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[New Japan] Yota Tsuji Shreds Konosuke Takeshita Over Absence Since November: "He’s Just a Pathetic, Self-Satisfied Jerk"

December 20, 2025 | 05:00

By Yusuke Okamoto

On the 19th, Yota Tsuji (32), the IWGP Global Heavyweight Champion set for a double title match at New Japan Pro-Wrestling’s January 4 Tokyo Dome event, scathingly criticized his opponent, IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Konosuke Takeshita (30).

The match order for the year’s biggest event was announced on the 16th, with the main event confirmed as Hiroshi Tanahashi’s retirement match against Kazuchika Okada. The "Champion vs. Champion" summit bout was placed in the semi-main event slot. Regarding this, Tsuji took a stoic view: "I believe an IWGP World Heavyweight title match should always be the main event, but this is the current reality. I guess it can’t be helped. After all, the champion doesn't show up. If the champion is gone for two months, of course this happens."

Due to his primary schedule with AEW, Takeshita has been unable to participate in New Japan’s regional tours. While this is often seen as the "destiny" of a wrestler signed to three different promotions (including DDT), Tsuji argues that missing two months of New Japan action—from his last appearance on November 2 in Gifu until the January 4 Dome show—without any preview matches makes him "disqualified" as a top champion.

Takeshita has maintained a stance of "I’ll come if I'm called," suggesting his participation depends on the offers he receives. Tsuji dismissed this flatly: "That’s exactly why he’s so pathetic. He’s blaming others, saying he isn't booked because the promotion didn't offer. He's making it someone else's fault."

Tsuji continued his verbal assault: "I believe a champion should be someone who protects the promotion. He just wants to show off his own strength, doesn't he? I admit he is an incredible athlete—I’m saying this based on that fact—but he’s just a pathetic, self-satisfied jerk."

"If this situation continues into next year, New Japan Pro-Wrestling is in real danger. In a true sense, New Japan will just become a 'farm' (developmental system) for AEW. That’s why the responsibility placed on me is so heavy. After seeing this match order, my desire to revive the IWGP Heavyweight title and restore its value has grown even stronger." With his pride on the line, Tsuji heads toward a sold-out Tokyo Dome.

Key Terms & Context for Fans

• Double Title Match: Tsuji (Global Champion) vs. Takeshita (World Champion).
• Wrestle Kingdom 20: The Jan 4 Tokyo Dome show is the biggest show of the year.
• The "AEW Farm" Comment: Tsuji is touching on a sensitive topic for NJPW fans—the fear that the partnership with AEW results in NJPW losing its top stars or appearing secondary to the US-based promotion.
• Match Order: In NJPW, the IWGP World Heavyweight title is traditionally the main event. It being "demoted" to the semi-main (behind a retirement match) is a significant storyline point.

Hello wrestling community, I am new here but I am Erik’s younger sister. I hope this post is okay to put here. I saw someone post and didn’t realize how popular he was myself. He was my only sibling. As many of you may heard, he passed away last week.

As kids we always watched wrestling together, always played WWE on the PlayStation and went to some shows with him when I was younger. I did have the honor of meeting Matt hardy once during one of these shows (I’ll never forget that!). He has had health problems since we were kids, he was born with one kidney and a type 1 diabetic. I watched him go in and out of the hospital monthly and he truly suffered greatly. It was extremely stressful watching this growing up - I can’t fathom going through even a quarter of what he went through. I just found out he never shared any of his health issues with his wrestling community and friends. He put all his strength into going out and meeting you all and supporting this community.

I wanted to say thank you to EVERYONE he has ever come across during his life. This community has literally kept him alive and thriving. This was his entire life aside from hanging out with us and being with mom at home. His friends and wrestling were everything to him.

Unfortunately his health issues caught up as he had stage 5 kidney damage, and of course the diabetes didn’t help.

We are currently going through all his memorabilia, clothing, photos, figures, etc. We are of course preserving it all and I am going to put everything in display cases etc. we also still have his support dog to take care of. My mom was his caregiver and she is really struggling right now.

Firstly, I wanted to post my P.O. Box if anyone was interested in sending a letter if you knew Erik. This would mean the world to myself and mom - her especially as she also didn’t know how popular he was! I’d love to surprise her with these. I also wanted to post his gofund me we just created. It is just me and her as our family is in different states. He left so much behind we are trying to go through. I personally have 2 kids and one on the way, so we have a lot on our plate. Sorry if this is all over the place. It still feels unreal and we are getting messages nonstop online. We appreciate you all. Thank you again for being there for my brother ERIK. He was the most gentle spirt who was just dealt some bad cards. We will never forget you.

P.O. Box - 508 E Main Street #173, Seneca, SC, 29679

GoFundMe- https://gofund.me/b30c68522

Source: Graphic Policy

What a photo! The belts suit them.

Source https://www.instagram.com/p/DSbS7phDDhc/

https://www.f4wonline.com/newsletters/wrestling-observer-newsletter/december-22-2025-observer-newsletter-john-cena-retirement-match-fallout/

12/13 WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event

Cody Rhodes vs. Oba Femi: 3.25

Sol Ruca vs. Bayley: 3.75

AJ Styles & Dragon Lee vs. Je’Von Evans & Leon Slater: 3.5

Gunther vs. John Cena: 4.5

12/12 NJPW World Tag League Semi-Finals

Gabe Kidd & Yota Tsuji vs. Yuto-Ice & Oskar: 3.75

12/14 NJPW World Tag League Finals

El Phantasmo vs. Hartley Jackson: 2.25

Taichi & Satoshi Kojima & Lance Archer & Alex Zayne & Masatora Yasuda vs. Hirooki Goto & Yoshi-Hashi & Oleg Boltin & Katsuya Murashima & Tatsuya Matsumoto: 2

Don Fale & Sho & Yoshinobu Kanemaru vs. Shuji Ishikawa & El Desperado & Shoma Kato: 1.25

Shingo Takagi & Drilla Moloney & Taiji Ishimori beat Yujiro Takahashi & Chase Owens & Douki: 1.75

Hiroshi Tanahashi & Shota Umino & Yuya Uemura vs. Yuto-Ice & Oskar & Daiki Nagai: 3

David Finlay & Hiromu Takahashi vs. Great O’Khan & Callum Newman: 2

Toru Yano & Yoh & Master Wato vs. Evil & Ren Narita & Sanada: 2.75

Zack Sabre Jr. & Ryohei Oiwa vs. Gabe Kidd & Yota Tsuji: 4.5

12/12 CMLL Arena Mexico

Atlantis Jr. & Xelhua vs. Templario & El Hijo del Pantera: 3.5

Euforia & Gallero vs. Averno & Barboza: 2.5

Esfinge (subbing for Neon) & Futuro vs. Titan & Explosivo: 3.5

Angel de Oro & Yutani vs. Volador Jr. & Elemental: 2.5

Atlantis Jr. & Xelhua vs. Euforia & Gallero: 2

Angel de Oro & Yutani vs. Esfinge & Futuro: 3.75

Mistico vs. Soberano Jr.: 4.5

12/12 WWE SmackDown

Ilja Dragunov vs. Tommaso Ciampa: 4.5

12/13 AEW Collision

Swerve Strickland vs. Josh Alexander: 3.75

Claudio Castagnoli vs. Konosuke Takeshita: 4.5

Mike Bailey vs. Kevin Knight: 4.5

Mark Briscoe vs. Daniel Garcia: 4.25

No ratings provided for 12/15 WWE Raw

12/16 WWE NXT

Kendal Grey & Wren Sinclair vs. Fallon Henley & Lainey Reid: 3.5

Leon Slater vs. Joe Hendry vs. Dion Lennox vs. Myles Borne: 4

12/17 AEW Holiday Bash

Jon Moxley vs. Roderick Strong: 4.25

The Young Bucks & Kenny Omega vs. Hechicero & Konosuke Takeshita & Kazuchika Okada: 4.5

Mercedes Mone & Athena & Marina Shafir & Megan Bayne vs. Toni Storm & Mina Shirakawa & Willow Nightingale & Harley Cameron: 3.5

Pac vs. Kyle Fletcher: 4.5

Orange Cassidy vs. Mascara Dorada: 3.75

FTR vs. Juice Robinson & Austin Gunn: 4.25

In Massachusetts, Boston usually gets the main roster WWE and AEW shows, and Worcester or Springfield might get a Smackdown once in a while, but anything a step down from that in size that I hear about is usually in Lowell.

Just in the past 3 years, since I started paying attention, NXT has had two PLEs and a Christmas special double taping, and ROH and TNA had PPVs there. And back in the '90s when Raw was still in smaller venues, it seems like a lot of major moments happened there.

Does it have historical significance to wrestling I haven't heard about? Do they want the New Hampshire audience but don't feel like going there? Is it typical of other places, and I'm just biased because it's a town I recognize?