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00:30Chris Charles in the life of a professional wrestler in the year of 2025.
01:00It's having the negative discourse follow you at all points in time.
01:04But how about we shift the narrative when it comes to Shota Umino?
01:08Win, win, win, loss. Win, win, win, loss, loss, loss.
01:12This is the life of professional wrestling.
01:14But where there has always been win for Shota Umino post-excursion
01:18has been at the expense of a man whose ire has been drawn.
01:22That being his opponent tonight in a Shingo Takagi.
01:26A man that Umino has an opportunity to reset against
01:30knowing that ever since he's returned from excursion, he's had Takagi's number.
01:35Look, Shota Umino has blown hot and cold throughout this year.
01:39There is no avoiding that fact.
01:44There's no also avoiding the fact that Shota Umino has had to develop a thick skin.
01:50And so, after blowing a little bit colder in Chicago, returning to Japan,
01:57well, facing a guy that breathes hot all the time is definitely going to thicken that skin.
02:03And when you've slain a dragon before, you know that you can do it again.
02:13And you know that you can sit yourself back on the right path.
02:16That, the mindset of Shota Umino, but yeah, I think you've alluded to it.
02:23He's been, well, poking the dragon.
02:27He's been, well, poking the dragon.
02:57Well, for the safety at all, for all at ringside tonight,
03:10and as much unsafety as there will be in our main event, to be certain,
03:15Shingo Takagi, no steel chair in hand, but that has not been the case
03:18over the course of Road to Wrestling.
03:19Dantaku has been looking to behead Shota Umino every single time these two have met
03:25in multi-man tag action.
03:27I mean, sometimes there are championships on the line.
03:30Sometimes we can talk about motivations.
03:34We can talk about Umino's path to redemption.
03:37We can talk about Shingo Takagi feeling he's been overlooked of late
03:41when it comes to championship pitches.
03:43Sometimes in this business walker, it's just about two guys who don't like one another very much.
03:49Shingo Takagi does not like Shota Umino one bit.
03:52That feeling is more of a mutual.
03:55They are going to beat the hell out of one another.
03:57And I think you spoke too soon when you mentioned steel chairs.
04:13Oh, wow, okay.
04:20We're already getting into it tonight.
04:22There's disqualification rules that will be in effect, Chris,
04:26if Mario Asami choose to call this one off.
04:29And Shingo Takagi is not going to have any of it.
04:31Well, he got the chair in hand, so he rang the bell.
04:38Yeah, Shingo said just the other night,
04:40hey, you're going to bring the cage anyway.
04:42Who, me and Shota is it?
04:50You're hot, you're cold, yes and no.
04:52In and out.
04:53Well, we'll see who's up, who's down tonight
04:55between Shota Umino and Shingo Takagi.
04:58I mean, Shingo Takagi has never not been on.
05:01He's 100% all the time ever since he was part of the Animal Hamaguchi Dojo.
05:06That's what he was taught then.
05:12Oh, now it's going out right in front of us, and it's smart of Umino right here.
05:20If you want to keep this one inside the ring, Chris.
05:22Take the high ground, stay inside.
05:24That's where it's safe.
05:26Well, I shouldn't say safe.
05:28I should say least dangerous.
05:31And it's still so too, you know.
05:35Flying outside.
05:36Yeah, there's no safety to be had here tonight.
05:38That steel chair is somewhere at ringside,
05:40and if not that one, there are a million of them all throughout Fukuoka.
05:45And now Takagi cannot avoid that steel barricade right into the spine.
05:55These men have met before three times in singles competition.
05:58And let's point out the elephant in the room, Chris.
06:00The only time Shingo's been on the winning side
06:02was when Shota Umino was a young lion.
06:04There's no comparison to be made
06:06between Shota then and Shota now.
06:09Right, and I think Shingo Takagi is
06:12as angry as he is at, I guess, that young man
06:16is also angry at the situation that he's in.
06:19He knows that he cannot put himself back into a title contention
06:23until he can get the most,
06:24until he can get Shota Umino, you know, out of the picture.
06:28And the suplex out of the corner for Shota Umino
06:42will only bring one.
06:47Last two times these men met,
06:50singles competition in tournament action.
06:52G1-34 saw Shota Umino over Takagi, 18-22.
06:56Not to mention, semi-final this most recent New Japan Cup.
07:01Umino over Takagi, 24-10.
07:14Left.
07:16Oh.
07:19So many different directions that Shota Umino can go.
07:23A Shingo brother can go off of that snap jab,
07:26sometimes it's the lariat, sometimes the DDT.
07:28That's why I'm pulling right back up for another shot.
07:32And this time taking things right back to the outside
07:35where Shingo Takagi is going to be the most comfortable.
07:38Has been very comfortable on the outside with Shota Umino
07:41throughout the road to wrestling Tantaku.
07:43Yes, well, Takagi looking for a little bit of reconstruction here in Fukuoka.
07:56Oh, now that steel chair.
07:58Oh, and referee Marty Asami,
08:01right outside the man's field of vision,
08:03was making his way outside the ring and had his back turned, Chris.
08:06That was great timing from Shingo, but...
08:08Well, I mean, Marty Asami knows that Shingo Takagi
08:11walloped Shota Umino with his steel chair.
08:13And Marty Asami...
08:15I mean, it said a lot of things,
08:17but he wasn't born yesterday.
08:18Oh, I'm not too certain about that, really.
08:20But...
08:20Takagi looking to treat Shota Umino as if he was.
08:25I mean, you and I were talking about this a little bit
08:29before we went on air with one another
08:31and to touch on it here on the broadcast.
08:33I mean, every single time Shota Umino has needed a reset,
08:36he's been able to look towards Shingo Takagi
08:38to know, hey, I can get that singles victory.
08:42And now the reset is necessary
08:43for Umino post-IWGP Championship Challenge.
08:46Right.
08:46It's not just any singles win.
08:48It's a win over Shingo Takagi.
08:50It's a win over former IWGP World Heavyweight Champion.
08:52Former MVP in professional wrestling.
08:59That's a high-quality win.
09:03That puts you on the path to something, perhaps.
09:07Dominion, Osaka Joe Hall coming up in June.
09:12Puts you in a strong position going into the G1 in the summer.
09:15Well, not to mention May 9th,
09:17the IWGP World Heavyweight title to be defended.
09:19Hiroki Goto, we still have to have a number one contender.
09:21That's right, yeah.
09:22And that's if Hiroki Goto makes it through Callum Newman.
09:37Oh, and now that wrist control for Shingo Takagi.
09:40So beneficial.
09:43As these left-arm shots off the lariat.
09:45Here's Takagi.
09:46One more powerbomb sat deep in the cover.
09:51And all the weight in the world could not have won Takagi that match.
09:56Not yet.
09:57Didn't get cheated on that powerbomb.
09:59Didn't get cheated on the cover either.
10:01Tremendous effort.
10:03But it showed to him that he needed to kick out, but he did so.
10:05One loss is a loss in the G1 walker.
10:16You know what I mean?
10:16Two starts becoming a trend.
10:20Three, it starts becoming a curse.
10:22And Shingo Takagi has to dispel this before it becomes a curse.
10:27We show to him now.
10:28He's got to get past him now to move on to bigger things.
10:31And no wave goodbye there as the Dragon Scroop is going to find the way for Shoto Umino.
10:46We've seen this all throughout.
10:48Shoto Umino's tenure here.
10:50That STF locked in and Takagi immediately knowing where to go.
10:53I mean, that's veteran instinct out of the Dragon.
11:01You know, there's so much within Shingo Takagi's playbook that could put Shoto Umino down.
11:15Made in Japan, last of the Dragon, the Burning Dragon we've been seeing as of recent, Chris.
11:20But Shoto adding a little ripple to his own game back in February with that second chapter.
11:24Yeah, second chapter.
11:26Aggressive knees as well.
11:28And that lariat that's become a real favorite of Shoto Umino as of late.
11:38And a Dragon suplice out of Umino.
11:41Watch it.
11:42Half dead for Takagi.
11:46Go, Tariq!
11:47Go, Tariq!
11:55What if that lariat got turned away?
11:57Umino step up, seen it before, and missed right out of the way as Takagi.
12:06Shingo saw it before as well.
12:08And now...
12:09Delivers it.
12:10Oh!
12:12Tornado DDT out of Shingo Takagi.
12:15Now DDT says a dangerous driver, Takagi.
12:19Oh, my God.
12:20Yeah, made in Japan!
12:34Madden Japan woke up!
12:36No!
12:38Pop!
12:40Okay, Shoto!
12:43Shoto!
12:47Come out, Shoto!
12:58Feels this crowd is fairly split evenly between Shingo and Shoto,
13:04although I'm hearing maybe not a unified chant,
13:08but just like Shingo did.
13:13Good.
13:22Could be Lysol Dragon or the Burning Dragon from that position with that wrist control.
13:30Shoto Umino knows either one spells defeat.
13:34Shoto Umino cannot afford defeat.
13:38We've been saying it for almost a calendar year now,
13:42how much Shoto Umino needs to get these big wins under his belt.
13:45Go, go, go!
13:46Back to Old Reliable for Shingo Takagi.
13:49Oh, geez!
13:51Sat out, runs in on the Lariat.
13:55Brudel three-hit combo.
13:57Umino, glassy-eyed.
13:59And now the...
14:00Got it!
14:01Tornado DDT!
14:03And Takagi back to his feet!
14:05Oh!
14:06Lariata!
14:07He's off it now.
14:08Another burst of energy for Shingo Takagi in the stand.
14:21And Shoto Umino one more time taking Takagi down.
14:27Shoto Umino, Shoto Umino, ten minutes pass!
14:30Oh!
14:31Oh!
14:32Oh!
14:33What a receipt from earlier on.
14:34And a cover for Umino.
14:36Only two.
14:37You see the ease.
14:38And after ten minutes of punishment, the ease that Shoto Umino muscled Shingo Takagi up and
14:44the whip on that powerbomb.
14:45Yeah, I mean, it reminded us that Shingo Takagi used to be a junior heavyweight, with the
14:55way Shoto just threw him around.
14:56And from this position, oh, that's a good one.
14:57Oh!
14:58Oh!
14:59Oh!
15:00What a receipt from earlier on.
15:01And a cover for Umino.
15:02Only two.
15:03You see the ease.
15:04And after ten minutes of punishment, the ease that Shoto Umino muscled Shingo Takagi up
15:06and the whip on that powerbomb.
15:07Yeah, I mean, it reminded us that Shingo Takagi used to be a junior heavyweight, with the
15:08way Shoto just threw him around.
15:13And from this position, oh, that's great from Sakagi.
15:16Avoiding said position, take the left leg back.
15:20And out of the second chapter we go.
15:22Oh!
15:27We talk about it all the time, Chris, the difficulty Umino has, fighting in the pocket.
15:36Certainly that Lariat has been big in improving his stand-up game.
15:42We talk about it.
15:43Oh!
15:44We talk about it!
15:45We talk about it!
15:46We talk about it!
15:47We talk about it!
15:48We talk about it!
15:49We talk about it!
15:50Oh!
15:51You can hear and feel it.
15:52Nobody's better than Shingo Tsikagi at throwing those strikes.
15:57throwing those strikes.
15:59.
16:04.
16:13.
16:18.
16:23Shingo.
16:25No combination denied and I held a bomb out of Takagi to put umino down for time being
16:37Let's show so no struggling to get back up. What's the definition of insanity Walker? Oh, we've been running through again
16:51This time he tried something different
16:55Oh
17:02The closing speed on that collision
17:06Shingo kicked out of one on instinct and now showed is going to swing again
17:10to reset your position to build back your point umino has done it before on Takagi he has to do it again tonight
17:28He has to do it again tonight
17:30Oh
17:40He rang off it and here we go sad can no Takagi twist it out
17:46Malaria the knee of the jaw the second chapter exactly that sequence
17:58was what put so to him now into the finals of the new Japan cup over Shingo Takagi
18:05Two keys were in the lock but the third was denied
18:13Oh
18:30Whoa wait wait wait oh shingo shingo
18:32style GTR
18:40tries to got it
18:42got that burning dragon walker but he's not going for the pin why isn't he pinning the man
18:48Because sho to umino is a damn crazed animal won't stay down
18:52Stay down
18:54No
18:56No
18:58No
19:00That was
19:02The most sickening pumping bomber
19:06I think I've ever seen
19:08The most sickening
19:10I've ever seen
19:12And some
19:14How
19:16Shoulder umino kicked out of it
19:18Takagi
19:20Takagi
19:22Will not be made
19:24An example of here tonight
19:32One more time
19:34Is
19:35Damn
19:36Yeah
19:40ton
19:41No
19:43No
19:44No
19:45Then
19:48Eight
19:50You
19:51won't be
19:52sh
19:58Oh
20:00And you were right
20:01You were right
20:02and see blood and look at that one more time on the replay and whether it was
20:08the Last of the Dragon or the Pumping Bomb or a delayed effect either way
20:13there is blood gushing out of the nose of Shokusa Umino it's something tells me
20:18Shingo Takagi doesn't think it's enough Chris
20:20I was gonna wonder whether there was some respect earned and I think the answer to that question
20:50pretty clear
20:56it is a continuous changing of the guard in New Japan Pro Wrestling and within all the changes set to come for Los Ingobernables
21:04the time to be selfish for Shingo Takagi might very well be right now
21:12Shingo has long said
21:16doesn't matter
21:18oh
21:20oh yeah
21:28well
21:30put that
21:32in the memory banks
21:34and all our guests know
21:38Shingo's long said walk it doesn't matter if you're 20, 30, 40, 50, 60 or on
21:44strength is strong strength is strength we saw strength in spades and not just out of Shingo Takagi out of Shoto Umino as well
21:54he was double tough but Shingo Takagi was tougher
21:56whether it is Kenosuke Takeshi Dot, Hiroki Goto or any other champion in New Japan Pro Wrestling
22:02I truly believe Shingo Takagi has put them all on notice but what comes next is the eternal question that we asked regarding Shoto Umino
22:12we have to move it off
22:42Burned by the Dragon tonight is Shoto Umino
22:48we are quickly approaching best of the Super Junior season following that we're going to be getting into the G1 Climax G1 35 on the horizon kicking up in July
22:57and Shoto Umino has nearly two months of preparation to get through into that year's tournament
23:04nothing is going to prepare anyone for what's coming up next