Hiromu Takahashi: “As Long as You Return, It’s Fine.”

Hiromu Takahashi is expecting El Desperado to bring everything and more to the mix at the Tokyo Dome.

by: R. Faliani

After defeating Taiji Ishimori, the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion Hiromu Takahashi prepared for his next challenger. At the Tokyo Dome, Takahashi will face El Desperado once again, in a new chapter of their eternal affair.

Takahashi attended the press conference after the show and expressed his thoughts about Desperado challenging him once again. Based on the Tokyo Sports report, Takahashi said: “There is only one man that can surpass Desperado. I thought the Tokyo Dome was a good place to do that.”

【新日本】高橋ヒロムが来年１・４ドームのデスペラード戦に気勢　会見は脱線に次ぐ脱線でまさかの３０分超｜東スポWEB https://t.co/2NTpSih406

— 岡本佑介@東京スポーツ新聞社 (@okamotospo) November 6, 2023

Their history of matches together is filled with some of the best Junior Heavyweight matches we have seen, and it’s no surprise this challenge, as big and risky as it is, was going to be at Wrestle Kingdom 18. Takahashi and Desperado have been having fantastic years, going all over the Japanese pro-wrestling scene and wrestling whoever they want to. For example, Desperado wrestled Daisuke Sasaki this year in DDT Wrestle Peter Pan, and now, Takahashi will fight at Ultimate Party 2023 against Kazuki Hirata.

These two wrestlers have been fighting at the peak of their performance for months now, and have been able to divide the wrestling fans as to who is the better Junior Heavyweight wrestler this year. Takahashi and Desperado are eternal foes for a reason, and they’re no strangers to colliding in the Tokyo Dome either. Last year they wrestled a 4-way, but they have been able to fight once in a 1v1 contest, which saw Desperado beating Takahashi.

El Desperado: Love, Death and Flamboyance

Takahashi is on a course to change Junior Heavyweight wrestling around the world. He has appeared in many promotions around Japan and has been able to do both a Japanese All-Star Junior Festival and an American one in the same year. His resume just makes him better than any Junior wrestler this year, but Desperado seems to digress, as he also had a noteworthy year, with matches against the likes of Francesco Akira, Joey Janela, Jon Moxley, Masashi Takeda, and Rina Yamashita.

Takahashi expressed his desire for Desperado to come back at his 100%, due to his injury: “As long as you return, it’s fine. However, when I prepared for my return, I had to say I was on my 100%. I’d like to hear from you. I think Desperado has an obligation to report his recovery status.”

At the Tokyo Dome, the two current best Junior wrestlers in the world will fight for supremacy once again, and we can’t wait for Junior Heavyweight wrestling to shine on the big stage. Will Takahashi remain at the top of the mountain, or will Desperado throw him out of a cliff?