet Club War Dogs leader overcame Brody King in a physical clash. King dominated early with his size and power, but Finlay exploited an opening with an eye poke, eventually hitting Overkill for the win. Post-match, Finlay seemed preoccupied with the loss of his IWGP Global title at Wrestle Kingdom.
  • Shota Umino def. Claudio Castagnoli via pinfall
    Shota Umino defeated Claudio Castagnoli in a statement-making victory. Claudio dominated early, using his power and technical prowess, but Umino rallied with Moxley-inspired elbow strikes and a Death Rider to secure the pin.
  • Konosuke Takeshita def. Tomohiro Ishii via pinfall to retain New Japan’s NEVER Openweight title & AEW International title
    One night after claiming the NEVER Openweight title, Konosuke Takeshita successfully defended it alongside his AEW International Championship against Tomohiro Ishii. The match was a brutal affair, with both men exchanging stiff strikes and power moves. Takeshita ultimately prevailed with his Raging Fire finisher.
  • Young Bucks def. Great-O-Khan & Jeff Cobb and Tetsuya Naito & Hiromu Takahashi to win the vacant IWGP Tag Team titles
    The Young Bucks emerged victorious in a chaotic triple-threat match against Great-O-Khan & Jeff Cobb and LIJ’s Tetsuya Naito & Hiromu Takahashi. True to form, the Bucks waited for their moments before diving into the action. They outlasted their opponents and sealed the win with a TK Driver, securing the vacant IWGP Tag Team Championships.
  • Yota Tsuji def. Jack Perry to retain the IWGP Global championship
    Yota Tsuji retained his newly won IWGP Global Championship in a match against Jack Perry. Perry played the heel, using dirty tactics to target Tsuji’s back. Despite Perry’s nearfalls, Tsuji rallied with a Gene Blaster spear to secure the win.
  • Kenny Omega def. Gabe Kidd via pinfall
    Kenny Omega’s return to action was a violent showdown with Gabe Kidd. The match featured suplexes, table spots, and even steel chair exchanges. Despite Kidd’s resilience and brutal piledrivers, Omega hit Kamigoye and the One-Winged Angel to emerge victorious. Post-match, NJPW President Hiroshi Tanahashi was seen visibly emotional, suggesting Kidd’s promising future.
  • Zack Sabre Jr. def. Ricochet via submission to retain the IWGP World Heavyweight championship
    In the night’s main event, Zack Sabre Jr. retained the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship in a highly technical match against Ricochet. Ricochet’s high-flying offense was countered by Sabre’s calculated submission holds. After dodging a 630 splash, Sabre locked in The Inexorable March of Progress, forcing Ricochet to submit. Sabre closed the show with a passionate promo reaffirming his loyalty to NJPW and TMDK.

WWE New Year’s Evil 1/7/2025

WWE NXT New Year’s Evil tonight live on The CW from the Shrine Expo Hall in Los Angeles, CA.

  • NXT Championship: Trick Williams (c) vs. Oba Femi vs. Eddy Thorpe
  • NXT Women’s Championship: Roxanne Perez (c) vs. Giulia
  • #1 Contender’s Match for NXT Women’s North American Championship: Cora Jade vs. Stephanie Vaquer vs. Lola Vice vs. Kelani Jordan
  • Sudden Death Rules match for NXT Heritage Cup: Lexis King (c) vs. Charlie Dempsey
  • Fatal Influence (Fallon Henley, Jacy Jayne & Jazmyn Nyx) vs. Gigi Dolin, Shotzi & Tatum Paxley.

WWE RAW Netflix Debut Preview 1/6/2025

WWE Raw makes it’s debut live on Netflix from the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles, CA.

  • Tribal Combat: Romain Reigns vs. Solo Sikoa
  • WWE Women’s World Championship: Liv Morgan (c) vs. Rhea Ripley
  • CM Punk vs. Seth Rollins
  • Jey Uso vs. Drew McIntyre
  • John Cena kicks off his Farewell tour
  • The Rock is expected to appear
  • Becky Lynch is rumored to to making her return

NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 19 1/4/2024 (Results)

  • New Japan Ranbo Match for IWGP World Title Shot: Hirooki Goto def. Alex Zayne and Great-O-Khan and Hiroyoshi Tenzan and Josh Barnett and KENTA and Oleg Boltin and SANADA and Satoshi Kojima and Taichi and Togi Makabe and Tomoaki Honma and Tomohiro Ishii and Toru Yano and YOSHI-HASHI and Yuji Nagata and Yujiro Takahashi
  • Tokyo Terror Ladder Match for IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship: Ichiban Sweet Boys (Kosei Fujita & Robbie Eagles) def. Intergalactic Jet Setters (Kevin Knight & KUSHIDA) (c), BULLET CLUB War Dogs (Clark Connors & Drilla Moloney), and Catch 2/2 (Francesco Akira & TJP) to win the titles
  • IWGP Women’s Championship: Mayu Iwatani (c) def. AZM
  • NJPW World Television Championship: El Phantasmo def. Ren Narita (c), Jeff Cobb, and Ryohei Oiwa to win the title.
  • Lumberjack Match: Hiroshi Tanahashi def. EVIL
    • HOUSE OF TORTURE attacked Tanahashi after the bell. Katsuyori Shibata made the save and challenged Tanahashi to face him at NJPW x AEW Wrestle Dynasty.
  • Winner Takes All Match for the NEVER Openweight Championship & AEW International Championship: Konosuke Takeshita (c) def. Shingo Takagi (c)
  • IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship: El Desperado def. DOUKI (c) via referee stoppage to win the title.
    • DOUKI suffered an apparent injury, and the match was stopped. Desperado was declared the winner and the new champion.
  • IWGP Global Heavyweight Championship: Yota Tsuji def. David Finlay (c) (with Gedo) to win the title.
  • Tetsuya Naito def. Hiromu Takahashi
  • IWGP World Heavyweight Championship: Zack Sabre Jr. (c) def. Shota Umino

AEW Collision Preview 1/4/2025

AEW Collision live tonight on TNT & streaming on Max from the Bojangles Coliseum in Charlotte, NC.

  • The Learning Tree vs. Rated FTR
  • AEW World Tag Team Championship: Private Party (c) vs. Action Andretti & Lio Rush
  • AEW TNT Championship: Daniel Garcia (c) vs. Mark Briscoe
  • Deonna Purrazzo vs. Toni Storm
  • Jeff Jarrett in action
  • Rock N’ Roll Express expected to appear

There will be a special meet and greet before the show with legends Rock N’ Roll Express

NJPW x AEW Wrestle Dynasty 1/5/2025

NJPW (New Japan Pro Wrestling) recently announced the full card of their upcoming Wrestle Dynasty PPV event that will see wrestlers from NJPW, AEW, STARDOM, ROH and CMLL compete.

The NJPW x AEW: Wrestle Dynasty PPV is set to take place on Sunday, January 5th, 2025, from the Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan.

You can check out the full card below:

Kenny Omega vs. Gabe Kidd

Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Ricochet

Claudio Castagnoli vs. Shota Umio

David Finlay vs. Brody King

Jack Perry vs. Yota Tsuji

NEVER Openweight Championship Match
Shingo Takagi or Konosuke Takeshita (c) vs. Tomohiro Ishii

IWGP Tag Team Championship Decider Match
Great-O-Khan and a Mystery Partner vs. The Young Bucks (Matthew Jackson and Nicholas Jackson) vs. Tetsuya Naito & Hiromu Takahashi,

NJPW STRONG Women’s Championship and RevPro Undisputed British Women’s Championship Match
“The CEO” Mercedes Moné (c) [NJPW STRONG Women’s Champion] vs. Mina Shirakawa (c) [RevPro Undisputed British Women’s Champion]

Lucha Gauntlet Match
Four NJPW Stars and Four CMLL Stars Will Compete

Kickoff Match #1
International Women’s Cup Fatal Four Way Match
Momo Watanabe (STARDOM) vs. Willow Nightingale (AEW) vs. Persephone (CMLL) vs. Athena (ROH)

Kickoff Match #2
ROH World Tag Team Championship Match
The Sons Of Texas (Dustin Rhodes and Sammy Guevara) (c) vs. House Of Torture (Yoshinobu Kanemaru and SHO)

WWE SmackDown Preview 1/3/2025

Tonight’s WWE SmackDown live on USA Network from the Footprint Center in Phoenix, Arizona.

SmackDown moves to a 3-Hour show beginning tonight.

  • WWE Women’s World Title Match: Nia Jax (c) vs. Naomi
  • United States Champion Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Andrade in a non-title match. If Andrade wins, he will be next in line to challenge Nakamura for the title.

Shakeup To WWE’s Ring Announcing Teams

In a noteworthy shakeup within WWE, it has been reported by PWInsider that two prominent ring announcers, Lilian Garcia and Alicia Taylor, are set to switch brands in the near future. This change signals a fresh start for both announcers as they bring their unique energy to new audiences.

Lilian Garcia Heads to SmackDown

A seasoned WWE veteran, Lilian Garcia will transition from her recent role on RAW to take over announcing duties on SmackDown. Known for her polished delivery and emotional performances, Garcia is no stranger to the SmackDown stage, having previously made her mark on the brand during her illustrious career. Fans can expect to hear her voice as early as tonight’s episode.

Alicia Taylor Joins RAW

Meanwhile, Alicia Taylor will step into the RAW spotlight, officially beginning her tenure this coming Monday. Taylor has gained a loyal following with her dynamic style and passion for the sport, most recently showcased during her time on NXT. Her transition to RAW provides an exciting opportunity to expand her reach to the red brand’s worldwide audience.

Both announcers bring a unique flair to their roles, and this swap adds a fresh layer of intrigue as WWE continues to fine-tune its on-air presentation. Be sure to catch Lilian Garcia on SmackDown tomorrow night, and don’t miss Alicia Taylor’s RAW debut this Monday on Netflix.

NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 19 1/4/2025

NJPW will hold NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 19 at the Tokyo Dome on January 4. In a post on their website, NJPW confirmed the full card.

The card is as follows:

  • IWGP World Heavyweight Championship: Zack Sabre Jr. (c) vs. Shota Umino
  • Tetsuya Naito vs. Hiromu Takahashi
  • IWGP Global Heavyweight Championship: David Finlay (c) vs. Yota Tsuji
  • IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship: DOUKI (c) vs. El Desperado
  • NEVER Openweight Championship: Shingo Takagi (c) vs. Konosuke Takeshita
  • Lumberjack Match: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. EVIL
  • NJPW World TV Championship: Ren Narita (c) vs. Jeff Cobb vs. Ryohei Oiwa vs. El Phantasmo
  • IWGP Women’s Championship: Mayu Iwatani (c) vs. AZM
  • IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championships: Intergalactic Jet Setters (Kevin Knight & KUSHIDA) (c) vs. Ichiban Sweet Boys (Kosei Fujita & Robbie Eagles) vs. BULLET CLUB War Dogs (Drilla Moloney & Clark Connors) vs. Catch 2/2 (TJP & Francesco Akira)
  • Kickoff: New Japan Ranbo