Shingo Takagi wins the vacant IWGP World Heavyweight Championship

Shingo Takagi has finally won the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship. In the main event of Dominion 6.6, The Dragon dramatically defeated Kazuchika Okada to win the vacant title.

After a match that lasted over 30 minutes, Shingo Takagi hit Okada with the Last of the Dragon to secure the victory. Despite Okada throwing his best moves at Takagi, the former IWGP Heavyweight Champion couldn’t pull off the victory. Okada had been the favorite to win the vacant title going into the match.

At this year’s Wrestling Dontaku, Shingo Takagi failed to win the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship from Will Ospreay. The loss meant he had failed to beat Ospreay once again, just a month after their clash in the final of the New Japan Cup 2021.

However, with Ospreay being forced to vacate the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship due to a neck injury, Shingo Takagi was chosen by NJPW as one of the frontrunners to compete for the vacant title.

Standing opposite him in the ring was Okada, a former multi-time IWGP Heavyweight Champion. The Rainmaker was initially scheduled to face Ospreay for the title at this year’s Wrestle Grand Slam show at the Tokyo Dome but the event itself was eventually canceled.

After his brutal match against Kazuchika Okada, Shingo Takagi called out former champion Kota Ibushi. The Golden Star is the inaugural holder of the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship, having merged the belts shortly after his victory at Wrestle Kingdom 15.

However, in his first defense of the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship, Ibushi lost the title to Ospreay at Sakura Genesis. The Golden Star now has the chance to become a two-time IWGP World Heavyweight Champion.

At Dominion, Ibushi defeated Jeff Cobb in a brutal match in the co-main event and was called out by Takagi. The Dragon has made it clear that his first title defense will be against Ibushi and it is only a matter of time before NJPW confirms the match.

Edited by Jack Cunningham