13 Ups & 3 Downs From NJPW Dominion 6.9 2019

8. Shingo Takagi Arrives At Heavyweight

Shingo Takagi
NJPW

In the aftermath of his crushing Best of the Super Juniors finals loss to Will Ospreay, Shingo Takagi implored New Japan management to start booking him against heavyweight wrestlers. Their response? A two-time IWGP Heavyweight Champion in Satoshi Kojima who, at 48 years old, is still a game bruiser.

Early on, colour commentator Don Callis pointed out that 'The Dragon' "won't be able to bully a guy like Kojima." That's what made this bout so interesting. Takagi is the high-school bully who bashes you into your locker-room on the way to class, then steals your girl at the prom. He's a piece of trash, character-wise, and his NJPW run so far has consisted of him bulldozing through much smaller men. A veteran like Kojima wouldn't stand for that.

'Cozy' approached the bout with the expected fight, though an apron Death Valley Driver suggested things weren't going to go his way. He fought back, planting Shingo with a DDT on The Hardest Part of the Ring™, then hitting the Koji Cutter for a near-fall. Regardless, he was only ever swimming against the tide. Takagi, the unrepentant lightning bruiser, was out to prove himself against a veteran heavyweight, and did so by winning this spirited struggle with Last of the Dragon.

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Channel Manager

Andy has been with WhatCulture for eight years and is currently WhatCulture's Wrestling Channel Manager. A writer, presenter, and editor with 10+ years of experience in online media, he has been a sponge for all wrestling knowledge since playing an old Royal Rumble 1992 VHS to ruin in his childhood. Having previously worked for Bleacher Report, Andy specialises in short and long-form writing, video presenting, voiceover acting, and editing, all characterised by expert wrestling knowledge and commentary. Andy is as much a fan of 1985 Jim Crockett Promotions as he is present-day AEW and WWE - just don't make him choose between the two.