Stipulations Set For NJPW KOPW Title First-Round Matches

We have the fan-voted stipulations for the first round matches in the NJPW KOPW 2020 tournament. New Japan announced the stipulations for the for the first-round matches, which were voted on by fans. You can see the announcement below:

Sunday night at midnight JST, votes closed in the KOPW2020 match stipulation polls. 174,090 votes were cast by fans all over the world in the last few days, all to determine the rules for three of the four first round matchups in Korakuen Hall Wednesday night.

SANADA and SHO had already agreed to submission match rules, with that match going ahead without a poll.

Kazuchika Okada (1 vs 3 Handicap Match) vs Yujiro Takahashi (Lumberjack With Leather Belts Deathmatch)

Okada: 31,961 votes (56%)
Yujiro: 25,113 votes (44%)

This vote showed the only disparity between Japanese and international fans, with the English poll deciding in favour of Yujiro Takahashi, but Okada’s choice of 1vs 3 handicap match won out altogether and Okada will now face Yujiro, Gedo and Jado in a handicap match Wednesday!

Toru Yano (Two Count Pinfalls) vs BUSHI (Five Count Ringouts)

Yano: 31,499 votes (57.2%)
BUSHI: 23,531 votes (42.8%)

A comfortable lead in the polls for Toru Yano means that he and BUSHI will wrestle under Two Count Pinfall rules on Wednesday. There are no submissions, DQs or countouts; the only way to win is by pinning your opponent’s shoulders to the mat for a count of two!

Satoshi Kojima (Finishers Only) vs El Desperado (No Finishers Allowed)

Desperado: 42,500 votes (68.5%)
Kojima: 19,586 votes (31.5%)

In what’s close to a landslide, El Desperado takes the vote for his suggested rules Wednesday. He and Satoshi Kojima will face off in a No Finishers match, where usage of Kojima’s Lariat and Desperado’s Pinche Loco will be grounds for disqualification!

Watch all the action of KOPW2020 live and on-demand on NJPW World!