NJPW's Dominion: 14 Biggest Stories Ahead Of The G1 Climax And More

4. Hiromu Takahashi Conspicuous In Absence

While much of the focus coming out of Dominion fell on the new talents appearing like Jon Moxley and KENTA, one of the biggest stories was about who didn't show up in Osaka. Former IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion Hiromu Takahashi was sidelined last year with a broken neck following an unfortunate mishap during a bout with Dragon Lee. Since then, Takahashi has continually teased his eventual return to New Japan via Twitter.

With his timetable to return finally coming to pass, many fans expected to see Hiromu at either the conclusion of the Best of the Super Juniors or Dominion. Surprisingly, however, he and his beloved stuffed cat Daryl have yet to be seen back in New Japan. Takahashi again teased a return just days before both events, tweeting a video of Daryl evolving his colors from black and white to pink with the caption "everyone needs healing".

Despite fans' disappointment in Hiromu's lack of a return at Dominion, surely the former IWGP Junior title holder will come back to NJPW competition soon. And when he does, he'll undoubtedly seek to regain the belt he never truly lost - adding another challenge onto Will Ospreay's ever-growing plate.

Contributor

Douglas Scarpa is a freelance writer, independent filmmaker, art school graduate, and pro wrestling aficionado -- all of which mean he is in financial ruin. He has no backup plan to speak of, yet maintains his abnormally high spirits. If he had only listened to the scorn of his childhood teachers, he wouldn't be in this situation.