10 Best Things Happening In Wrestling Right Now
9. Shingo Takagi In New Japan
In a move that many predicted the moment the man himself announced her was "going freelance" a month or so ago, former Dragon Gate lynchpin Shingo Takagi debuted for NJPW at King Of Pro-Wrestling 2018, where he was unveiled as Los Ingobernables de Japon's brand new member.
This is extremely exciting. The sport's coolest stables have added an absolute hoss, one of the most effective heels on the planet, and a breathtaking lightning bruiser long considered among the finest Japanese wrestlers outside of NJPW. Shingo is an absolute star. His arrival is significant enough in itself, but what's even bigger is that this represents a break from the norm in a country where wrestlers generally don't jump ship from one company to another, particularly in the modern era.
Takagi was in Dragon Gate for 14 years. He'd held every belt that mattered, and he was, by any metric, a DG guy, but he showed up in NJPW just one day after his last appearance for his old employers.
We saw it earlier in the year with Taiji Ishimori jumping to the Lion Mark from Pro Wrestling NOAH. Whether or not it represents a major shift in puroresu philosophy remains to be seen, but it's awesome nonetheless.