The most recent showdown between Moxley and Takeshita only happened a couple of weeks ago at the time of writing, but it’s the reason why their bout at AEW Revolution on March 15 has no time limit. 

Not as much changed with the two men between their Continental Classic bout and this one, but there was enough to give both men extra motivation for winning. Moxley went on to win the tournament and become the new AEW Continental Champion, and despite wanting to rip AEW limb from limb in 2025, his performances in the C2, as well as the matches he had since winning the title where he will literally face anyone who throws their name out there, Moxley has earned the respect of the fans. Takeshita fell short in the C2 losing in the semi-finals to Kazuchika Okada, and he would end up losing the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship to Yota Tsuji at NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 20 on January 4. However, he did have one thing going for him, that being his victory over Moxley in the C2 which has weighed heavily on the mind of the AEW Continental Champion since it happened. 

Not to say that this match is bad or anything, far from it, but recency bias doesn’t apply in this instance as I actually believe this is the weakest of all the matches Moxley and Takeshita have had together. This match has big house show energy, which is understandable given where the match takes place as you can tell that the Australian fans wanted to cheer basically anything that happened. What that leads to is a match where the in-ring story almost takes a backseat in favor of giving the fans something to cheer for, which foes make for an entertaining watch, if not a little inconsequential in the first half.

All of that changes when the time cues start getting called out as both men immediately wake up and the big bombs start dropping. This extra level of urgency gets the crowd going even more, and this match that was being wrestled more as a marathon to begin with is now an all out sprint. Moxley and Takeshita swing wildly at each other, with Moxley showing a lot of resilience as Takeshita really takes control. The sprint gets even quicker with one minute remaining with headbutts, kickouts at one, a Power Drive Knee to the back of the head, it’s the most frantic these two have ever been, but the knee was so powerful that Takeshita couldn’t hit the Raging Fire in time and it ends in a 20 minute draw.

Moxley and Takeshita won’t have to spring at Revolution as they will have all the time in the world to do their thing. Takeshita looks to finally have Moxley’s number after years of falling short, but one thing is certain, fans in Los Angeles will witness a battle for the ages over the AEW Continental Championship.