Tag: new japan ranbo

Ranbo battle royal, fourth TV title competitor officially added to NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 19

Posted on by Bryan Rose

The NJPW Ranbo has officially been added to Wrestle Kingdom 19.

The annual battle royal will take place on the kickoff portion of NJPW’s January 4 event. Additionally, El Phantasmo has been added to what will now be a four-way match for the New Japan World Television title.

After the Great-O-Khan retired the KOPW Championship at Road to Tokyo Dome, he suggested that the winner of the Ranbo should get a shot at the IWGP World Heavyweight title. New Japan confirmed the match and stipulation on Sunday.

ELP made his return on Saturday morning’s show and announced that he was medically cleared. After a match featuring the House of Torture, Jado appeared as Santa Claus and gave Narita a gift. When Narita opened it, it was a pair of ELP’s sunglasses, signaling ELP’s return after taking time off due to a cancer diagnosis.

NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 19 (Saturday, January 4) —

  • IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Zack Sabre Jr. defends against Shota Umino
  • Tetsuya Naito vs. Hiromu Takahashi
  • IWGP Global Champion David Finlay defends against Yota Tsuji
  • IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion DOUKI defends against El Desperado
  • NEVER Openweight Champion Shingo Takagi defends against Konosuke Takeshita (Takeshita’s AEW International Championship will also be on the line if still champion)
  • Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. EVIL
  • Four-way match: NJPW World TV Champion Ren Narita defends against Jeff Cobb, Ryohei Oiwa, and El Phantasmo
  • IWGP Women’s Champion Mayu Iwatani defends against AZM
  • Four-way match: IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champions KUSHIDA & Kevin Knight defend against Robbie Eagles & Kosei Fujita, TJP & Francesco Akira, and Clark Connors & Drilla Moloney
  • Kickoff: NJPW Ranbo battle royal for future IWGP World title shot

NJPW reveals KOPW stipulation for Wrestle Grand Slam in Tokyo Dome

Posted on by Ethan Renner

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 to vote on NJPW Wrestle Grand Slam KOPW 2021 stipulations

Posted on by Ethan Renner

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. 

Current provisional KOPW 2021 holder Toru Yano made the announcement in an interview on NJPW’s website.

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 adds KOPW 2021 Ranbo to Wrestle Grand Slam in Tokyo Dome

Posted on by Ethan Renner

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