Add as a preferred source on Google Konosuke Takeshita has raised the stakes in his rivalry with Kazuchika Okada ahead of AEW Double or Nothing, where he will challenge for the AEW International Championship.
The match between the two is set for this Sunday, May 24, at Louis Armstrong Stadium in Queens, New York City. On the card, Okada will defend the title against Takeshita in one of the most anticipated matches of the pay-per-view.
In a recent interview with Bleacher Report, Takeshita was asked what bothers him most about Okada and pointed directly to the “Rainmaker’s” lack of respect.
“What I dislike most about Okada is that he has no respect for me. He always talks down to me and treats me like I’m beneath him.”
“What I dislike most about Okada is that he has no respect for me. He always talks down to me and treats me like I'm beneath him.
— WrestlePurists (@WrestlePurists) May 22, 2026
Maybe he's afraid that I'm the one who will take the spot as the top Japanese wrestler from him."
– Konosuke Takeshita
(@BleacherReport) pic.twitter.com/VhiDEiXXWz
Takeshita also suggested that Okada may be bothered by the possibility of losing his spot as the top Japanese wrestler of the current era to him. The comments add more tension to a storyline that has been building for months inside the Don Callis Family.
Okada defeated Takeshita at AEW Worlds End during the Continental Classic, in a controversial finish involving the use of a hidden screwdriver, which continued to fuel the rivalry between them.
Okada has been the AEW International Champion since July 12, 2025, when he defeated Kenny Omega at All In: Texas. Takeshita, meanwhile, previously held the same title for 148 days, from October 2024 to March 2025.