Konosuke Takeshita

[10.0] "I had never heard of Takeshita until he showed up in AEW but my god, what a talent he is! The match with Claudio was what first blew me away but everything he's done in the last couple of years is just on another level. Cannot wait to see him reach the top of AEW."

[8.0] "He is going to be AEW Champion That's just a fact i don't know when Tony Khan will pull the trigger on him as a main event talent but I hope it's soon because he could be one of the greats in this industry and if you don't believe in his potential you should"

[6.0] "Takeshita greatly impressed me when I was intermittently watching him in DDT back in 2016-2018, but I haven't been thrilled with the vast majority of his work these last few years since he became a more well-known commodity, since it seems he's become a lazier worker in terms of offence and match structure. He's athletic, energetic, and carries himself quite confidently, but he still has far too much offence that looks overly safe and/or light. Some people probably scoff at the mere idea of that criticism and instead have this idea that he has an array of brutal attacks, but the truth is that he's an incredibly safe worker, and I'd say it's at the point where he's *overly* safe and thus not super exciting. There's definitely some impressive flashiness on display with his movements, but then his strikes are almost always accompanied by those hokey thigh-slap sound effects that he almost never bothers to hide, so whenever I hear that high-pitched 'snap' that comes with his various strikes I immediately know to think: "oh, that's not what that sort of strike would actually sound like, so that was a fake sound and therefore that's not a move I can find compelling". It's a great shame because I've seen that he's still capable of getting great impact on his strikes whenever he chooses to forgo the thigh slaps and instead go for legitimate flesh-on-flesh contact, which mostly results in a wonderfully solid 'thud' that actually sounds somewhat realistic, but those are few and far between, as he's mostly happy to just proudly thigh-slap for his elbows, big boots, knee strikes, and headbutts, which instantly undercuts them, especially since he often doesn't even deliver them with the sort of speed to otherwise make up for that. Most of his power moves aren't that special either, despite how he might set them up with some admittedly impressive displays of strength or athleticism, since his opponents usually still take perfectly tidy bumps for all of them (and sometimes even immediately popping up from them, which is a whole other, greater issue). There are definitely some times where he's either more reckless or just intentionally going for more spectacular power moves, resulting in some that have his opponents almost landing on their heads, and those do usually look really good at the absolute least, but then it's a toss up between going for dangerous moves or mediocre moves, when really he should be trying to make his safer power moves look more explosive.. Am I saying Takeshita should be trying to break necks with his power moves or leave big red bruises on chests after hitting his strikes? No, but I'm pointing out how I don't understand why he's sometimes talked about as if he's one of the best in the world or even a future GOAT when, at least for these last few years, I've never got even 1/2th the same sense of danger, viciousness, or just general spectacle from Takeshita compared to the wrestlers I truly consider world-class or even just great. His offence is decent enough and at times really good, but it's really nothing more because nothing he goes for ever strays from the mechanical path he's steadfastly committed himself to. There's also just the issue where literally all his matches end up being the exact same 50/50 bombfest sprints, and all his performances are copy-and-pasted from one match to the next, regardless of who his opponent is, which makes him an incredibly boring wrestler to follow because he'll have more or less the same match for an AEW main-event that he would for a mid-card indie match. He'll do all the same rapid bomb trades, mirrored no-selling, mindless strike trades, contrived run-on sequences, dorky 'fighting spirit' power ups, and bunch of the same strikes and power moves spammed over and over. Try this: can you think of a single 'great' Takeshita match from the last 3 years where it was focussed on selling, or character work, or a feud/story that developed in the long term, and that DIDN'T ultimately devolve into him and his opponent rapidly trading bombs, no-selling, kicking out of a bunch of big moves and finishers, and all usual 'fighting spirit' fire-up spots? Because to me, that's what basically every Takeshita match is, only with rotating opponents that feature slightly different moves but still hit in the exact same ways. I didn't used to mind that too much from him and similar wrestlers because I thought those sorts of non-stop action-packed matches were great, but eventually you get sick of having takeaways for dinner every night and want something with more substance. All my criticisms for the mechanics of his offence really pale in comparison to these issues I've mentioned with his match structures, since the mindless 50/50 no-sell style is MUCH more egregious than his soft-looking strikes or occasionally flat power moves. He's probably still too athletic and energetic for me to ever rate lower than a 6, but with so much of the wrestling world obsessed with the "more is more" overkill philosophy, there's sadly a chance that he ends up as someone I consider truly mediocre, which would be immensely disappointing."

[10.0] "One of my current favourite wrestlers around. Manages to put on banger after banger, regardless of the opponent. His in-ring work is mesmerising and his presence adds so much to any promotion."

[6.0] "I'm not a fan of NJPW, and I don't really rate him because I just don't dig that kind of wrestling show format. I'm more used to American wrestling, and that's subjective. So I don't really get involved with a promotion that just doesn't appeal to me. But Takeshita wrestles in AEW, which is targeting the American market, so I can evaluate him. Honestly, I probably don't like any NJPW wrestler at all -- again, that's subjective. But this particular wrestler has definitely made some noise in the wrestling community, and I've kind of taken a shine to him too. I wanted to understand what his deal is and why he has such a high rating. And honestly, he's not as cringey as Okada -- I even liked his segment with Okada in the match, hinting at their feud. He has charisma. And unlike Shinsuke Nakamura, who just sits on his salary and does absolutely nothing in his company -- Takeshita is actually building his career, and for that, he deserves some praise. He's genuinely a good wrestler for his size. But his matches and his moveset are almost identical, repeated over and over again in his bouts -- like a carousel of the same set of moves. And most of the time, it's hard to say he's doing anything truly extraordinary. Someone pointed out that he really uses the same knee strikes, which makes his matches pretty boring and monotonous. You can't really say he does anything groundbreaking or distinctive in the ring -- nothing that really breaks new ground in wrestling. Also, I'm wary because he basically gained hype thanks to matches with Ospreay and Zack Sabre. Ospreay and the like are pretty much the strongholds of Memzer's propaganda. Memzer is totally disconnected from real wrestling knowledge. They think that the perfect wrestling match is whatever Ospreay or Sabre show -- but in reality, their matches are horrendous, eye-gougingly bad in terms of logic and spectacle, and they're supposedly praised by Memzer. I find it worrying that Takeshita is basically part of that camp of wrestlers. And maybe it's not his fault -- he's an NJPW guy, and he has to work matches with them. But the fact that he's getting feedback mainly from matches with Ospreay and Sabre is a downside. Those kinds of matches and wrestlers are only capable of destroying and wrecking the wrestling industry. Overall, Takeshita is not bad. But for me, he's just an average wrestler -- though possibly the best NJPW wrestler I've seen so far."

[10.0] "One of the the most complete package you can imagine, he can do anything: heel or face, freak athlete who can work as a powerhouse, stiff striker and high flyer seamlessly. He mix both poise and intensity, can deliver confident promos even with language barrier. Coming from DDT he is also no stranger to comedy, also a very giving performer."

[10.0] "Takeshita is the future when it comes to in-ring ability. He's fantastic and can keep up with the absolute best of the best without issue. His match earlier this year with Bandido at ROH Supercard was a CLINIC. His match against Ospreay earlier this year on dynamite (16.04.2025) is hands down my favorite match at the moment. He has the ability to carry promotions RIGHT NOW. He is The Alpha and he is The Future."

[10.0] "Takeshita is finally reaching his peak after years of being an excellent wrestler. He might be one of the wrestlers who defines the next decade. He's been great since he was only 17, and has constantly improved. The sky is truly the limit for Takeshita."

[10.0] "I found him this year and Truly a wrestler of the year contentdor current iwgp Champ and the future AEW Champ for sure."

[10.0] "Konosuke Takeshita has 13 years of experience and is already one of the best wrestlers in history. His in-ring skills and natural charisma are simply impressive."

[9.0] "As long as AEW and NJPW properly work with him and don't fuck up his creative, his babyface turn will be incredible and will launch him even further into stardom. One of the absolute best in the world and very well could end up a 10 from me if his career continues in the same trajectory. Insane physical abilities and build, fantastic presentation in both AEW/DDT/NJPW, and may have found a wrestling soulmate in Bandido and Ospreay. Nowhere to go but up, and I expect him to main event an All In at some point."

[10.0] "Holy shit I'm proud of him. Future aew world champion. He has the look, the moves, the skills congrats on that big win Konosuke"

[9.0] "I agree with some people on this site, Takesoup is very mixed, hes my favorite wrestler but when he goes against guys that are better than him (take Omega for instance) he just kinda falls bland, he tries to match guys that are higher than him and it just doesnt work sometimes. But aside from that i think Take is one of the best wrestler right now, his matches are great and has this aura behind him, although he doesnt speak much but when he does, he just has this alpha like presence, great wrestler."

"I believe this man is the best wrestler on the planet right now. He, alongside bandido, hangman, and toni storm are in my running for wrestler of the year. He is always consistent, his moveset does not get repetitive and can easily be in the world title picture without even needing to talk much. I do believe he is held back by the people around him. I think pairing him with don callis puts more glory on don, and i believe the aew production team do not do his presentation justice. He is the best wrestler on the planet and is not presented like one."

[10.0] "I love this man so so much. He's a legend. He's the greatest wrestler of all time. He's for sure a future hall of famer. His wrestling skills are matched by just a few."

[10.0] "This guy is just simply amazing. Out of all the guys that's clearly inspired by the Omega-ism style of pro wrestling, he's the one that comes the closest to being on the same level Omega was when he was in his peak. He's elevated the AEW international title in a similar vein to what Nakamura did for the IWGP intercontinental belt. He's reinvigorated the NEVER belt and made it a must-watch every time he defended it. Winning a G1 and literally winning the new japan crowd with his amazing performance against EVIL of all people. He's one of the very few people that I could see winning and holding world titles from different promotions simultaneously in this era. He's gonna surely be the ace, not just of AEW or NJPW but of his generation of professional wrestling for sure. Love u, big Take."

[10.0] "Whole guys like Okada and omega make me disappoint, guys like Ospreay and Takeshita give me hope. He has such a bright future ahead of him."

[10.0] "This man right here is one of the Best wrestlers on the planet. He is the Young Future Goat of this industry My favorite wrestler from AEW"

[10.0] "Greatest wrestler alive on planet earth. Would need lots of future mediocre work and convincing to talk me off him being a 10 for life at this point."

[10.0] "An outstanding Awesome talented Professional Wrestler. Big Take is Awesome dude he should win the AEW Title in the Next Year or two he's that Good. Just have Amazing matches every time he's out there"

[10.0] "An outstandingly talented wrestler and a true high point of AEW programming both now and for the future! Takeshita is essentially the total package at this point save English language promo ability but lacking this does not hinder him in the slightest. He radiates aura and his moveset is both extremely diverse and also super well refined. I see him being a world champion by next year at the absolute latest, it would be a crime to wait much longer to pull the trigger on him. I look forward to seeing how far The Alpha can go!"

[9.0] "This man is one of the best wrestlers in the world today and in the future he will probably be one of the greatest Japanese wrestlers in history."

[9.0] "Is obviously immense and if purely on ability, should be in the top echelon of any company's roster. Pretty much guaranteed a 20 minute 8/10 minimum every PPV. He'll be even better once turned face but do slightly wonder if he's destined to have a Claudio type career, excellent worker with a slight glass ceiling. Occasionally a little loose on his Blue Thunder finisher. Only annoyance is that in those little upcoming corner trailers, he somehow contrives to make himself look like an 80 year old Indian woman instead of the Don that he clearly is."

[10.0] "In my eyes, The Best wrestler on the AEW roster that's going to stick around for a long time and it's not even close. Takeshita is amazing at every single aspect. He's got the lood and the presence, he has charisma, his english isn't the best but Don covers that part, and he's such a good performer in the ring. He manages to look good and make his opponent look great in the meanwhile. He's a star and will be one for the future, no doubt about it"

[10.0] "One of the greatest wrestlers I've ever seen. His matches continue to excite and amaze me. I feel like every match he's in, I see something new and authentic from him. His run in AEW has been nothing short of fantastic! If he has a match -- I'm tuned in."

[10.0] "Damn near perfect pro wrestler, great look, great athlete, incredible in ring skills regardless of match style."

[7.0] "I find him extremely overrated. I think he's good enough, especially when it comes to the in ring. He also has a good look. But I think his character development has always fallen short. Maybe his lack of progression in this area can be chalked up to Tony Khan's poor storytelling abilities. But I usually just zone out when he's around."

[10.0] "Takeshita is my favorite wrestler at this time. Just an amazing combination of power and athleticism that allows him to stick out from other wrestlers on the roster. At only 29 as of this writing, there's a lot of time for even more upside to be discovered and for this amazing talent to establish himself at the top of the industry."

"Takeshita is just him with a combination of athleticism, power and charisma this man just keeps getting better and better. I'm just patiently waiting to see if NJPW or AEW will crown him as their world champ heck make him double champ."

[10.0] "Incredible wrestler. Athletic, big, versatile and his moves are executed with such crispness and perfection. He's one of the best all around wrestlers I have ever seen and if he were around around two decades ago back when his level of in ring ability was a very rare sight then he would have been considered not just an all time great, but a revolutionary talent in wresting. When this guy has good chemistry with his opponent you know you are in for something phenomenal."

[10.0] "Possibly the greatest active wrestler in 2025, he has a rare blend of size and legit athleticism that is hard to match. An incredible presence in ring and in promos due to his insane natural charisma, he has shown how insanely talented he is in 3 separate companies now. His match catalogue between his long DDT run, his 3 year AEW run and his few NJPW dates is absurd and ranges from comedy matches, long main event classics and fun TV matches, he can legit do anything in ring. Konosuke Takeshita is going to be a major player in both the japanese and american pro wrestling scenes for the next 10-15 years, would not be shocked if he ends 2025 as a world champion in NJPW or AEW."

[10.0] "The best wrestler in the world right now imo.Takeshita can absolutely do it all, technical exchanges, high flying spots, insane back and forth sequences & even comedy. I believe you can find amazing matches from every year in his career (yes even the beginning) but the run he has been on from 2023-2025 he has been on an insane level. Every match he has I seek out and Im not disappointed, he was even the standout in the g1 this year having amazing match after amazing match. I cant wait to see more and more matches from him."

[7.0] "Again, i'm only writing this because it won't let me rate it because unless I comment cuz I'm in the minority. Fairly enjoyable wrestler. Again, not too big on him. Nothing to criticize either. He's quite good. But not on the upper echelon of wrestlers."

[10.0] "Please please please... Get him away from the "Don Callis Family". Anyway, probably top 5 wrestlers today I just hope more people go to watch his DDT stuff."

[10.0] "Probably the greatest active in-ring wrestler right now. The way he sells the impact of the moves, and the damage just is elite. Not to mention the presence he brings to the table. He could really be AEW world champion if it wasn't for all the previously built stars before him. Amazing Wrestler. 10/10"

[10.0] "A wrestling stud. That's the best description I can give to Konosuke Takeshita. An amazing wrestler, with great natural charisma. You'll always have a good time while watching a Takeshita match, from his raw athleticism, to his top notch in-ring technique & his aura that combines his charisma & physique. You simply can't look away when he's on your screen - nor do you want to, to be honest."

[10.0] "This dude has everything. And the natural charm, to boot. He should win a Noble Prize in the category of "big pretty boy fucker who wrestles well". In all seriousness, I love his speed in conjunction with his offense. So much potential to do a lot in the business."

[10.0] "Konosuke Takeshita is the type of wrestler who doesn't just perform--he transcends. Every time he steps into the ring, it feels like you're watching something special, as if he was born to do this. The combination of power, agility, and technique he brings is breathtaking, and his adaptability makes him a standout no matter the opponent. What's so impressive about Takeshita is how he blends raw athleticism with deep storytelling. He can hit you with suplexes and strikes that look like they'd knock out a bull, then seamlessly shift into chain wrestling that feels like an art form. He's a throwback to the best of puroresu, but he also fits perfectly into today's global wrestling landscape. Takeshita has this uncanny ability to connect with the crowd, whether he's playing the underdog, standing toe-to-toe with legends, or delivering epic heel moments. His passion is contagious--you can see it in his eyes, his movements, and the way he treats every match like it's the biggest stage. And let's not forget that blue thunder bomb--every time he nails it, the crowd goes wild. It's rare to see someone so young carry themselves like a veteran, but Takeshita already feels like a generational talent. He's not just a future world champion; he's a cornerstone of wherever he wrestles. Watching him rise is like being in the front row of history, and it's exciting to think about where he'll go next. If you're not a fan yet, trust me--it's only a matter of time. Konosuke Takeshita isn't just good. He's the kind of great that makes you remember why you fell in love with wrestling in the first place."**"

[9.0] "What a wrestler. I don't think so far I've seen a Takeshita match and it's let me down, 9 times out of 10 it always exceeds expectations, he's a genuine machine of a wrestler and I like that he's managed by Don Callis as a mouthpiece, but I think that could be built upon more, have Callis himself be scared of Konosuke to build up his character as much as you can, there's potential for Takeshita to become a major success in the American market provided he is booked right, which is not something most male wrestlers from Japan can say, sky's the limit for him and I hope he hits all the heights possible."

[9.0] "Takeshita è uno dei wrestler del panorama attuale che mi diverto di più a guardare. Ha un ottima presenza sul ring e sa fare tanti tipi di incontri diversi, la sua offensiva è estremamente credibile e quando lo vedi nella card sei abbastanza sicuro che sarà lo show stealer. Aspetto a dargli dieci perché può ancora fare una run da face davvero incredibile."

[10.0] "I asked myself a question today, who is my favorite wrestler? It's Takeshita. At his best, one of the most fun, if not the most fun wrestler to watch in the world. His match with Ishii from Dynasty is amazing and that match with ELP, that is out of this world good. The Ospreay match oh my god the Ospreay match bangs so hard. When he is at his best, no one gets me on my feet like Konosuke Takeshita, whether its those german suplexs, that raging fire, the catching Blue Thunder Bomb, OR THOSE FUCKING CATACLYSMIC FOREARM STRIKES, this man does it all so well."

[10.0] "After Konosuke's showing in the 2024 G1 Climax, and stellar post-G1 performances against Mortos, Mike Bailey, Josh Alexander, Ricochet, Hobbs, Ishii and Shingo Takagi; I'm willing to admit that Takeshita is currently the greatest active talent going right now. He's a total package that can do it all. A multi-champion for a reason."

[10.0] "What a star, he's currently one of my favorites in AEW, one of the best wrestlers in the world in the ring + incredibly charismatic, a future world champion, and it should happen few months after he loses the International title"

[10.0] "Need AEW to keep pushing this beast. One of the best wrestlers on the roster and has incredible charisma. Want to see him be an AEW World Champion in the future."

[10.0] "Future world champion for sure. Incredible athleticism and charisma. This was HIS summer with an incredible run on G1 climax 34!"

[10.0] "One of the very best in the world today. Never has a bad match and one of my favourite's to watch. Truly a generational talent, hope he gets a world title run soon."

"[10.0] this guy is crazy talented he have it factor in him he can win it all in njpw just imagen him vs okada our tanahashi our naito in 40 min match in wk mainevent our him wining g1 climax hes not belong in usa save this guy he can be a goat for him self."

[8.0] "The guy is very good, but it will be difficult for him in the United States because he doesn't know the language, but I wouldn't mind seeing him as world champion. If one day he signs with NJPW, he will easily be their new superstar."

[10.0] "I think he is a top 3 wrestler in world that hasn't be presented as such ETC: Needing to cheat against a returning Adam Cole and needing to cheat to beat Ospreay. I get the reasons but I think a guy as good as him shouldn't need to. He definitely needs better booking and should presented like Gunther."

[9.0] "Takeshita lives by the moniker of "The Alpha"! He's such a beast with so much experience under his belt starting at a 16 years to still being a top-tier performer at 29 years old and he's career is only blossoming further as he continues! He's a perfect embodiment of high-flyer, technician, & striker all rolled into one and doesn't seem to be slacking in any of his matches pulling off such eye-catching moves like his signature Blue Thunder Bomb! I'll continue to be impressed by Takeshita as he's longevity for wrestling will be in his favor!"