Konosuke Takeshita Retains at NJPW Final Homecoming, Challenges Yota Tsuji for Wrestle Kingdom 20

By Noah Leatherland

NJPW hosted a Final Homecoming for Hiroshi Tanahashi in Gifu, loading the card with big title matches and the Super Jr. Tag League finals. Coming out of the homecoming show, more pieces are falling into place for NJPW’s return to the Tokyo Dome for Wrestle Kingdom 20.

After a sprint of block action, completing the round robin part of the tournament in just over a week, the Super Jr. Tag League wrapped up in Gifu. From A Block, the reigning IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team champions, DOUKI and SHO, advanced to the finals. On the other side, Taiji Ishimori and Robbie X advanced from B Block. DOUKI and SHO had a perfect run through A Block, and they continued their winning ways here at NJPW Final Homecoming. The House of Torture representatives claimed the tag league trophies, a low blow acting as a vital tool to help them onto victory.

Kosei Fujita confronted DOUKI and SHO during their post-match interview. He and Robbie Eagles lost out on the finals with a loss to Ishimori and X on the last night of B Block action. He had some fiery language for the champions:

You lot are useless scum who can’t even fight without your toys, aren’t you?

To which DOUKI replied:

We already beat you a lot back in September. We’re not interested. Come on then, bring something over and try standing in front of me.

(Translations via DeepL)

Hiroshi Tanahashi faced Yota Tsuji for the IWGP Global Heavyweight Championship in front of his home town crowd, in what was likely to be his final ever title challenge. Tanahashi was valiant as ever, chasing for one more title to add to his collection before he retires on January 4th. But, despite all the sentimentality and the roaring support of the Gifu crowd, The Ace was unable to unseat the champion. Tsuji bested Tanahashi, extending his reign with the white belt and completing a crucial first defense.

Following the match, Yuto-Ice appeared to challenge Tanahashi to a match on November 8th. Later, Gedo informed Tanahashi backstage that he will prepare an oppoenent for Tanahashi’s retirement match.

The main event saw Konosuke Takeshita make his first defense of the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship. Hirooki Goto met him on the cerulean blue mat, looking to reclaim the belt he held earlier this year. After a hard-hitting affair, The Alpha ended the contest with a Raging Fire, completing a successful first defence.

Following the match, Takeshita took to the microphone and called for someone to step up and challenge him for the Tokyo Dome. Yota Tsuji reappeared in front of the Gifu crowd, taking Takeshita up on his proposal. The stakes were then raised higher, as Takeshita demanded that Tsuji put the white belt on the line as well. Tsuji did not back down, and once again, Wrestle Kingdom will have a high stakes double title match on the card.

Here are the full results of NJPW Final Homecoming, courtesy of purolove :

• Oleg Boltin, Shoma Kato & Tatsuya Matsumoto def. Katsuya Murashima, Masatora Yasuda & Zane Jay (8:58)
• Hartley Jackson, Kosei Fujita & Robbie Eagles def. Daiki Nagai, Gedo & Hiromu Takahashi (9:17)
• Dragon Dia, Ryusuke Taguchi, KUSHIDA & Yuki Yoshioka def. El Desperado, Kuukai, Tiger Mask & YAMATO (7:55)
• Dick Togo, EVIL, Ren Narita, Yoshinobu Kanemaru & Yujiro Takahashi def. Master Wato, Shota Umino, Toru Yano, YOH & Yuya Uemura (6:18)
• Clark Connors, OSKAR, Yuto-Ice & Shingo Takagi def. Callum Newman, Great-O-Khan, Jakob Austin Young & Templario (10:58)
• Super Jr. Tag League Finals: DOUKI & SHO def. Robbie X & Taiji Ishimori (15:01)
• IWGP Global Heavyweight Title: Yota Tsuji (c) def. Hiroshi Tanahashi (20:05)
• IWGP World Heavyweight Title: Konosuke Takeshita (c) def. Hirouki Goto (24:20)