Shingo Takagi's 10 Best Matches, According To Dave Meltzer

'The Dragon' Shingo Takagi has taken New Japan Pro Wrestling by storm since joining their ranks in late 2018 as a member of the Los Ingobernables De Japon stable. Wrestling some of the greatest matches viewers have had the pleasure of witnessing since, Takagi has consistently proven he is one of the best in the world not only in his NJPW run but in his past tenure in the Dragon Gate promotion.

RELATED: 10 Things Fans Should Know About NJPW's Shingo Takagi

Receiving a whopping six matches that exceed a five-star rating from Dave Meltzer and the 'Wrestling Observer Newsletter' star-rating system, there is no doubt Takagi is a top tier wrestler. But which matches rank as his best throughout his career, according to Dave Meltzer?

10 Vs. Masaaki Mochizuki, Open The Dream Gate Championship, Dragon Gate – The Gate of Destiny 2015, 5*

*NOTE: The following 5* matches are ranked based on the highest rated on Cagematch.net.

An incredible match taking place in Dragon Gate back in 2015, with both men giving their all in this Open The Dream Gate Championship match. Takagi proved here that he was and is a tremendous wrestler, with Mochizuki putting in the performance of a lifetime also. Incredibly crisp offense particularly from Mochizuki as the crowd roared, with excellent comeback sequences and striking as both men displayed their fighting spirit throughout.

An unbelievable closing stretch with no sell spots that left viewers’ jaws dropped, this was a brilliant display of wrestling at its finest in a sensational match, and war, between Takagi and Mochizuki.

9 Vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi, IWGP World Heavyweight Championship, NJPW Wrestle Grand Slam in Tokyo Dome, 5*

An absolute battle between Takagi and Tanahashi, with Takagi defending his IWGP World Heavyweight Championship here in the Tokyo Dome. A 37-minute classic which matched their previous effort, this was a war from start to finish with incredible psychology, hard hitting offense, a fantastic dynamic with Takagi’s power opposite Tanahashi’s technical work, this was once again masterful in all aspects.

The pacing was superb for a long bout, with the final third ramping up in tremendous fashion as always with unbridled emotion and drama that Tanahashi is unmatched at evoking. A few incredible near falls and callbacks to friends (including Kota Ibushi who Tanahashi filled in for here) led to a scintillating closing stretch as expected, with Takagi emerging victorious to retain in another epic.

8 Vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi, NEVER Openweight Championship, NJPW The New Beginning in Nagoya, 5*

Another incredible bout in this first-time meeting between Tanahashi and Takagi. A 35-minute epic for the NEVER Openweight Championship, this was fantastic top to bottom. The leg work, psychology, and selling were masterful with superb technical offense from both men as the first twenty minutes flew by. The final fifteen was simply incredible in every way, with spectacular in-ring work, drama, emotion, brutality, and selling of exhaustion as Tanahashi and Takagi traded their biggest shots.

RELATED: 10 Best Matches Of Hiroshi Tanahashi's Career, Ranked (According To Cagematch.net)

The storytelling was impeccable as the two went to war here with an unbelievable closing stretch, including a mind-blowing sequence in which both men kicked out at one. Ultimately it was Tanahashi emerging victorious after a series of High Fly Flows to become the NEVER Openweight Champion in an instant classic.

7 Vs. Tetsuya Naito, G1 Climax 29 – Day 14, 5*

This clash of Los Ingobernables De Japon stablemates was utterly amazing, with incredible physicality and masterfully fluid offense in this first-time meeting. The story was expertly executed with Naito playing mind games with Takagi, which only urged Takagi to bring everything he had in his arsenal. The match was fantastically brutal once it got going with Takagi’s powerhouse offense pairing superbly with Naito’s explosive fiery comebacks.

This was a war in every sense with unbridled intensity and an electric Osaka crowd. The drama was off the charts also as the final third tore the house down with sensational counters, sequences, and high-octane maneuvers. Naito would emerge victorious after one last Destino in a classic.

6 Vs. Kazuchika Okada, G1 Climax 30 – Day 13, 5.25*

An amazing match between Takagi and Okada here, with Okada in his ‘Money Clip’ phase yet still wrestling a barnstormer opposite Takagi in their first meeting. A slow start but featuring great back and forth with methodical offense as the pace gradually quickened. The second half was where this match kicked into another gear, however, with tremendous in-ring work and superb emotional intensity.

RELATED: 10 Best Matches Of Kazuchika Okada's Career, Ranked (According To Cagematch.net)

The closing stretch was enthralling with amazing counters, near falls, and drama. Both men survived everything the other had in store until Okada finally locked in the Money Clip submission and forced Takagi to pass out. A spectacular bout in this dream first-time clash.

5 Vs. Tomohiro Ishii, G1 Climax 29 – Day 16, 5.5*

This was a dream first-time meeting between Takagi and Tomohiro Ishii in 2019’s G1 Climax 29, and regardless of the high expectations they passed them with flying colors. An absolute war that was the epitome of strong style, this was a spiritual battle between two warriors. In just under twenty-three minutes, they threw everything at each other with incredibly stiff strikes, chops, lariats, suplexes, headbutts, and more.

The pacing was superb and the intensity and drama off the charts as the crowd roared throughout. The final few minutes were particularly enthralling with wild sequences, stellar selling, breathtaking near falls, and jaw-dropping no sells. Ishii would emerge victorious in this classic match.

4 Vs. Will Ospreay, New Japan Cup 2021 – Day 13, 5.5*

This is somehow only these two’s third-best match together according to Dave Meltzer, which is ridiculous considering the 5.5* rating. Whenever Takagi and Will Ospreay enter a ring together, magic quickly follows. This was no different in an absolute classic for last year’s New Japan Cup Tournament final. Amazing in-ring work, stellar psychology, mind-blowing spots, awe-inspiring counter wrestling, this was epic top to bottom.

The storytelling was also splendid with a heelish Ospreay cutting corners against the almighty Takagi. The finishing stretch was other-worldly of course, with Ospreay emerging after a series of brutal elbows and a Stormbreaker in an instant classic.

3 Vs. Tomohiro Ishii, G1 Climax 31 – Day 1, 5.5*

Another instant classic between these two in last year’s G1 Climax 31, with Takagi heading in as IWGP World Heavyweight Champion. Unsurprisingly another brutal encounter that was a beautifully crafted display of strong style at its finest. The pacing was splendid with every strike or maneuver from both men incredibly impactful.

The final third was unbelievable with an amazing finishing stretch as the restricted crowd even roared for the action, with Takagi nailing a Last of the Dragon to emerge victorious. A superb match that somehow lived up to their previous effort.

2 Vs. Will Ospreay, NJPW Best Of The Super Juniors 26 – Day 15, 5.75*

This was an absolute classic, a spectacle in this first of a series of legendary matches between Ospreay and Takagi. The Best of the Super Juniors 26 Tournament final, this was a masterpiece from top to bottom as seen by Dave Meltzer’s astronomical 5.75* rating. For just under 34 minutes, this flew by with unbelievable maneuvers, storytelling, physicality, everything was expertly done.

The sequences were simply amazing as the crowd roared throughout with excellent drama and emotion captured here. The final third was epic with breathtaking near falls and other-worldly offense as Ospreay prevailed after an emphatic Stormbreaker. This was utterly incredible and an all-time classic from these two.

1 Vs. Will Ospreay, IWGP Heavyweight Championship, NJPW Wrestling Dontaku 2021 – Day 2, 6*

This was another epic meeting that arguably topped their previous efforts, at least according to Dave Meltzer who awarded it a momentous six stars. Ospreay came into this bout as IWGP World Heavyweight Champion in a rematch from the New Japan Cup final earlier that year. An all-time classic that possessed all the incredible qualities NJPW main events are known for, this somehow exceeded astronomical expectations.

Just under 45 minutes flew by with incredible offense, sequences, counters, callbacks, everything was off the charts. The selling from both men, the emotion and the drama were just top-notch. The final third was simply epic as Ospreay barely retained his championship after some of the best in-ring work imaginable.