NJPW has announced the stipulation for the final KOPW 2022 bout set for December 19 at the TAKATaichi pay-per-view.
In a fan vote held on NJPW’s social media channels, Shingo Takagi’s proposed lumberjack last man standing match defeated Taichi’s 30-minute high score proposal by a 52 percent to 48 percent margin.
Shingo will defend the KOPW trophy against Taichi on the TAKA Michinoku and Taichi-produced PPV on Monday, December 19. The show will be available on NJPW World pay-per-view. The winner will be crowned NJPW’s official King of Pro Wrestling for 2022.
NJPW wrote:
The last three days have seen fan voting take place for December 19, and Shingo Takagi and Taichi’s collision over the KOPW 2022 trophy at the joint TAKA+Taichi 50th Anniversary card on NJPW World PPV.
After 28,524 votes were cast worldwide, Taichi had the very narrow edge with the international vote, while Shingo Takagi captured the votes on the Japanese side.
The final results were
Taichi: 30 Minute High Score Match- 13, 695 votes (48%)
Shingo takagi: Takagi Style Lumberjack last man Standing Match- 14,829 votes (52%)
As a result, Yoyogi will see a Takagi Style Lumberjack last man Standing match! Lumberjacks will be around the ring to keep action inside, while victory will be attained by a pinfall, directly followed by a ten count KO.
NJPW’s KOPW 2022 will be decided on a TAKA Michinoku and Taichi joint 50th Anniversary pay-per-view on December 19.
NJPW announced Monday that the final KOPW 2022 match will take place at TAKA + Taichi Joint 50th Anniversary Event on NJPW World pay-per-view on Monday, December 19. Shingo Takagi will defend the title against Taichi in a match with a stipulation yet to be announced.
Michinoku and Taichi often collaborate as promoters of independent events, and although this show will air on NJPW World pay-per-view, it is technically not an NJPW event.
NJPW wrote on their website:
Order TAKA Michinoku and Taichi’s joint 50th anniversary event on NJPW World PPV December 19! (Japanese commentary only)
As 2022 comes to a close, so too is KOPW 2022. Every year, the KOPW trophy is defended through the 12 months, until resetting for the following year, meaning that Shingo Takagi is just five short weeks from being the KOPW 2022 champion.
Yet he has one more defence inbound, and Taichi has been eager to issue the challenge. After incredible 30 count and ten minute scramble matches between the two saw the perception of KOPW shift and attention gather in spades, Taichi wants one more shot at the Dragon. Yet Takagi was reluctant to offer the shot without an appropriate venue, and with December 14 in Sendai seeing either the World or Super Junior Tag League finals in the main event, Shingo suggested there was no grand enough stage.
Taichi replied that if there wasn’t an available date in NJPW, there might be one for his own promoted event. On December 19, TAKA Michinoku and Taichi mark a combined 50 years in pro-wrestling with cheering fans in Yoyogi, and after an intense war last night in Korakuen saw them both go to a countout in six man action, Takagi gave his go ahead to settle this score once and for all, making for the first ever KOPW defence not to take place in an NJPW ring.
What stipulations might emerge, and what will happen December 19 on PPV?
NJPW has revealed the results of a fan vote to determine the KOPW 2022 stipulation for Friday’s Rumble on 44th Street pay-per-view.
Challenger El Phantasmo’s New York City Street Fight stipulation defeated KOPW 2022 holder Shingo Takagi’s “Last Daddy Standing” proposal by a 56.1 percent to 43.9 percent margin in polls held on NJPW’s social media accounts to win the voting. A total of 17,004 votes were cast, with ELP’s choice winning 9,540 votes to 7,464 votes.
The KOPW 2022 match is one of five bouts official for Friday’s event, the second of two consecutive pay-per-view nights in New York City for NJPW. Thursday’s event will be The Night Before Rumble on 44th Street: A Halloween Special, a show with a mystery lineup.
Both shows will be available for standalone purchase, or as a bundle on FITE TV.
The lineups:
NJPW The Night Before Rumble on 44th Street: A Halloween Special, Thursday, October 27, 8 p.m. Eastern time on FITE TV pay-per-view —
Mystery lineup
NJPW Rumble on 44th Street, Friday, October 28, 8 p.m. Eastern time on FITE TV pay-per-view —
Kazuchika Okada & Eddie Kingston vs. Jay White & Juice Robinson
KOPW 2022 New York City Street Fight: Shingo Takagi vs. El Phantasmo
Rocky Romero & YOH vs. Yujiro Takahashi & SHO
NJPW Strong Openweight Tag Team Championship: Aussie Open (c) vs. Motor City Machine Guns vs. Kevin Knight & The DKC
NJPW has revealed the stipulation for the KOPW 2022 match at Sunday’s Dominion event.
The promotion has announced that after two days of voting on the NJPW and NJPW Global Twitter account, the match will be held under title holder Shingo Takagi’s proposed 10-minute scramble rules. The wrestler with the highest total count on their pinfall attempts at the end of 10 minutes will be declared the winner.
Shingo’s option won by a 55.5 percent to 44.5 percent margin, with a total of 29,032 votes cast.
Challenger Taichi had proposed a limited finishers total 10 count match, where only certain pin attempts would be allowed, and the first wrestler to reach a total of 10 on their pinfall counts would win.
Here is the card for Dominion:
NJPW Dominion, Sunday, June 12 —
IWGP World Heavyweight Championship: Kazuchika Okada (c) vs. Jay White
IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship: Juice Robinson (c) vs. Will Ospreay vs. SANADA
NEVER Openweight Championship: Tama Tonga (c) vs. Karl Anderson
KOPW 2022: Shingo Takagi (c) vs. Taichi
AEW interim World Championship eliminator match: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Hirooki Goto
IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Championship: Bad Luck Fale & Chase Owens (c) vs. Great-O-Khan & Jeff Cobb
NEVER Openweight Six-Man Tag Team Championship: EVIL, Yujiro Takahashi & SHO vs. Zack Sabre Jr., El Desperado & Yoshinobu Kanemaru
Toru Yano vs. Doc Gallows
Tetsuya Naito, Hiromu Takahashi & BUSHI vs. Taiji Ishimori, El Phantasmo & Ace Austin
Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Ryusuke Taguchi & Master Wato vs. Aaron Henare, TJP & Francesco Akira
Takagi will put his provisional KOPW 2022 title on the line against Taichi at Dominion this Sunday (June 12). It will either be a “Ten Minute Unlimited Pinfall Scramble Match” or a “No Time Limit, Limited Finishers Ten Count Match.”
The “Ten Minute Unlimited Pinfall Scramble Match” was proposed by Takagi as his stipulation option. In the match, the wrestler who has the highest total count on their pinfall attempts at the end of 10 minutes is declared the winner.
“It’s simple as can be. Whatever happens, ten minutes to settle it. Last time, we had no time limits and a 30 count. I think in the opening moments of that we took our time a little as a result. This time, it isn’t in the main event, and I think it’s pretty appropriate to try and get the win in ten minutes,” Takagi said. “That’s what’s going to put the two of us to the test, mentally and physically. It’ll be a different side to the both of us. We’ll be throwing bombs from the get go, trying to get the win as soon as possible. And even though it won’t be the main event, it’ll be the match that everyone remembers on this card. Well, if Taichi here carries his end of things anyway. Whatcha think, Taichi?”
Taichi proposed the “No Time Limit, Limited Finishers Ten Count Match” as his stipulation option. There is no time limit for the match and the first wrestler who reaches a total 10 count on their pinfall attempts is declared the winner. But Takagi can only use the Ground Cobra for his pinfall attempts and Taichi can only use the Gedo Clutch.
“I know you’re an idiot, so I’ll explain it to you. The ‘No Time Limit’ part means that there isn’t a limit on how long the match goes. Now, ‘Limited Finishers. ‘I pinned you with a Gedo Clutch and you tried to have your little get back on me with the Ground Cobra. So that’s fine. Only my Gedo Clutch and your Ground Cobra will count. Other moves, whether it’s a lariat, a brainbuster, or a DDT, you can’t score a pin from,” Taichi said. “And the ‘Ten Count,’ whoever gets to a total of ten first wins. Last time it was thirty, and although I can humiliate you and pin you for 30 in one go, I won’t because I’m nice. So ten it is. How’s that?”
A title change took place in the main event of NJPW’s Golden Fight Series show on Monday.
Shingo Takagi defeated Taichi to become the new provisional KOPW 2022 Champion. Takagi vs. Taichi was a “30 Count Match,” where the first wrestler to get a combined 30 count in pinfall attempts throughout the match was declared the winner.
In a show-closing promo after his win, Takagi vowed to elevate the KOPW trophy just like he’s done with other titles that he’s held.
Provisional KOPW title matches will be held throughout 2022. After the final title match of the year, the trophy holder will be declared the official KOPW 2022 Champion.
For every KOPW title match, each participant proposes a set of rules. A fan vote then determines which rule set the match will be held under. The 30 Count stipulation was proposed by Taichi.
Here are the full results from Monday’s Golden Fight Series show:
– 30 Count Match: Shingo Takagi defeated Taichi to become the new provisional KOPW 2022 Champion
– NEVER Openweight Six-Man Tag Team Champions EVIL, SHO & Yujiro Takahashi defeated Hiroshi Tanahashi, Tama Tonga & Tanga Loa to retain their titles
NJPW has revealed the stipulation options for the upcoming KOPW title match between Taichi and Shingo Takagi.
Taichi will defend the provisional KOPW 2022 title against Takagi in the main event of NJPW’s Golden Fight Series tour show in Hiroshima on Monday, April 25. For KOPW matches, the participants each choose a stipulation and a fan vote on Twitter determines which one gets chosen.
Taichi has proposed a “30 Count Match,” where the first wrestler to get a combined 30 count on their opponent in pinfall attempts throughout the match is declared the winner.
Takagi has proposed a “Takagi Style Three Falls Match.” In the match, “the first to three falls is the winner, but rather than being best three out of five, a competitor must get first a one count, then a two count, and then three.”
At Hyper Battle earlier this month, Taichi defeated Toru Yano to win the KOPW trophy.
Monday April 25 will see a new evolution of the KOPW concept, as new holder Taichi faces Shingo Takagi in the main event, the first KOPW match not to feature Toru Yano, and with a very different vision for the trophy.
The concept behind KOPW remains to have holder and challenger present rule ideas to be voted on by the public. After a lot of speculation about just what rules both men would bring, Takagi and Taichi have reached their decisions, and have proposed rulesets that will see endurance and conviction pushed hard no matter the poll outcome.
Taichi has suggested a 30 Count Match. In this match, multiple falls will see a cumulative count from the referee. The winner is the wrestler who can get a combined 30 count on their opponent. Strategy and stamina will come to the fore in this punishing match style.
Takagi meanwhile has brought his own spin on a multiple falls match, suggesting a Takagi Style Three Falls Match. In this match, the first to three falls is the winner, but rather than being best three out of five, a competitor must get first a one count, then a two count, and then three. This will likely see a hard pace being set in the opening as both men vie to get the early one counts, before will to win really comes to the fore for the third fall.
Which match do you want to see? Voting will be on Twitter until Saturday April 23 at 10PM JST. Cast your vote now!
The April 25 Golden Fight Series event will air live on NJPW World. The full card for the show is listed below:
KOPW 2022 Champion Taichi defends against Shingo Takagi
NEVER Openweight Six-Man Tag Team Champions EVIL, SHO & Yujiro Takahashi defend against Hiroshi Tanahashi, Tama Tonga & Tanga Loa
Polls to decide the stipulation for the KOPW 2022 match at Sunday’s NJPW New Year’s Golden Series event closed today, and the winning choice is set.
Minoru Suzuki will defend the provisional KOPW 2022 trophy against Toru Yano in a dog cage match. The only way to win is to lock your opponent inside a dog cage.
Polls were conducted on the NJPW and NJPW Global Twitter accounts, with Yano’s choice of a dog cage match beating Suzuki’s proposal of a handcuffs deathmatch by a 60.5 to 39.5 percent margin in the NJPW 1972 poll, and a 50.5 to 49.5 percent margin in the NJPW Global poll.
In totality, 22,099 votes were cast in the two polls.
Suzuki won the provisional KOPW 2022 at Wrestle Kingdom 16 night two in January, defeating Yano, Chase Owens and CIMA in a four-way to crown the first provisional title holder.
Sunday’s show will wrap up the New Year’s Golden Series tour. Here is the lineup:
IWGP World Heavyweight Championship: Kazuchika Okada (c) vs. Tetsuya Naito
NEVER Openweight Six-Man Tag Team Championship: EVIL, Yujiro Takahashi & SHO (c) vs. Hirooki Goto, YOSHI-HASHI & YOH
KOPW 2022 dog cage match: Minoru Suzuki (c) vs. Toru Yano
Suzuki will put his KOPW 2022 trophy on the line against Yano at NJPW’s New Year’s Golden Series tour show in Sapporo on Sunday, February 20. Suzuki has proposed a “Handcuff Deathmatch” as the stipulation for the match, while Yano has proposed a “Dog Cage Match.”
A fan vote will begin on Twitter tomorrow to determine the stipulation.
With Minoru Suzuki and Toru Yano set to face off for the KOPW 2022 trophy on February 20 in Sapporo, both competitors have now brought their choice of stipulations to be put to a fan vote beginning February 9.
After Yano handcuffed him to the ropes on several occasions in January, the current trophy holder Minoru Suzuki has proposed a Handcuff Deathmatch. In this bout, there will be no disqualifications, and both men will start with handcuffs on their wrists, allowing the possibility for them to be chained to anything- including one another.
In response, as demonstrated by Yano on TAKA Michinoku on Monday in Korakuen, Suzuki’s challenger has proposed a Dog Cage Match. In this bout, the only way to win will be to lock your opponent in the dog cage at ringside.
Which rules will be chosen? Voting begins at noon on February 9 on Twitter!
Suzuki defeated Yano, Chase Owens, and Cima in a four-way match at Wrestle Kingdom 16 night two last month to win the KOPW 2022 trophy. Yano ended 2021 as the official KOPW Champion for that year.
The February 20 New Year’s Golden Series show will air live on NJPW World. Here’s the full card:
IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Kazuchika Okada defends against Tetsuya Naito
NEVER Six-Man Tag Team Champions EVIL, Yujiro Takahashi & SHO defend against Hirooki Goto, YOSHI-HASHI & YOH
KOPW 2022 Champion Minoru Suzuki defends against Toru Yano
New champions were crowned today on night two of NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 16.
Hiroshi Tanahashi regained the IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship, defeating KENTA in a wild no-DQ match after hitting a High Fly Flow off a ladder through a table. KENTA was split open earlier in the bout after falling from the ladder and apparently hitting his face on a trashcan.
Tanahashi ends KENTA’s first reign with the US title at 59 days, and begins his second reign with the belt.
Earlier in the show, Minoru Suzuki became the provisional KOPW 2022, defeating Toru Yano, CIMA and Chase Owens in a four-way to determine the first trophy holder of the year.
Three championships were retained on today’s show, as Kazuchika Okada defeated Will Ospreay in the main event to retain the IWGP World Heavyweight title, and EVIL, Yujiro Takahashi and SHO defeated Hirooki Goto, YOSHI-HASHI and YOH to retain the NEVER Openweight Six-Man Tag Team titles. Ryusuke Taguchi’s quest to begin the 69th IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship reign with Rocky Romero fell short in the main card opener, as Robbie Eagles and Tiger Mask retained those belts.
The four participants for the KOPW 2022 match at night two of Wrestle Kingdom 16 were decided today in a pre-show New Japan Ranbo on night one of the event.
Surprise entrant CIMA, KOPW 2021 winner Toru Yano, Minoru Suzuki and Chase Owens were the final four of the Ranbo, advancing to tomorrow’s four-way to determine the first provisional KOPW 2022.
CIMA and 68 year-old Tatsumi Fujinami were the two surprise entrants in the 19-man Ranbo. CIMA entered eleventh, while Fujinami entered eighteenth.
Fujinami maintains a semi-active schedule in various Japanese promotions, but this was his first NJPW match since night one of Wrestle Kingdom 14 in 2020.
