Konosuke Takeshita On Hiroshi Tanahashi’s Upcoming Retirement Match: I Definitely Want To See Him Beat The Hell Out Of Okada

Konosuke Takeshita comments on Hiroshi Tanahashi’s upcoming retirement match with Kazuchika Okada at NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 20.

In April of this year at NJPW’s Windy City Riot event in Chicago, Takeshita would clash with Tanahashi in what would be the NJPW legends final match in the United States, with Takeshita coming away with the victory.

While speaking to NJPW in a new interview, Konosuke Takeshita was asked about facing off with Tanahashi in his final match in the United States earlier this year, with the IWGP World Heavyweight Champion expressing that he wanted to face Tanahashi in his final match in Japan also.

“It was. To be honest, I wanted to have that match in Japan as well, but I think I was a fitting opponent for his last US match. There are definitely people who have a deeper connection to NJPW, and to Tanahashi, but there was something with that match that only he and I could do. We could only have that match because I signed with NJPW as well, so I felt happy that decision was justified. This year has been about that, about walking my own path with confidence and being repaid in full.”

When asked what he wanted to see from Tanahashi at the Tokyo Dome, Takeshita expressed his excitement at the idea of Tanhashi ‘beating the hell out of Okada’.

“Oh, I definitely want to see him beat the hell out of Okada.”

Elsewhere in the same interview, Takeshita discussed being contracted to three wrestling promotions at the same time. You can read more about that here.