In 2011, Takeshita began training for aprofessional wrestling career withDDT Pro-Wrestling.[5] He had been a wrestling fan since childhood and had attended a DDT show as a 12-year-old, where he was kissed by wrestlerDanshoku Dino.[6][7] On April 1, 2012, DDT announced that he would debut for the promotion on August 18 atTokyo'sNippon Budokan.[5] Prior to his debut match, he took part in exhibition matches.[8] During one of these matches on August 4, he scored an upset win overHiroshi Fukuda to claim theIronman Heavymetalweight Championship.[9] The title had a 24/7 rule where it could be won anytime and anywhere.[10] As Takeshita was being congratulated by DDT general manager Amon Tsurumi for winning his first match before his official debut, Fukuda hit him with alow blow and pinned him to immediately regain the title.[9]
On August 17, Takeshita took part in a high-profile interpromotional match, when he was defeated byNew Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) representativeHiroshi Tanahashi at DDT's annualRyōgoku Kokugikan event.[19][20] On September 28, Takeshita and Endo defeated Kenny Omega and Kota Ibushi to win the KO-D Tag Team Championship for the first time.[3][21] Afterwards, Omega dubbed Takeshita the "Future of DDT".[3] Takeshita and Endo went on to lose the title toDaisuke Sekimoto andYuji Okabayashi on February 15, 2015.[3][22] The following June, Takeshita made it to the finals of the 2015 King of DDT tournament, but was defeated there by Yukio Sakaguchi.[3][23] On December 23, Takeshita and Endo defeatedShigehiro Irie and Yuji Okabayashi in the finals of a tournament to regain thevacant KO-D Tag Team Championship.[3][24]
With Kudo sidelined with an injury and Kota Ibushi announcing his resignation from DDT, Takeshita was poised to take a larger role in the promotion.[24][25] On January 3, 2016, he received his first shot at DDT's top title, theKO-D Openweight Championship, but was defeated by the defending champion, Isami Kodaka.[3] On March 21, Takeshita and Endo lost the KO-D Tag Team Championship toDaisuke Sasaki andShuji Ishikawa.[3] On May 29, his 21st birthday, Takeshita defeated Daisuke Sasaki to win the KO-D Openweight Championship for the first time.[26][27] With the win, Takeshita became the youngest KO-D Openweight Champion in history,[28] beating the previous record held byNosawa Rongai by three years and six months.[25] On June 15, Takeshita made his debut forAll Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW), teaming with Tetsuya Endo in a tag team match, where they defeatedJun Akiyama andYuma Aoyagi.[29][30] On July 17, Takeshita successfully defended the KO-D Openweight Championship against his tag team partner Tetsuya Endo. After the match, Endo turned on Takeshita and joined Daisuke Sasaki'sDamnation stable.[31][32] After three successful title defenses, Takeshita lost the KO-D Openweight Championship to Shuji Ishikawa on August 28 at DDT's biggest event of the year,Ryōgoku Peter Pan.[33][34] On December 4, Takeshita andMike Bailey defeated Daisuke Sasaki and Tetsuya Endo to win the KO-D Tag Team Championship.[35] They lost the title toMasakatsu Funaki and Yukio Sakaguchi in their second defense on January 9, 2017.[36]
On January 29, Takeshita defeated Kudo in the finals of a tournament to become the number one contender to the KO-D Openweight Championship.[37][38] AtJudgement, Takeshita defeatedHarashima to win the KO-D Openweight Championship for the second time.[39][40] The following month, Takeshita andAkito formed a new unit named "All Out".[41] On August 20 at the 2017Ryōgoku Peter Pan show, Takeshita made his seventh successful defense of the KO-D Openweight Championship against2017 King of DDT winner Tetsuya Endo.[42][43] On October 22, Takeshita set a new record for most successful defenses of the KO-D Openweight Championship by making his ninth defense against Danshoku Dino.[7] On November 2, Takeshita became a double champion, when he and his All Out stablemates Akito andDiego defeated Damnation (Daisuke Sasaki,Mad Paulie and Shuji Ishikawa) to win the vacantKO-D 6-Man Tag Team Championship.[44] On November 28, Takeshita andYuki Ueno won the cross-promotional2017 Differ Cup by defeating thePro Wrestling Noah team ofHitoshi Kumano andKatsuhiko Nakajima in the finals. This marked the first Differ Cup held in 10 years.[45] On December 10, All Out lost the KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Championship to Shuten-dōji.[46]
In January 2018, Takeshita competed in the first edition of theD-Oh Grand Prix, competing in the A Block. Takeshita finished with 7 points, failing to advance to the finals.[47] On March 25 atJudgement, Takeshita achieved his 11th successful defense of the KO-D Openweight Championship against Shuji Ishikawa.[48] He finally lost the title to Shigehiro Irie the following month at Max Bump, on April 29.[49] On June 26, Takeshita, Akito and Shunma Katsumata defeatedKoju Takeda,Kota Umeda and Yuki Ueno to win the KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Championship.[50] On December 30, Takeshita won theD-Oh Grand Prix 2019 by defeatingGo Shiozaki in the finals.[51]
On February 17, 2019, atJudgement, Takeshita defeated Daisuke Sasaki to win his third KO-D Openweight Championship.[52] On April 4 atDDT Is Coming to America, Takeshita lost the title to Daisuke Sasaki. Later on, Tetsuya Endo cashed in his "Right To Challenge Anytime, Anywhere" contract to win the title.[53] On May 19, Takeshita defeatedSoma Takao in the finals of the2019 King of DDT tournament and thus became the number one contender to the KO-D Openweight Championship then held by Endo.[54] On June 24, along with his All Out stablematesShunma Katsumata andYuki Iino, he won the KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Championship by defeatingChihiro Hashimoto,Dash Chisako andMeiko Satomura.[55] On July 15, atWrestle Peter Pan, he won the KO-D Openweight Championship by defeating Tetsuya Endo.[56]
In early 2021, Takeshita announced that All Out would disband with their last match taking place on March 12 in a special All Out produced event. Their farewell match was atag team match that Takeshita and Akito won against Katsumata and Iino.[63]
The37Kamiina and sporadic appearances (2021–present)
On March 28, in the pre-show ofJudgement, Takeshita and Katsumata were announced as entrants in theUltimate Tag League 2021 where they would represent their new stableThe37Kamiina.[64] They won the league by defeating Daisuke Sasaki andYuji Hino in a tie-breaker match on May 27.[65] On June 26, on the Summer Vacation Tour in Osaka, Takeshita and Katsumata defeated Smile Pissari (Harashima and Yuji Okabayashi) to win the KO-D Tag Team Championship.[66] Takeshita then took part in the2021 King of DDT Tournament in which he defeated Akito,Mao and Daisuke Sasaki to reach the finals. In the finals on July 4, Takeshita defeated Yuji Hino, thus becoming the fourth two-time winner of the tournament.[67] AtWrestle Peter Pan on August 21, Takeshita defeated Jun Akiyama to capture the KO-D Openweight Championship for the fifth time of his career.[68] Takeshita later departed The37Kamiina after turning heel in AEW in 2023.
Takeshita returned to AEW on the April 25, 2022 episode ofAEW Dark: Elevation where he defeatedBrandon Cutler. On the May 4 episodeAEW Dynamite, he was challenged by Jay Lethal to wrestle him on the next episode ofAEW Rampage. On the May 6, 2022 episode ofRampage, Lethal would defeat Takeshita following assistance from his managerSonjay Dutt andSatnam Singh.[73] OnAEW Dynamite on May 18 he was defeated by AEW World Champion"Hangman" Adam Page in a non-title singles match, which was heavily praised by wrestling critics.[74] Takeshita continued to gather wins onElevation. On the July 6th episode ofAEW Rampage, Takeshita lost toEddie Kingston in a hard-hitting match.[75] Takeshita's impressive matches up to this point earned him anAEW Interim World Championship Eliminator match against then interim championJon Moxley on the July 13 special episode ofDynamite titledFyter Fest, which he lost.[76] AtBattle of the Belts III in August, Takeshita foughtClaudio Castagnoli for hisROH World Championship, and was defeated.[77] On November 19, it was confirmed that Takeshita had signed with the company, after his match against Eddie Kingston and Ortiz, while keeping his contract with DDT.[78][79]
AtDouble or Nothing on May 28, Takeshita aligned withDon Callis after they attacked Kenny Omega in the final moments of his match againstBlackpool Combat Club, forming theDon Callis Family and turningheel in the process.[80] AtBlood and Guts, Takeshita, along withPAC and the Blackpool Combat Club were defeated byThe Elite at the events' eponymous match, where both Takeshita and PAC walked out on the Blackpool Combat Club during the match.[81] Takeshita would later go on to defeat Omega three times on pay per view in the span of two months- In a six-man tag team match atAll In,[82] in a singles match atAll Out,[83] and in another six-man tag team match atWrestleDream.[84] After beating Omega at All Out, Callis gave Takeshita the moniker of "The Alpha".[85] Due to Omega being forced to go on hiatus after being diagnosed withdiverticulitis, Takeshita and The Don Callis Family began a feud withChris Jericho, who Omega was aligned with. AtWorlds End on December 30, Takeshita teamed with fellow Don Callis Family memberPowerhouse Hobbs,Ricky Starks, andBig Bill in a losing effort to Jericho,Sammy Guevera,Sting, andDarby Allin.[86]
Takeshita in 2024
On the February 7, 2024 episode ofDynamite, Takeshita defeated Jericho, ending their feud and avenging his previous loss to him in DDT.[87] On September 7 atAll Out, Takeshita failed to capture theAEW Continental Championship in afour-way match, whichKazuchika Okada won and retained the title.[88] During theAEW International Championship match betweenWill Ospreay andRicochet on thefifth anniversary episode ofDynamite on October 2, Takeshita attacked both men causing it to end in a no contest.[89] On October 12 atWrestleDream, Takeshita defeated Ospreay and Ricochet in athree-way match to win the International Championship for the first time and his first championship in AEW.[90] On November 23 atFull Gear, Takeshita successfully defended his title against Ricochet.[91] On December 28 atWorlds End, Takeshita successfully defended his title against Powerhouse Hobbs, who defected from the Don Callis Family a month prior.[92]
From July 20 to August 12, Takeshita participated inNew Japan Pro-Wrestling's2024 G1 Climax, his first G1 Climax tournament. On August 14, he finished the tournament with a record of five wins and four losses, advancing to the B block play-off match to decide the semifinalists of the tournament.[106] On August 15, Takeshita was defeated byYota Tsuji in the play-off match, failing to advance to the semifinals of the tournament.[107] On November 8 atFighting Spirit Unleashed, Takeshita successfully defended his AEW International Championship againstTJP. After the match, he issued an open challenge to any wrestler to face him for the title at theTokyo Dome atWrestle Kingdom 19 andWrestle Dynasty, which would be answered byShingo Takagi andTomohiro Ishii.[108]
On January 4, 2025 at Wrestle Kingdom 19, Takeshita defeated Takagi to win theNEVER Openweight Championship in aWinner Takes All match that also involved Takeshita's International Championship.[109] After successfully defending his championship against Tomohiro Ishii one day later at Wrestle Dynasty, Takeshita announced that he had also been signed to NJPW whilst remaining under contract with AEW and DDT.[110] On April 5 atSakura Genesis, Takeshita successfully defended his NEVER Openweight Championship againstRyohei Oiwa.[111] On April 11 atWindy City Riot, Takeshita defeatedHiroshi Tanahashi in Tanahashi's final match in the United States.[112]AtDominion 6.15 in Osaka-jo Hall, Takeshita lost his title toBoltin Oleg, ending his reign at 162 days.[113] From July 19, 2025 till August 17, 2025, Takeshita participated inG1 Climax 35, where he advanced out of the B Block with a 6—3 record,[114] defeatedDavid Finlay in the playoffs,[115]Zack Sabre Jr. in the semifinals,[116] and thenEvil in the final, making him the first contracted AEW and DDT wrestler to win the G1 tournament.[117] AtKing of Pro-Wrestling on October 13, Takeshita successfully cashed in his guaranteedIWGP World Heavyweight Championship title shot, granted by virtue of winning the G1 Climax, to win the title from Zack Sabre Jr.[118] On November 2 at Final Homecoming, Takeshita successfully defended his title againstHirooki Goto. After the match, Takeshita was confronted and challenged byIWGP Global Heavyweight Champion Yota Tsuji to a Winner Takes All match atWrestle Kingdom 20, which Takeshita accepted.[119]
^竹下幸之介が遺恨深まるヨシヒコを爆破し、一連の抗争に完全決着か？ [Konosuke Takeshita blows up YOSHIHIKO, against whom he has a deep-seated grudge, and brings a series of conflicts to a complete end?].Battle News (in Japanese). June 6, 2020.Archived from the original on June 8, 2020.
^Samurai TV [@samuraitv] (December 31, 2021).「輝く!日本インディー大賞 2021」の結果は以下となりました。 [The results of the "Japan Indie Awards 2021" results are as follows.] (Tweet) (in Japanese) – viaTwitter.
^Meltzer, Dave (February 2023). "February 2023 Wrestling Observer Newsletter: Results of the 2022 Wrestling Observer Newsletter Awards".Wrestling Observer Newsletter.
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