NNew Japan Pro Wrestling

why isn’t shingo takagi a bigger deal?

  • February 14, 2025

Not the most avid nooj follower but I’ve always wondered what about Shingo makes him lower/mid card. Watching NB in Osaka on replay n he’s always been a great worker to me, over with the crowd, what’s the barrier to him being a top guy?

by ijustlikemusicalot

19 comments

  1. He’s like Samoa Joe in AEW. When the company needs him to be a top guy, he’s credible as a top guy (and was the heavyweight champ a few years ago). When they need him to help elevate talent like Maloney and Henare, he’s credible in doing that. He’s exactly what the company needs

  2. He had his chance with the heavyweight title and didn’t really do much except have high mid tier matches. At least from what I remember. I agree though, I always enjoy watching his matches.

  3. He has the strikes of age, being 2nd fiddle in his faction, and not being a NJPW homegrown talent.

  4. He is a big deal. He was rewarded with a IWGP reign that greatly helped the company and is still given opportunities. He came in late in his career and is now the guy they go to when they need to elevate a younger talent while still being a threat.

  5. Shingo is my all-time favorite male wrestler and when he won the championship, I cried. He was the big fish in a small pond and jumped ship to NJPW. Though he was up there in age he still had an awesome feud with Ospreay, has become an all-timer of a Never champion, and carried the company as its WHC when everything was so chaotic (ibushi injury, pandemic, new title belt and lineage). He is cool. He is charismatic. He is top tier in the ring. I’m more than happy with what he has achieved. Do I wish he was considered the MAN in NJPW? Yes. But I know that ain’t gonna happen. Not everyone can be Tanahashi or Okada. And that’s okay.

  6. Well, he’s never been lower / mid in New Japan for a start. Shingo’s position has always ranged between upper / mid to main eventer.

    I mean, he put Drilla over at New Beginning. But that’s because they wanted to establish Drilla as a legit heavyweight threat. Shingo hasn’t been demoted through that loss or anything.

  7. He is. He can be given any title and he’ll immediately elevate its prestige, be it Jr Tag or World Heavyweight.

    Man has that gift.

  8. Way I figure either

    1. he’s an older outsider, who already got his run. And NJPW would rather give ZSJ and Goto a shot before they go back to Takagi for a second time.

    and/or

    2. He’s too important to the development of the next gen guys and makes more sense as a prove it guy, then as the champion.

  9. Shingo is fantastic and I think beloved by NJPW fans and higher-ups but he’s in his 40s and isnt a career NJPW guy which is still a bit of a big deal. He got a title run (albeit in covid) and some mega main events with Ospreay & Okada tho.

    He is credible in every spot, and revamped the NEVER title last year. I can see him getting more title shots as Tsuji etc need some credible opponents. Doubt he wins it again tho

  10. Simple, he’s not ‘their guy’.

    As over as he is he’s a Dragon Gate guy. Part of why the Osaka crowd love him is Osaka is Dragon Gate heartland.

  11. Shingo fucked some higher ups’ wife and that’s why he is permanently relegated to mid card.

    Source- trust me bro but honestly that’s my head canon and I’m sticking with it

  12. he isn’t a low or midcarder for one, he’s the top upper midcarder in the company and constantly hovers around the main event scene and has won the title before and has a different title on him 80% of the time

  14. He’s a veteran he’s already a top guy in saying that i would love for him to get another run with the belt given the excellent job he did during the pandemic

  17. He’s older than you think, probably more beat up than you think, not a NJ Dojo guy, AND they still trusted him enough to be top champ a few years back

    He could be a bigger deal, but I think he has managed quite a lot, all things considered.

  19. Let’s see, Since joining New Japan, he’s done the following:

    * Finalist in Best of Super Juniors
    * Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Champ
    * 6 Man Tag Team Champion
    * NEVER Openweight Champion
    * IWGP World Heavyweight Champion
    * Won the prestigious Tokyo Sports MVP award for 2021.

    He is a very big deal, and in the most popular unit on top of that, but he’s playing a needed role in the mid card.

    And since Goto is also one of his best opponents. He can hop into that main event scene whenever he wants.

Leave a Reply