Konosuke Takeshita, the AEW star who won the prestigious NJPW G1 Climax, will not be competing for the NJPW title at Wrestle Kingdom as many expected. This surprising development changed the traditional path for the G1 winner, who typically challenges for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship at the following Wrestle Kingdom event.
The Change in NJPW’s Title Match Tradition
For several years, the winner of the NJPW G1 Climax tournament earned the right to face the reigning IWGP World Heavyweight Champion at Wrestle Kingdom, the promotion’s biggest event. In January 2024, Tetsuya Naito followed this tradition when he captured the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship from Sanada, his former Los Ingobernables de Japon partner, at Wrestle Kingdom.
However, this long-standing custom shifted in 2024. After Zack Sabre Jr. won the G1 Climax, he bypassed Wrestle Kingdom and instead immediately challenged Naito for the world title at the King of Pro Wrestling event in October, where Sabre Jr., an English star, claimed the championship.
Konosuke Takeshita’s G1 victory marked the first time an AEW wrestler won the tournament. Despite this milestone, NJPW confirmed that Takeshita will not challenge for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship inside the Tokyo Dome at Wrestle Kingdom.
Upcoming Title Matches and the Road Ahead for Takeshita
After defending his IWGP World Heavyweight Championship against Nigel McGuinness at Forbidden Door, Zack Sabre Jr. is scheduled to defend the title again at Destruction in Kobe on September 28. His challenger will be Ren Narita, who earned the opportunity by defeating Sabre Jr. during the G1 Climax round-robin stage.
The victor of the Destruction match will then defend the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship against Konosuke Takeshita at King of Pro Wrestling on October 13, held at Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo. This sets Takeshita’s title challenge significantly earlier than the usual Wrestle Kingdom showdown.
Looking further ahead, the 2026 Wrestle Kingdom event will be historically significant as it will feature the final match of wrestling legend Hiroshi Tanahashi’s career.
Context on NJPW’s Shifting Event Schedule and Legacy Stars
These scheduling changes reflect NJPW’s evolving strategy to spread high-profile title matches across multiple major events instead of concentrating them solely at Wrestle Kingdom. It also highlights NJPW’s efforts to build anticipation for King of Pro Wrestling as a key event for world title bouts.
Hiroshi Tanahashi’s upcoming retirement match at Wrestle Kingdom 2026 adds emotional weight to the event, marking the end of an era for NJPW fans and the wrestling community worldwide.
