Tag: Njpw Golden Fight Series

KOPW 2022 title changes hands at NJPW Golden Fight Series

Posted on by Joseph Currier

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

– Tetsuya Naito, Hiromu Takahashi & BUSHI defeated Kazuchika Okada, Toru Yano & YOH

– Bad Luck Fale & Chase Owens defeated Hirooki Goto & YOSHI-HASHI

– Taiji Ishimori & Gedo defeated El Desperado & TAKA Michinoku

– Zack Sabre Jr., Yoshinobu Kanemaru & DOUKI defeated Ryusuke Taguchi, Master Wato & Ryohei Oiwa

– Togi Makabe & Tomoaki Honma defeated Tiger Mask & Yuto Nakashima

NJPW reveals stipulation options for Taichi vs. Shingo KOPW title match

Posted on by Joseph Currier

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.

NJPW wrote about the stipulation options for Taichi vs. Takagi:

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
  • Kazuchika Okada, Toru Yano & YOH vs. Tetsuya Naito, Hiromu Takahashi & BUSHI
  • Hirooki Goto & YOSHI-HASHI vs. Chase Owens & Bad Luck Fale
  • El Desperado & TAKA Michinoku vs. Taiji Ishimori & Gedo
  • Ryusuke Taguchi, Master Wato & Ryohei Oiwa vs. Yoshinobu Kanemaru, DOUKI & Zack Sabre Jr.
  • Togi Makabe & Tomoaki Honma vs. Tiger Mask & Yuto Nakashima

NJPW Golden Fight Series results: Okada & YOH vs. Naito & Hiromu

Posted on by F4W Staff

NJPW’s Golden Fight Series tour got underway on Monday with an event at Nagoya Congress Center Event Hall.

Ahead of their IWGP World Heavyweight Championship match at Wrestling Dontaku on May 1, Kazuchika Okada and Tetsuya Naito met in tag team action on Monday. Here are the results from the show:

– Tetsuya Naito & Hiromu Takahashi defeated Kazuchika Okada & YOH

Takahashi got the win after hitting Time Bomb on YOH. Okada and Naito were fighting on the floor near the end of the match, with Okada giving Naito a DDT.

Following the match, Takahashi cut a show-closing promo:

Post match, Hiromu slammed a ‘lack of fire’ in YOH, and dared him to enjoy professional wrestling more. That was a call for Naito to rise to, as he conducted a mock sports interview with Takahashi, allowing Hiromu to predict El Ingobernable would become IWGP World Heavyweight Champion at Dontaku, before giving his own version of Naito’s ‘De Japon!’ role call. 

– Shingo Takagi & BUSHI defeated Taichi & TAKA Michinoku

– Hiroshi Tanahashi, Tama Tonga, Tanga Loa & Jado defeated EVIl, Yujiro Takahashi, SHO & Dick Togo

– Hirooki Goto, YOSHI-HASHI, Toru Yano & Tiger Mask defeated Bad Luck Fale, Chase Owens, Taiji Ishimori & Gedo

– Zack Sabre Jr. & DOUKI defeated Ryusuke Taguchi & Togi Makabe

– Yoshinobu Kanemaru & El Desperado defeated Master Wato & Yuto Nakashima

– Ryohei Oiwa defeated Kosei Fujita

After their first 11 singles matches against each other ended in 10-minute time limit draws, Oiwa broke the deadlock against Fujita here by submitting him with a Boston Crab. It’s the first singles win of Oiwa’s career.

Two title matches announced for NJPW Golden Fight Series

Posted on by Bryan Rose

Two title matches are set to take place at NJPW’s Golden Fight Series event on April 25.

In the main event, Taichi will defend the KOPW provisional trophy against Shingo Takagi. The NEVER Openweight Six-Man titles will also be on the line, as champions EVIL, Yujiro Takahashi, and SHO of The House of Torture will take on Tama Tonga, Tanga Loa, and Hiroshi Tanahashi.

Taichi defeated Toru Yano to win the KOPW provisional trophy at NJPW Hyper Battle this weekend in a sumo match. After the match, he said that he wanted to face Shingo Takagi next.

Meanwhile, Tama Tonga and Tanga Loa have been feuding with The Bullet Club, specifically House of Torture members, since they were ejected from the group back in February. At Hyper Battle, Tama Tonga attacked EVIL after he successfully retained the NEVER Openweight Championship, indicating he wanted the next shot at the title.

Here is the full card for Golden Fight Series, which will be held at Hiroshima Sun Plaza Hall:

  • Taichi vs. Shingo Takagi for the KOPW 2022 provisional trophy
  • EVIL, SHO, and Yujiro Takahashi vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi, Tama Tonga, and Tanga Loa for the NEVER Openweight Six-Man titles
  • Kazuchika Okada, YOH, and Toru Yano vs. Tetsuya Naito, BUSHI, and Hiromu Takahashi
  • YOSHI-HASHI and Hirooki Goto vs. Bad Luck Fale and Chase Owens
  • Taka Michinoku and El Desperado vs. Taiji Ishimori and Gedo
  • Ryusuke Taguchi, Master Wato, and Ryohei Oiwa vs. Zack Sabre Jr., DOUKI, and Yoshinobu Kanemaru
  • Tomoaki Honma and Togi Makabe vs. Tiger Mask and Yuto Nakashima