10 Best Non-WWE Wrestlers Of 2018 (So Far)
4. Hiromu Takahashi
The crazed clown prince of NJPW's Junior Heavyweight division finally returned to the throne last week, besting Will Ospreay in a riveting Dominion 6.9 encounter rife with highlight reel moments (and nasty head-drops).
It was a long time coming for Hiromu. Repositioned as the JHW scene's Ace in January 2017, he slid down the rankings after dropping the gold to KUSHIDA that June. 'The Ticking Time Bomb' became a goofy, cartoonish presence, the unrestrained reckless that once characterised his work replaced by a stuffed cat named Daryl. Though his character had always exhibited childlike tendencies, this signified his slide from divisional centerpiece to midcarder.
Fortunately, Takahashi has resurged in 2018. His matches still play out like cocaine-fuelled violence parties, with Hiromu holding nothing back in the pursuit of adrenaline. His Best Of The Super Juniors run was wild. Initially highlighted by typically bats*** matches with El Desperado and Dragon Lee, it concluded with an unhinged kill-or-be-killed clash with Taiji Ishimori. Takahashi won, and five days later, he was crowned Junior Heavyweight Champion once more, ready to rule with apron sunset flip powerbombs and inverted 'ranas.
In Himoru's world, death is preferable to boring. Long may he reign.