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

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