New World Heavyweight Champion set to miss AEW shows; major reason revealed

A top AEW star who recently became a World Heavyweight Champion is about to face some schedule conflicts in the company due to a major reason.

That star is Konosuke Takeshita, who recently became a World Champion outside of the Jacksonville-based promotion by winning the IWGP World Heavyweight Title at the NJPW King of Pro Wrestling 2025 event, defeating former champion Zack Sabre Jr. For those unaware, the Alpha holds a dual contract with AEW and NJPW. Meanwhile, in Tony Khan's promotion, Takeshita is a key part of the proceedings as an important member of one of its top heel factions, the Don Callis Family. However, it has recently become known that the Alpha will miss some All Elite Wrestling shows because he needs to travel back to Japan. This will be the first time in six months that Takeshita is traveling to his home country.

According to DDT-Pro, Takeshita will be heading to Japan for major shows on November 6th, 8th, and 9th. This means that the reigning IWGP World Heavyweight Champion will miss the November 5 edition of Dynamite and the November 8th edition of Collision.

10 WWE Stars Who Are Now Banned - Find Out Now!

AEW star Konosuke Takeshita set to defend his IWGP World Title against Hirooki Goto

At the post-match celebration of Konosuke Takeshita's IWGP World Title victory, the Alpha challenged anyone from NJPW to step up to him, and Hirooki Goto answered his challenge. The match has been scheduled for an event on November 2 in Gifu. Incidentally, the event also marks the legendary Japanese wrestler Hiroshi Tanahashi’s final homecoming in Gifu.

It will be interesting to see whether the Alpha will successfully defend his title against Hirooki Goto. Meanwhile, he is also set for another title match at WrestleDream 2025, where he teams up with Kazuchika Okada to challenge Brodido (Bandido and Brody King) for their AEW Tag Titles.

About the author

Karan Raj is a senior writer in Sportskeeda's AEW division. He holds an engineering degree from Manipal University, but his passion for sports motivated him to pursue an MSc in Sports Business from the University of Liverpool. Karan has been in the sports marketing industry for the past seven years.

As a lifelong WWE fan and enthusiast of wrestling entertainment, he has always been drawn to the industry's unique blend of sports and storytelling. Karan was introduced to the business by his elder sister when he was 10 years old.

Before assuming his current role at Sportskeeda, Karan worked for several reputable organizations, such as Ting Works LLP and Sportz Interactive, wearing different hats. He also wrote the anthem of UP Rudras, a hockey team that played in the Hockey India League. Karan conducts thorough research while writing articles and only relies on credible sources for information.

Karan's favorite pro wrestler is Seth Rollins. He admires The Visionary's versatility as a performer and his ability to play both heel and babyface characters to perfection. Besides Rollins, Karan looks up to Roman Reigns for his storytelling skills and ability to captivate audiences.

In AEW, he enjoys watching Will Ospreay compete inside the ring. Karan loves The Aerial Assassin's technical in-ring ability and athleticism. If Karan could go back to the Attitude Era, he would combine forces with Jericho and promise to elevate his career to the same level as The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin.When not writing about pro wrestling, Karan loves to play and watch football. It is a huge part of his life.

He is also a massive fan of tennis and is learning to play the sport. Apart from sports, he also knows how to play the ukulele.

Know More

Make Sportskeeda your preferred choice for WWE content by clicking here: Source preferences

Edited by Karan Raj