IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Shingo Takagi has been named Tokyo Sports’ MVP of 2021.
He won the award by receiving 14 out of 19 total votes; Pro-Wrestling NOAH star Keiji Muto was second name in the running
In response to winning this honor, Takagi had the following to say, courtesy of the NJPW website:
“Thank you for voting me as MVP. I don’t have the time here to really express how I feel, or how happy I am at the award, but to hear that the nominations were mainly for me and Keiji Muto, that shows that Yamanashi is churning out the best in Japan and the world, and that’s pretty cool in my book.
“Looking back on the year, just like in 2020, we had to live with COVID, and the challenges that presents. We all as pro-wrestlers had to put everything we have into doing what we could. We were still performing in front of half capacity buildings, and the fans weren’t allowed to cheer. So it was up to us to express what they couldn’t. We had to bring that heat and energy, we had to create that emotional connection with the fans there, and of course watching at home. That’s what I was thinking in every single match.
‘This year I was chosen as MVP, but I don’t believe I did anything particularly different this year. It was business as usual, as far as I was concerned. Other people were saying ‘it should be Shingo’ but, y’know, this business is a lot like any other; sometimes luck and timing can make all the difference. Looking back, I guess that for all my talking about being fired up, this was the year that people bought into my conviction.”
'It’s a bit rich to say I stood in the ring with COVID and won, but it felt like I overcame a lot.'
Shingo Takagi speaks on why his match with EVIL was important to him this September, and his feelings on winning 2021 MVP!https://t.co/YQ2lhJPr28#njpw pic.twitter.com/X93ssuzmFf
— NJPW Global (@njpwglobal) December 14, 2021
Otherwise, Dangerous Tekkers (Zack Sabre Jr. and Taichi) won the Tag Team of the Year award, and Great-O-Khan was the receipient of the Technique Award.
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