Great-O-Khan & Taiji Ishimori Present Stipulations For KOPW Title Match

Taiji Ishimori defends his KOPW Championship against Great-O-Khan at NJPW New Beginning, and the proposed stipulations are set. NJPW announced the stipulations put forth byt each man for the January 20th show on Thursday. Great-O-Khan picked a Bull Rope Deathmatch, while Ishimori picked a 10 Minute Ishimori Ring Fit Match.

NJPW’s announcement read:

Ishimori, O-Khan present KOPW rules
January 11 saw Taiji Ishimori and Great-O-Khan each present their choice of rules for January 20’s KOPW 2024 bout at New Beginning in Nagoya. After Ishimori escaped O-Khan’s clutches at the end of the end of the ten minute four way scramble at New Year Dash, he left with the KOPW belt, but having drawn the ire of the Eliminator, who challenges in Nagoya for the second consecutive year.

O-Khan was surprised Ishimori even showed up to the presentation, remarking ‘we figured you would run away again,’ before revealing his choice of rules- a Bullrope Deathmatch. Stating ‘you can’t just grab a quick fall and run away this time,’ O-Khan explained that both men would be connected via a bullrope and had to touch all four corners in succession. Ever gracious, O-Khan would concede ‘you cannot hope to pull us at 120 kg to all four corners, so we will allow you this- no DQs- it is a deathmatch after all’.

In response, Ishimori revealed his choice of rules to be a ’10 minute Ishimori Ring Fit Match’. In this match, the last to hold the belt via decision after ten minutes will win. However at three minute intervals, both competitors will have to undergo 30 seconds of high intensity circuit training.

O-Khan claimed that Ishimori would likely just try and escape for the duration, while his rules ‘should be perfectly fair to him, always in the gym, he should try and pull me to these four corners.’ Ishimori appealed to the uniqueness of his own rules while the challenger stated that ‘nobody wants to see you exercise and sweat, they want to see blood!’

Rule recap

Challenger: Great-O-Khan

Bullrope Deathmatch

No DQs. All four corners have to be touched in succession to win.

Holder: Taiji Ishimori

10 Minute Ishimori Ring Fit Match

Last title holder after ten minutes wins. 30 second exercise interval every three minutes.

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