Konosuke Takeshita on Him Not Wanting To Be In NJPW More To Silence Critics But Because He Likes Wrestling, His Triple Contract Status Not Being Something Anyone Can Get Used To Doing,

New Japan Pro Wrestling’s NJPW1972.com held a recent interview with current IWGP World Heayweight Champion Konosuke Takeshita. One of the topics discussed included Takeshita’s thoughts about fans being critical of him being absent from NJPW and how he does not want to be in NJPW more just to silence his critics but because he likes wrestling.

“That’s a tough one. Look, when I was a fan growing up in Osaka, I would always get mad that the great matches were all in Tokyo. So I get that, and if I put myself in a fan’s shoes, hearing the champion say what I’ve been saying about showing the world this belt, I would think ‘who cares! Why aren’t you here?’ So I get it, I do. But it’s called the IWGP World Heavyweight title. So I have to be on a worldwide stage.

I don’t want to be in NJPW more to silence critics, I want to do it because I like wrestling. There’s a different flavor to a NEVER title match and an IWGP title match, and when you add the Global title to the mix, that will be something different again.”

Takeshita also gave his thoughts about him being a triple contracted pro wrestler with AEW, NJPW, and DDT Pro and if he has gotten used to it.

“I don’t think it’s something anybody can get used to, hehe. But I’ve gotten to know what it takes. You have to have your mind in a few different places at once, but at the same time you have to have your focus on the thing that’s right in front of you, and once you do that the mental aspect gets a lot easier. If you think too far ahead then everything gets on top of you.”

Takeshita also gave his thoughts about if he thinks about the different styles of each company he is contracted to as a pro wrestler.

“They’re definitely all different, and the way the fans of each see pro-wrestling is very different. So there’s my own style and then there’s adapting that to the different tastes. It’s been about three and a half years since I went to America, and at first it really was a difficult change of gears. Now I wrestle much more in America than in Japan, so when I’m in Japan I have to change modes the other way.”

Takeshita also gave his thoughts about if changing modes proves to be a difficult task for him and compared to it to being like changing the beans in your blend of coffee.

“It isn’t a totally different thing, it’s like changing the beans in your blend of coffee. If you can do that then the results will come.”

Takeshita also gave his thoughts about Hiroshi Tanahashi’s upcoming retirement match against Kazuchika Okada at Wrestle Kingdom 20 this weekend.

“It was. To be honest, I wanted to have that match in Japan as well, but I think I was a fitting opponent for his last US match. There are definitely people who have a deeper connection to NJPW, and to Tanahashi, but there was something with that match that only he and I could do. We could only have that match because I signed with NJPW as well, so I felt happy that decision was justified. This year has been about that, about walking my own path with confidence and being repaid in full.”

Takeshita also gave his thoughts about what he wanted to see from Tanahashi at the Tokyo Dome.

“Oh, I definitely want to see him beat the hell out of Okada.”