Shingo Takagi Defeats Claudio Castagnoli, Dares Jon Moxley to Face Him in NJPW

By: Noah Leatherland

After claiming a big win over AEW’s Claudio Castagnoli at NJPW Destruction in Kobe, Shingo Takagi already has his eyes on another target. The Dragon is looking to add vanquish another Death Rider, the leader, Jon Moxley.

Speaking in his post-match comments, Takagi relished in his victory over Castagnoli. But, it appears that he is not quite satisfied in his quest against the Death Riders. Takagi addressed Moxley, daring him to come and face him in Japan:

This lively monster has beaten a physical monster—the world’s greatest physical monster, no less. Hey, is that it then? Nobody’s coming out after the match. Is there anyone backstage? Is there? Well, on August 16th at Ryogoku, I took three from Yuta, and today I’ve taken three from Claudio. Nobody’s going to complain, are they?

 

Next up! Who is it? Who is it? Well, well, Gabe believes Moloney will sort it out. Oi, boss of the Bald Riders. It’s about time you came out. Oi, M·O·X, Mox! That’s you, right? What are you sitting there looking so smug for? Come on out, Mox. Back in the day, nearly twenty years ago, we used to tour the American indie scene together, didn’t we? You haven’t forgotten that spirit from back then, have you?

 

Come on, then. Come over to Japan. Come to Japan and have a go at this! Try your hand at New Japan’s gruelling, gruelling schedule. And make sure you enjoy those cramped hotels to the full. This is ‘This is NEW JAPAN Style’. Pass this on, eh? Tony Khan or whoever—it doesn’t matter. Okamoto, you’re on good terms with Kazuchika Okada, aren’t you? Get in touch with him. M·O·X, Mox! It’s about time you showed your face. I’ll be waiting.

(Quotes translated via DeepL)

The last time Takagi and Moxley went one-on-one was back in January 2024, where Moxley defeated The Dragon in a No DQ match at NJPW Battle in the Valley. The two had met once before then, with Moxley getting 2 points over Takagi in the 2019 G1 Climax.

Moxley’s last appearance in Japan for NJPW came in 2024 as he successfully defended the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship against EVIL at Dominion.