AEW Star Considered WWE Prior To Signing With Tony Khan

AEW has introduced a few Japanese stars to American audiences, and Konosuke Takeshita is certainly getting a lot of attention in Tony Khan’s company. He had quite a 2022 that stretched into a 2023 where he was featured heavily on television. In the end, he is very happy with his decision.

Konosuke Takeshita, recognized as one of AEW’s most promising talents, made his initial appearance with the company in April 2021 while still active in DDT Pro Wrestling in Japan. Following notable performances in matches against the likes of Jon Moxley and Eddie Kingston throughout 2022, Takeshita solidified his commitment to AEW with a full-time contract in November 2022.

In an interview conducted with DDT Pro-Wrestling’s official website, Takeshita shed light on the decision-making process that led to his signing with AEW, revealing that Tony Khan’s promotion wasn’t the sole contender in his considerations.

“When I lost the KO-D belt to Tetsuya Endo at Ryogoku Kokugikan last March, I said, ‘This is the second chapter for Konosuke Takeshita…’ As a champion, I had already been around the world one or two times, so I felt that the only way to show what I could do was to cross the ocean.

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“So the choice was WWE or AEW. At that time, there were not that many main male wrestlers in AEW, and moreover, there were no Japanese who wore the singles belt, except for women.“

“I wanted to do something that no one else was doing. At that point, I wasn’t sure if AEW would become as huge as it is now, but it was still a choice I made. Then, over the next year or so, the number of wrestlers steadily increased, and I don’t think I would have had a chance if I had waited another year. It was all a matter of timing…

“When the Coronavirus pandemic made it impossible for Japanese professional wrestling to make its voice heard, I thought to myself, this is no good for me to be wrestling.“

“I’ve been doing it for 10 years, so I’ve had enough. I went to the U.S. because I wanted to give it one last try, and I think that may have been my destiny.“

“I wouldn’t be where I am today without AEW, which guided me, and DDT, which sent me here, so the best way for me to repay them would be to fight Chris Jericho.”

Takeshita will return to DDT to face off with his fellow AEW star Chris Jericho, who will be making his first appearance for the promotion. The two have a bit of a history together already within Takeshita’s short time in AEW.

Takeshita discussed the match and its importance to him on a personal level. This is a big deal for him as he continues carving out a spot for himself in the pro wrestling world.

“First of all, I wanted to fight Jericho in a singles match, which is what I had wanted to do when I became a member of AEW.

“I had reached the point where I could imagine myself doing that in the AEW ring, but I wanted to do it in a DDT ring.

“In the past, DDT has done things like parodying WWE superstars, but when you think back to the beginning of the organization, it was unthinkable to have an active superstar appear instead of an impersonator in the ring.

“So it was a secret ambition of mine to make it a reality. I felt a sense of accomplishment when I saw it come true… So when I felt the reaction at that moment, I was honestly happy.”

We will have to see how this pans out for Takeshita. The Don Callis Family has a lot of heat behind them, and momentum at this point as well. Only time will tell how things go in DDT Pro, but Chris Jericho and Takeshita may not be finished with each other yet.

Chris Jericho is a huge force in AEW, and he has already accomplished a lot in the company. All the while, he has also done his best to help build new stars, including Takeshita.

What’s your take on this big DDT Pro match? Let us know what you think about this in the comments section!