Konosuke Takeshita etched his name into history on Sunday, defeating EVIL on the final night of the “G1 Climax 35” in a 26-minute thriller at Ariake Arena – winning this year’s iteration of New Japan Pro Wrestling’s prestigious G1 Climax Tournament.
— Konosuke Takeshita (@Takesoup) August 17, 2025
With it, “The Alpha” has joined the ranks of NJPW royalty like The Great Muta, Hiroshi Tanahashi, Shinsuke Nakamura, and Kazuchika Okada. He’s also followed in the footsteps of his mentors and fellow DDT alumni, Kenny Omega and Kota Ibushi.
The affair was a far cry from G1 finales of old, rife with interference from EVIL’s House of Torture stablemates. Rocky Romero and Zack Sabre Jr. intervened on “The Alpha’s” behalf, evening the odds. In the end, the crown jewel in Don Callis’s cadre of heels was bizarrely thrust into the role of a triumphant hero.
The unorthodox nature of the match was apropos. Nothing about this year’s G1 Climax Tournament was conventional. After all, Takeshita is an outsider.
‘If you want to see me as an outsider, fine (…) I’m not NJPW’s Takeshita here, AEW’s Takeshita there. I’m just Konosuke Takeshita and I have something to show’
Konosuke Takeshita talked about an ‘outsider status’ and his G1 win yesterday!https://t.co/utOFI4UH30#njpw pic.twitter.com/f5nyLDok4J
— NJPW Global (@njpwglobal) August 18, 2025
“The Alpha” rose to prominence in DDT, before becoming a breakout star in AEW. Last summer, Takeshita ventured to NJPW for “G1 Climax 34,” falling to Yota Tsuji in the quarterfinals. However, his performance left an indelible impression on NJPW’s fans and management alike – prompting the promotion to sign Takeshita to a multi-year deal.
The contract marked Takeshita’s third with a major promotion and led to a victory at “Wrestle Kingdom 19” over Shingo Takagi for the NEVER Openweight Championship. Takeshita’s reign lasted 162 days, with him defending his title against Tomohiro Ishii, KUSHIDA, Oleg Boltin, Angel de Oro, Ryohei Oiwa and El Phantasmo.
Entering this year’s G1, Takeshita’s chances of victory seemed slim to none. It’s no secret that NJPW is in the midst of a rebuild. In the wake of The Elite’s mass exodus in 2019, the promotion was unable to stop the hemorrhaging, losing “Switchblade” Jay White, Kota Ibushi, Will Ospreay and Kazuchika Okada to AEW’s pull. Now, the promotion is scrambling to build new stars – raising the profile of the Reiwa Musketeers: Yota Tsuji, Shota Umino, and Ren Narita.
Not only is Takeshita an outsider, but he’s not even a full-time member of NJPW’s roster.
Now, he’s earned an opportunity to capture the promotion’s grandest prize, the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship.
The decision has been divisive, to say the least. Takeshita is a phenomenon, and NJPW is in desperate need of domestic stars. However, he’s still a veritable outsider, whose role in NJPW seems secondary to his obligations to AEW. From that vantage, pushing Takeshita in lieu of the Reiwa Musketeers seems errant by NJPW’s booker, Gedo.
Still, there’s no denying “The Alpha’s” extraordinary talent. During the G1, Takeshita managed to string together a series of standout performances against Gabe Kidd, El Phantasmo, Shingo Takagi, David Finlay, and a pair of great matches against the current world champion, Zack Sabre Jr. In that regard, Takeshita is a tremendous asset.
For Takeshita, winning this year’s G1 Climax Tournament was more than a career-defining achievement: it has positioned him as the ultimate ambassador for AEW and NJPW’s relationship.
In the United States, a language barrier often represents a glass ceiling for professional wrestlers. While Don Callis has alleviated some of those concerns for Takeshita, there’s no denying that Takeshita’s talents are best suited for NJPW. Now, he has an opportunity to capture his first men’s singles world championship. However, defeating Sabre Jr. will be no easy task. The two split their series in the G1, with Takeshita winning the second bout in the tournament’s semifinals.
「僕の本音は、そう遠くないうちにザックとIWGPがやりたい。そしてチャンピオンとして1.4東京ドームの舞台に立ちたい」
『G1』覇者・TAKESHITAが年内でのIWGP世界ヘビー級王座挑戦を熱望！
【8.18一夜明け会見】https://t.co/uRGFfKGWQB#G1CLIMAX35 #njpw @Takesoup pic.twitter.com/Zzd2IBmn0y
— 新日本プロレスリング株式会社 (@njpw1972) August 18, 2025
As champion, Takeshita could be positioned as an interloping heel – poised to drop the title to NJPW’s future ace at “Wrestle Kingdom 20” or beyond.
Regardless of NJPW’s plans for Takeshita, winning the G1 is an extraordinary honor in itself. It’s clear the future belongs to “The Alpha.”
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