Tag: the great o-khan

Great-O-Khan, Yuya Uemura present KOPW stipulations for Road to Dontaku

Posted on by Ian Carey

Great-O-Khan and Yuya Uemura have chosen stipulations for their upcoming KOPW match. 

The two will meet for the provisional KOPW title at NJPW’s Road to Dontaku event in Hiroshima on April 27. As per the KOPW rules, a fan vote will determine the set of rules the match is contested under. 

Great-O-Khan has proposed another Rural Revitalization match involving stipulations specifically geared to the city of Hiroshima. Uemura has proposed a catch-rules match. 

Yuya Uemura’s rules:

  • 61-minute time limit, best of three falls, Catch Rules
  • No strikes allowed. Grapples, throws, and submissions only for pinfall or submission.

Great-O-Khan’s rules:

  • Rural Revitalization Rules
  • No time limit, best two of three falls 
  • First fall: Mazda Tire Carrying Contest
  • Second fall: Hiroshima Lemon Eating Contest
  • Third fall: Table Match

“Similar to his bout with Tanga Loa in Shizuoka last month, O-Khan’s pledge to ‘unite the fiefdoms’ across Japan has seen him put a Hiroshima spin on his choice of three stipulations,” reads NJPW1972.com.

The Rural Revitalization rules are best two-of-three falls, with unique stipulations for each fall.  

Great-O-Khan explained the rules for the first fall at a press conference on Thursday:

What’s famous in Hiroshima? Mazda! Mazda cars and their tires are famous. Whoever can bring four tires into the ring will be the winner of the first fall. We pledge to please the peasants of Hiroshima and make them proud of local industry’. 

The second fall, much like the first Rural Revitalization match, will be an eating contest featuring a food the hosting region is famous for. This time, each competitor will try to eat more Hiroshima lemons than their opponent. 

The third fall will be standard tables match. 

A further proposed stipulation states that should Uemura lose, he “must buy 100 lemons, and drive a Mazda car going forward.” 

Great-O-Khan said:

This is a prize for you as a loser! An honour! We will buy 100 lemons and drive Mazda cars either way! We will make the Hiroshima people proud!

Uemura has proposed a Catch Rules Match.

“The match would be contested with a 61-minute time limit, best two out of three falls. No strikes will be allowed in favour of purely throws and submissions,” reads NJPW1972.com on the match rules. 

Uemura said at today’s press conference:

I chose these rules because O-Khan is the champion. I have other reasons too, but I’ll tell you that when I win the title.

Uemura also stated that under his rules, the loser of the match must buy 20 of Hiroshima’s famed oysters for the loser. 

KOPW rules, Strong Tag title match confirmed for NJPW New Beginning in Nagoya

Posted on by Ian Carey

NJPW has issued an update on the lineup for New Beginning in Nagoya. 

On Sunday, the promotion announced the Hikuleo & El Phantasmo vs. KENTA & Chase match scheduled for the show will now be for the Strong Tag Team titles. The announcement follows ELP & Hikuleo successfully defending the titles against Alex Coughlin & Clark Connors on Saturday at Battle in the Valley. The IWGP Tag Team Championships, also held by TJP & Hikuleo, will not be on the line.  

NJPW has also announced the rules for the KOPW match at New Beginning in Nagoya. The voting saw Taiji Ishimori’s proposed Ring Fit match beat out Great-O-Khan’s Bullrope Deathmatch rules with 77% of the votes. The match stipulation requires both wrestlers to do 30 seconds of high-intensity circuit training every 3 minutes. 

NJPW1972.com described the Ring FIT rules:

Ishimori will defend his KOPW 2024 belt against Tanahashi in a 10 minute Ishimori Ring Fit Match. Ten minutes will be on the clock, with the last title holder at the end of the time limit the victor. Additionally, at three minute intervals, the two must stop for 30 seconds of high intensity circuit training. Who will have the wind to prevail in this demanding match type? 

The event takes place at Dolphin’s Arena in Nagoya on Saturday, January 20. 

Here is the full card for NJPW New Beginning in Nagoya:

  • NEVER Openweight Title: Tama Tonga defends against EVIL
  • KOPW 2024: Taiji Ishimori defends against Great-O-Khan in a Ring Fit match
  • Los Ingobernables de Japon (Tetsuya Naito, Shingo Takagi, Yota Tsuji, Hiromu Takahashi, and BUSHI) vs. Just Five Guys (SANADA, Taichi, Taka Michinoku, DOUKI, and Yuya Uemura)
  • Hiroshi Tanahashi, Kazuchika Okada, Tomohiro Ishii, and Togi Makabe vs. Zack Sabre Jr., Mikey Nicholls, Shane Haste, and Kosei Fujita
  • NJPW Strong Tag Team Champions Guerillas of Destiny (Hikuleo and El Phantasmo) defend against Chase Owens & KENTA
  • El Desperado & Master Wato vs. SHO and Yoshinobu Kanemaru
  • United Empire (Callum Newman, Francesco Akira, TJP, Henare, & Jeff Cobb) vs. Bullet Club War Dogs (David Finlay, Drilla Moloney, Clark Connors, Gabe Kidd, and Alex Coughlin)
  • Tomoaki Honma & Shota Umino vs. House of Torture (Ren Narita & Yujiro Takahashi)
  • Kickoff match: Shoma Kato vs. Katsuya Murashima

NJPW New Beginning in Nagoya notes: Shingo Takagi vs. Great-O-Khan

Posted on by Ian Carey

NJPW kicked off The New Beginning series Sunday in Nagoya. 

The provisional KOPW Championship was on the line in the main event as Shingo Takagi successfully defended against Great-O-Khan. The match was contested under modified MMA rules, including lumberjacks on the outside. Victory could only come via KO or submission and both competitors wore a martial arts gi. 

Not only was Takagi defending his KOPW Championship against Khan, his title shot against Kazuchika Okada at The New Beginning in Osaka was on the line as well. 

Takagi put Khan to sleep with a katahajime to retain the title. 

Following the match, Okada came to the ring to confront his upcoming challenger. Takagi suggested that their match on February 11 in Osaka be a title vs. title bout contested under KOPW stipulations. Okada responded that IWGP competition is “wrestling as it should be” and declined the offer. Their match will be for just the IWGP World title and will be contested under traditional rules. 

Okada was also asked backstage about a recently announced match between him and GHC Champion Kaito Kiyomiya at Keiji Muto’s retirement show on February 21. Kiyomiya and Okada were disqualified for continued brawling on the outside during Saturday’s show in Yokohama. Okada would later say he won’t take part in the match and that NJPW scheduled it without his consent. 

Full results from NJPW New Beginning in Nagoya on January 22, 2023:

  1. Togi Makabe & Toru Yano defeated Yuto Nakashima & Oskar Leube
  2. Minoru Suzuki, El Desperado, Tomoaki Honma & Ren Narita defeated House of Torture’s EVIL, Sho, Dick Togo & Yujiro Takahashi
  3. TMDK’s Zack Sabre Jr, Mike Nicholls, Shane Haste, and Kosei Fujita defeated Ryohei Oiwa and CHAOS’ Tomohiro Ishii, Hirooki Goto, & YOSHI-HASHI
  4. Bullet Club’s El Phantasmo & Taiji Ishimori defeated Hiroshi Tanahashi, Master Wato, & Jado
  5. United Empire’s Will Ospreay, TJP, Francesco Akira, & Aaron Henare defeated Just Four Guys’ Douki, Taka Michinoku, Taichi & Yoshinobu Kanemaru
  6. Ryusuke Taguchi, Shota Umino, CHAOS’ Kazuchika Okada, & YOH defeated Los Ingobernables de Japon’s Tetsuya Naito, SANADA, Hiromu Takahashi, & BUSHI
  7. KOPW Provisional Championship: Shingo Takagi defeated Great-O-Khan to retain

Shingo, Great-O-Khan choose KOPW stipulations for NJPW New Beginning in Nagoya

Posted on by Ian Carey

Shingo Takagi and Great-O-Khan have picked stipulations for their upcoming KOPW match. 

Takagi will defend the KOPW belt against Khan on Sunday, January 22, 2023 at The New Beginning in Nagoya. They both presented their chosen stipulations on Thursday and voting is currently underway to determine which set of rules will be used. 

Takagi has proposed a “Takagi style 30 count pinfall match.” The winner of this contest would be the first to get a cumulative 30 count on their opponent. A one count is worth one point, a two count is worth two points and so on until one wrestler has accumulated a total of 30 points on their opponent. 

Takagi had the following to say on his chosen stipulations:

I had a lot of KOPW title matches in 2022, and one that I thought really helped elevate the status of the title was in April, a match that really showed how hard fought this title can be- the Takagi Style 30 Count Pinfall Match. In Hiroshima, Taichi and I fought it out in a match that really represented what KOPW should be. No countouts, no submissions. Whoever gets a total of 30 counts wins. 

Great-O-Khan has proposed an MMA style match. Each wrestler would wear a martial arts gi, lumberjacks would be stationed outside the ring, and the match can only end via TKO or submission. Additionally, if Khan’s stipulations are chosen, Takagi must put his future shot at the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship on the line as well. 

Great-O-Khan had the following to say on his chosen stipulations:

We shall both wear martial arts gi, which can be used for submissions. The only way to win is via KO, TKO or tapout. And in case you are so scared that you attempt to escape the ring, let’s use lumberjacks as well, shall we? Bring anybody you wish. Our United Empire teammates will of course be present. So let us have a proper fight, one on one with a clear winner like men. Whether you peasants choose to vote or not? Do as you wish.

Voting is currently underway now on Twitter and will close on January 15. 

Bullet Club, United Empire, G.O.D, Zack Sabre Jr. added to NJPW BOSJ Finals

Posted on by Ian Carey

NJPW has confirmed that several big names will be at the Best of the Super Juniors finals on June 3. 

The promotion revealed on Friday that members of Bullet Club, the United Empire, G.O.D, and more will be on the show. 

Bullet Club’s Jay White, Juice Robinson, Karl Anderson, and Doc Gallows have been confirmed. As have the United Empire’s Will Ospreay, Great-O-Khan, Jeff Cobb, and Aaron Henare. The Guerrillas of Destiny, Tama Tonga & Tanga Loa will also be present at the Nippon Budokan for the event. Zack Sabre Jr. has been announced for the show as well. 

Many of those scheduled for the BOSJ Finals will have big matches upcoming at NJPW Dominion on June 12. White will challenge Kazuchika Okada for the IWGP World Championship on the show. Tama Tonga will also defend the Never Openweight Championship against Karl Anderson while Jeff Cobb & Great-O-Khan will challenge Bad Luck Fale & Chase Owens for the IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Championships.

New member of United Empire revealed at NJPW Sakura Genesis

Posted on by Bryan Rose

Toa Henare, under a new name, has joined The United Empire.

Henare, going under the name Aaron Henare, joined the group during tonight’s NJPW Sakura Genesis event, revealing himself as their mystery tag team partner. He teamed up with Jeff Cobb and The Great-O-Khan to take on the Los Ingobernables de Japon team of Tetsuya Naito, SANADA, and Shingo Takagi. He picked up the win for his team, pinning SANADA after a death valley driver.

After the match, Henare and Cobb held Naito down as Great O-Khan attacked Naito’s knee with a steel chair.

Henare had been doing a storyline earlier this year where he expressed frustrations about his recent losses. He mentioned on Twitter that he was not in Japan for the current tour and was back home in New Zealand under quarantine.

Starting off as a young lion in 2016 under the name Henare, he would later emerge out of his young lion stage without taking an excursion, going under the name Toa Henare. Despite no longer being a young lion, Henare has spent the last few years in NJPW’s midcard, usually taking the pin for more established stars.

Stipulations set for two NJPW New Beginning in Nagoya matches

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Stipulations have been added to two TenCozy vs. United Empire singles matches for NJPW’s The New Beginning in Nagoya.

Satoshi Kojima vs. Will Ospreay at The New Beginning in Nagoya this Saturday will now be a no disqualification match. Hiroyoshi Tenzan vs. The Great O-Khan now has a stipulation where the loser will no longer be able to use the Mongolian chop.

Kojima & Tenzan have faced Ospreay & The Great O-Khan at NJPW’s last three Road to The New Beginning shows, with the matches ending in two no contests and a disqualification.

NJPW wrote about the stipulations for Kojima vs. Ospreay and Tenzan vs. The Great O-Khan:

After controversial collisions between TenCozy and the UNITED EMPIRE side of Will Ospreay and Great-O-Khan this week, stipulations have been added that will change the shape of New Beginning in Nagoya on January 30. 

First, Hiroyoshi Tenzan and Great-O-Khan will meet in the third match of the night. Tenzan has been incensed at Great-O-Khan’s use of his Mongolian Chops since O-Khan returned from excursion, and the Dominator O-Khan has no respect for the Third Generation legend. Both parties have now agreed that the loser of this match must retire the Mongolian Chop for good. Who will have to stop the chop in Nagoya?

Then, as Kojima and Ospreay have escalated in violence over the last few nights, Korakuen Hall Monday saw tables added to the mix, as each looked to put the other through the wood. After an intense exchange on the microphone, this is now officially a No Disqualification match. With nothing to hold either man back, what carnage will unfold in Aichi? 

The New Beginning in Nagoya will start at 3:30 a.m. Eastern time on Saturday. Here’s the full card for the show:

  • NEVER Openweight Champion Shingo Takagi defends against Hiroshi Tanahashi
  • Satoshi Kojima vs. Will Ospreay in a no DQ match
  • Hiroyoshi Tenzan vs, The Great O-Khan (loser must stop using the Mongolian chop)
  • Kota Ibushi, Tomoaki Honma, SHO & Master Wato vs. SANADA, Tetsuya Naito, Hiromu Takahashi & BUSHI
  • Kazuchika Okada & Toru Yano vs. EVIL & Yujiro Takahashi