Toru Yano defeated Yoshinobu Kanemaru in a Year End Party match at today’s NJPW Road to Tokyo Dome show and was crowned the official NJPW King of Pro Wrestling 2021.
After a year of provisional title matches, the ultimate KOPW match of 2021 took place under rules that required Yano and Kanemaru to drink whiskey during their match at intervals. Yano pinned Kanemaru after hitting a powerbomb, and also after Kanemaru spit whiskey into the eyes of the referee. Fans chose which alcoholic beverage would be served to the wrestlers in polls on NJPW’s Twitter accounts.
Yano has now won the KOPW title in both years of its existence. Chase Owens is the only other wrestler to hold the KOPW title at any point, as he defeated Yano for the provisional title at Wrestle Grand Slam in Tokyo Dome in July 2021. Owens dropped the title right back to Yano in September at Wrestle Grand Slam in MetLife Dome after zero defenses.
Whiskey will be served at Korakuen Hall on Christmas Eve.
NJPW has announced the results of a fan vote to decide the stipulation for the Year End Party KOPW 2021 match at the December 24 Road to Tokyo Dome event. Toru Yano will defend the KOPW trophy against Yoshinobu Kanemaru.
Kanemaru’s choice of whiskey shots defeated Yano’s choice of sake shots by a 65.8 to 34.2 percent margin in polls conducted on the @NJPW1972 and @NJPWGlobal Twitter accounts.
Year End Party rules are detailed as a normal match, but wrestlers will be forced to drink alcohol at two minute intervals. The referee will then administer a 20 count after the shots are taken. Should either competitor not be able to respond to the 20 count, they will lose, but pinfall, submission and disqualification rules still apply.
Friday’s show will serve as the go-home show for Wrestle Kingdom 16, which takes place on January 4, 5 and 8.
Here is the December 24 lineup:
NJPW Road to Tokyo Dome, Friday, December 24, 4:30 a.m. Eastern time on NJPW World —
Shingo Takagi & BUSHI vs. Kazuchika Okada & Robbie Eagles
Hiromu Takahashi, Tetsuya Naito & SANADA vs. El Desperado, Taichi & Zack Sabre Jr.
Tomohiro Ishii, Hirooki Goto, YOSHI-HASHI & YOH vs. EVIL, Yujiro Takahashi, Dick Togo & SHO
KOPW 2021 Year End Party match: Toru Yano (c) vs. Yoshinobu Kanemaru
Hiroshi Tanahashi, Togi Makabe & Tomoaki Honma vs. KENTA, Bad Luck Fale & Chase Owens
Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Satoshi Kojima & Yuji Nagata vs. Jeff Cobb, Great-O-Khan & Aaron Henare
Twitter polls will determine which alcoholic beverage will be used in the Year End Party KOPW 2021 match to be held at NJPW’s Road to Tokyo Dome event on December 24.
Toru Yano will defend the provisional KOPW 2021 trophy against Yoshinobu Kanemaru on the show. Year End Party rules are explained as a normal match, but wrestlers will be forced to drink alcohol at two minute intervals. The referee will then administer a 20 count. Should either competitor not be able to respond to the 20 count, they will lose, but pinfall, submission and disqualification rules still apply.
Polls on the @njpwglobal and @NJPW1972 Twitter accounts will decide whether Kanemaru’s beverage choice or Yano’s will be the alcohol served during the match. Yano has proposed sake, while Kanemaru has proposed whiskey.
Kanemaru attacked Yano with a whiskey bottle on yesterday’s show, then issued a challenge for the KOPW title. The winner of the Christmas Eve bout will be crowned the 2021 KOPW winner. Yano won the trophy in 2020.
The stipulation for the KOPW 2021 match at NJPW Power Struggle has been decided.
Toru Yano will defend the provisional KOPW 2021 title against The Great-O-Khan in an amateur rules match. The stipulation was decided in a poll on the NJPW Global Twitter account and another on the NJPW 1972 account.
The Great-O-Khan had proposed a Kiss My Feet match, while Yano proposed the amateur rules stipulation. 25,826 votes were cast in total between the two accounts.
Yano vs. O-Khan is one of five title matches set for the nine-match Power Struggle card.
Here is the lineup:
NJPW Power Struggle, Saturday, November 6, 4 a.m. Eastern time on NJPW World —
IWGP World Heavyweight Championship: Shingo Takagi (c) vs. Zack Sabre Jr.
Right to challenge for the IWGP title at Wrestle Kingdom: Kazuchika Okada vs. Tama Tonga
IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship: Hiroshi Tanahashi (c) vs. KENTA
IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship: Robbie Eagles (c) vs. El Desperado
Provisional KOPW 2021 Toru Yano and his NJPW Power Struggle challenger The Great-O-Khan have proposed stipulations for their November 6 bout.
Yano has proposed an amateur rules match, while O-Khan has proposed a kiss my feet match. The proposed stipulations will be posted in a poll on the NJPW Global Twitter account.
Both Yano and O-Khan have amateur wrestling backgrounds, while O-Khan is seeking revenge for Yano refusing to kiss his boot after their September 23 G1 Climax 31 bout. After Yano had seemingly accepted O-Khan’s demand, he hit O-Khan with a low blow and escaped.
Yano defeated O-Khan in their only other singles meeting in the 2021 New Japan Cup on March 11 to kick off their on-and-off feud.
Here is the lineup for Power Struggle:
NJPW Power Struggle, Saturday, November 6, 4 a.m. Eastern time on NJPW World —
IWGP World Heavyweight Championship: Shingo Takagi (c) vs. Zack Sabre Jr.
Right to challenge for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship at Wrestle Kingdom 16: Kazuchika Okada vs. Tama Tonga
IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship: Hiroshi Tanahashi (c) vs. KENTA
IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship: Robbie Eagles (c) vs. El Desperado
Provisional KOPW 2021: Toru Yano (c) vs. Great-O-Khan
NEVER Openweight Six-Man Tag Team Championship: Hirooki Goto, Tomohiro Ishii & YOSHI-HASHI (c) vs. EVIL, Yujiro Takahashi & SHO
A new champion was crowned at today’s NJPW Wrestle Grand Slam in MetLife Dome night one event.
Toru Yano regained the provisional KOPW 2021 title, defeating Chase Owens in 28:03 in a No-DQ I Quit match. This is the second time that Yano has claimed the provisional KOPW 2021.
Owens won a New Japan Ranbo at Wrestle Grand Slam in Tokyo Dome on July 25 to take the title away from Yano. Yano was the first to hold the provisional title in 2021, winning it on January 5 at Wrestle Kingdom 15 in a four-way that also involved Owens, BUSHI and Bad Luck Fale.
Yano was the first and only holder of the KOPW title in 2020. He won the original provisional title at Summer Struggle in a tournament final four-way over Kazuchika Okada, SANADA and El Desperado. He cemented himself as the official KOPW 2020 by defeating Fale in a bodyslam or no corner pads match.
Today’s match was the second Yano vs. Owens KOPW match on a major NJPW show this year. The two also met at Castle Attack in a Yano-style Texas strap match on February 27.
A fan vote has decided the stipulation for the KOPW 2021 match on night one of NJPW Wrestle Grand Slam in MetLife Dome on Saturday, September 4.
Chase Owens will defend the provisional 2021 KOPW title against Toru Yano in a No DQ I Quit match. A poll on NJPW’s Twitter account decided the stipulation.
Yano proposed the ultimate winner, while Owens had proposed a Texas strap match. Yano’s choice won by a 75.47 percent to 24.53 percent margin in a poll with 17,598 total votes.
Owens vs. Yano, Hiroshi Tanahashi defending the IWGP United States Championship against Kota Ibushi, pus Kazuchika Okada vs. Jeff Cobb are now set for night one of Wrestle Grand Slam.
Here are the announced lineups for both nights:
NJPW Wrestle Grand Slam in MetLife Dome night one, Saturday, September 4 —
IWGP United States Championship: Hiroshi Tanahashi (c) vs. Kota Ibushi
Kazuchika Okada vs. Jeff Cobb
Provisional KOPW 2021 No DQ I Quit match: Chase Owens (c) vs. Toru Yano
NJPW Wrestle Grand Slam in MetLife Dome night two, Sunday, September 5 —
IWGP World Heavyweight Championship: Shingo Takagi (c) vs. EVIL
IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Championship: Taichi & Zack Sabre Jr. (c) vs. Tetsuya Naito & SANADA vs. Hirooki Goto & YOSHI-HASHI
IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship: Robbie Eagles (c) vs. Hiromu Takahashi
NJPW has made the first two match announcements for Wrestle Grand Slam in MetLife Dome night one on September 4.
In a rematch from last Sunday’s Wrestle Grand Slam in Tokyo Dome, Kazuchika Okada will face Jeff Cobb. Okada was victorious at Tokyo Dome, pinning Cobb with a quick cradle. Cobb then attacked Okada at Tuesday’s Summer Struggle event in Korakuen Hall to set up the rematch.
Also announced for MetLife Dome, Chase Owens will defend the KOPW 2021 provisional title against former title holder Toru Yano. A stipulation will be added to this match at a later date. Owens won a 22-man New Japan Ranbo at the Wrestle Grand Slam in Tokyo Dome to claim the provisional KOPW title.
Wrestle Grand Slam in MetLife Dome is a two-night event. Three IWGP title matches have already been announced for night two. Here are the cards so far:
NJPW Wrestle Grand Slam in MetLife Dome, Saturday, September 4, 4 a.m. Eastern time on NJPW World —
Kazuchika Okada vs. Jeff Cobb
KOPW 2021: Chase Owens (c) vs. Toru Yano
NJPW Wrestle Grand Slam in MetLife Dome, Sunday, September 5, 2 a.m. Eastern time on NJPW World —
IWGP World Heavyweight Championship: Shingo Takagi (c) vs. EVIL
IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Championship: Taichi & Zack Sabre Jr. (c) vs. Tetsuya Naito & SANADA vs. Hirooki Goto & YOSHI-HASHI
IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship: Robbie Eagles (c) vs. Hiromu Takahashi
Three championships changed hands at today’s NJPW Wrestle Grand Slam in Tokyo Dome event.
In the show’s semi-main event, Taichi and Zack Sabre Jr. defeated Tetsuya Naito and SANADA to capture the IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Championships in 37:58. This was the longest IWGP Tag title match in Tokyo Dome history, according to Chris Samsa.
This marks the third reign with the IWGP Tag titles for Dangerous Tekkers. Naito and SANADA’s run with the belts ended at two weeks with zero successful defenses.
Earlier in the evening, Robbie Eagles defeated El Desperado to win the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship for the first time in 19:56. Eagles becomes the first Australian to capture IWGP gold.
Desperado’s first IWGP Jr. title reign came to an end following 147 days and two successful defenses.
On the Wrestle Grand Slam pre-show, Chase Owens won the provisional KOPW 2021 title in a 22-man New Japan Ranbo that went 35:36. Owens last eliminated former provisional KOPW 2021 Toru Yano by pinfall with a package piledriver to win the title.
Owens becomes the first person besides Yano to hold the KOPW title since its inception in August 2020. Yano held the KOPW 2020 title the entire time it was active. He won the first KOPW 2021 match at Wrestle Kingdom 15 in January and had held it ever since.
NJPW has announced the stipulation for the New Japan Ranbo for the KOPW 2021 title on the Wrestle Grand Slam in Tokyo Dome pre-show.
Toru Yano will defend the provisional KOPW 2021 in the Ranbo in a match where handcuffs will be legal. Eliminations in the Ranbo can take place by pinfall, submission, DQ, being thrown over the top rope, or being handcuffed to the ropes or the ringside area.
The number of entrants for the Ranbo have not been announced, but participants will enter the match at one-minute intervals.
Handcuffs won by a margin of 12,100 votes (76.3%) to 3,755 votes (23.7%).
Here is the full lineup for the event:
NJPW Wrestle Grand Slam in Tokyo Dome, Sunday, July 25, pre-show 2 a.m., main card 3 a.m. Eastern time on NJPW World —
IWGP World Heavyweight Championship: Shingo Takagi (c) vs. Kota Ibushi
IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Championship: Tetsuya Naito & SANADA (c) vs. Taichi & Zack Sabre Jr.
Kazuchika Okada vs. Jeff Cobb
IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship: El Desperado (c) vs. Robbie Eagles
IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship: Taiji Ishimori & El Phantasmo (c) vs. Rocky Romero & Ryusuke Taguchi
Pre-show New Japan Ranbo with handcuffs for the provisional KOPW 2021
Fans will decide whether handcuffs or blindfolds will be used in the New Japan Ranbo for the provisional KOPW 2021 title at NJPW Wrestle Grand Slam in Tokyo Dome.
Yano stated that as with prior KOPW bouts, fans will be asked to choose the stipulation. In the past, NJPW has conducted those polls on the NJPW Global Twitter account. Yano proposed that either blindfolds or handcuffs be legal in the Ranbo.
“On the guardrails and the ropes will be handcuffs set up to use,” said Yano. “The Ranbo is as normal, when you’re pinned, submitted or thrown over the top you’re out, but you can also be put out by being handcuffed, and then you’re stuck there for the rest of the match! Completely humiliated!”
“This time, the point of the Ranbo will be to put a blindfold on an opponent to eliminate them,” Yano said. “The blindfolds will be suspended in different positions in and around the ringside area. Enough for every participant.”
“Whether its blindfolds or handcuffs, NJPW will have to prepare as many of each as possible to make the rules viable. That’s a key point here.”
NJPW announced the full lineup for Wrestle Grand Slam in Tokyo Dome earlier today. Here it is:
NJPW Wrestle Grand Slam in Tokyo Dome, Sunday, July 25, 1 a.m. Eastern time on NJPW World —
IWGP World Heavyweight Championship: Shingo Takagi (c) vs. Kota Ibushi
IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Championship: Tetsuya Naito & SANADA (c) vs. Taichi & Zack Sabre Jr.
Kazuchika Okada vs. Jeff Cobb
IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship: El Desperado (c) vs. Robbie Eagles
IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship: Taiji Ishimori & El Phantasmo (c) vs. Rocky Romero & Ryusuke Taguchi
Pre-show New Japan Ranbo for the provisional KOPW 2021
NJPW has added a Ranbo to the Wrestle Grand Slam in Tokyo Dome pre-show.
Toru Yano will defend the provisional KOPW 2021 title in the match. To this point, Yano is the only officially announced participant.
Traditionally a part of the Wrestle Kingdom in Tokyo Dome shows, the Ranbo rules have participants enter at one-minute intervals. Eliminations then occur by pinfall, submission or being thrown over the top rope.
Yano won the provisional KOPW title at Wrestle Kingdom 15 in January and has since defended it against Chase Owens in a strap match, and EVIL in a blindfold match.
Shingo Takagi defending the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship against Kota Ibushi will be the Wrestle Grand Slam in Tokyo Dome main event.
NJPW Wrestle Grand Slam in Tokyo Dome, Sunday, July 25, pre-show 3 a.m. Eastern time, main card 4 a.m. Eastern time on NJPW World —
Pre-show —
KOPW 2021 Ranbo
Main card —
IWGP World Heavyweight Championship: Shingo Takagi (c) vs. Kota Ibushi
Toru Yano will defend the provisional KOPW 2021 against EVIL in a Creation of Darkness match on night one of Wrestling Satsuma no Kuni, NJPW has announced.
A fan poll on the NJPW Global Twitter account asked voters to choose between two darkness-themed stipulations, with Yano’s proposal winning the vote by a 51.58% to 48.42% margin. The rules of the match will see a hood placed on each of the four ring posts. Pinfalls, submissions and countouts would not be in effect until one competitor places a hood on the other.
EVIL had proposed a Darkness match, where the lights would be turned on and off for thirty second intervals in the first three minutes of the match. After that point, there would be a thirty second period with the lights out for every three minutes of match time.
The feud between Yano and EVIL has had hijinks involving hoods and the arena lights being turned off at key moments. Yano was defeated by EVIL in the New Japan Cup tournament after Dick Togo turned the lights off. Yano later pinned Togo in a tag match on the Road to Wrestling Dontaku tour after placing a hood over his face and hitting a low blow. EVIL retaliated by hiding under the ring during a Yano tag match, turning the lights off, then hitting Yano with his finisher.
Night one of Wrestling Satsuma no Kuni will be held on Wednesday, April 28 at 5:30 a.m. Eastern time.
Here is the lineup for the show:
Wrestling Satsuma no Kuni night one, Wednesday, April 28 —
IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship: SHO & YOH (c) vs. El Desperado & Yoshinobu Kanemaru
KOPW 2021 provisional Championship: Toru Yano (c) vs. EVIL
Shingo Takagi, Tetsuya Naito, SANADA & BUSHI vs. Will Ospreay, Great-O-Khan, Jeff Cobb & Aaron Henare
A Twitter poll will decide the stipulation for the KOPW 2021 match at NJPW’s Wrestling Satsuma no Kuni event.
NJPW announced that a poll on the NJPW Global Twitter page will kick off on Monday. Fans will be asked to choose between provisional KOPW 2021 Toru Yano’s stipulation choice, and challenger EVIL’s proposal.
Yano has proposed a Creation of Darkness Blindfold match. The rules of that stipulation would see a hood placed on each of the four ring posts. Pinfalls, submissions and countouts would not be in effect until one competitor placed a hood on the other.
EVIL’s proposal is a Darkness match. Under that stip, the lights would be turned on and off for thirty second intervals in the first three minutes of the match. After that point, there would be a thirty second period with the lights out for every three minutes of match time.
Yano and EVIL’s feud has incorporated both proposed elements. EVIL defeated Yano in the New Japan Cup after his second, Dick Togo, turned out the lights to distract Yano. Yano answered by placing a hood on Togo, then hitting him with a low blow and pinning him at Sakura Genesis on April 4.
Night one of Wrestling Satsuma no Kuni will be held on Wednesday, April 28 at 5:30 a.m. Eastern time.
Here is the lineup for the show:
Wrestling Satsuma no Kuni night one, Wednesday, April 28 —
IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship: SHO & YOH (c) vs. El Desperado & Yoshinobu Kanemaru
KOPW 2021 provisional Championship: Toru Yano (c) vs. EVIL
Shingo Takagi, Tetsuya Naito, SANADA & BUSHI vs. Will Ospreay, Great-O-Khan, Jeff Cobb & Aaron Henare
Toru Yano will defend the provisional 2021 King of Pro Wrestling title against Chase Owens in a YTR style Texas strap match at Saturday’s NJPW Castle Attack event.
The stipulation was decided in a Twitter poll held on the NJPW Global account. Fans were asked to choose between the Yano style strap match and the Owens style. The winner of the match will be the participant who removes all four corner pads while strapped to their opponent. The Owens stip would have been a traditional four corners strap match.
Yano is the current provisional KOPW 2021 champ after winning the title in a four-way at Wrestle Kingdom 15 on January 5, defeating Owens, Bad Luck Fale and BUSHI.
The official 2021 KOPW will be decided after the final provisional title defense of the year. Yano won the 2020 version of the title, last defeating Fale in a bodyslam match at Road to Tokyo Dome on December 23 to cement his win.
Here are the announced lineups for Castle Attack. A change is yet to be announced to the Sunday card, as Hiromu Takahashi will be unable to defend the IWGP Junior Heavyweight title on that show due to injury:
