NJPW reveals stipulation for Yano vs. EVIL KOPW match

Toru Yano will defend the provisional KOPW 2021 against EVIL in a Creation of Darkness match on night one of Wrestling Satsuma no Kuni, NJPW has announced. 

A fan poll on the NJPW Global Twitter account asked voters to choose between two darkness-themed stipulations, with Yano’s proposal winning the vote by a 51.58% to 48.42% margin. The rules of the match will see a hood placed on each of the four ring posts. Pinfalls, submissions and countouts would not be in effect until one competitor places a hood on the other. 

EVIL had proposed a Darkness match, where the lights would be turned on and off for thirty second intervals in the first three minutes of the match. After that point, there would be a thirty second period with the lights out for every three minutes of match time. 

The feud between Yano and EVIL has had hijinks involving hoods and the arena lights being turned off at key moments. Yano was defeated by EVIL in the New Japan Cup tournament after Dick Togo turned the lights off. Yano later pinned Togo in a tag match on the Road to Wrestling Dontaku tour after placing a hood over his face and hitting a low blow. EVIL retaliated by hiding under the ring during a Yano tag match, turning the lights off, then hitting Yano with his finisher.

Night one of Wrestling Satsuma no Kuni will be held on Wednesday, April 28 at 5:30 a.m. Eastern time. 

Here is the lineup for the show: 

Wrestling Satsuma no Kuni night one, Wednesday, April 28 —

  • IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship: SHO & YOH (c) vs. El Desperado & Yoshinobu Kanemaru
  • KOPW 2021 provisional Championship: Toru Yano (c) vs. EVIL
  • Shingo Takagi, Tetsuya Naito, SANADA & BUSHI vs. Will Ospreay, Great-O-Khan, Jeff Cobb & Aaron Henare
  • Hiroshi Tanahashi, Ryusuke Taguchi & Master Wato vs. Yujiro Takahashi, Taiji Ishimori & Gedo
  • Taichi, Zack Sabre Jr. & DOUKI vs. Tama Tonga, Tanga Loa & Jado
  • Tiger Mask & Gabriel Kidd vs. Yota Tsuji & Yuya Uemura

And night two: 

Wrestling Satsuma no Kuni night two, Thursday, April 29 —

  • Kota Ibushi & Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Jeff Cobb & Aaron Henare
  • Shingo Takagi & Tetsuya Naito vs. Will Ospreay & Great-O-Khan
  • Toru Yano, Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Ryusuke Taguchi & Master Wato vs. EVIL, Yujiro Takahashi, Taiji Ishimori & Dick Togo
  • Taichi, Zack Sabre Jr. & DOUKI vs. Tama Tonga, Tanga Loa & Jado
  • SHO, YOH & Tiger Mask vs. Minoru Suzuki, El Desperado & Yoshinobu Kanemaru
  • SANADA & BUSHI vs. Yota Tsuji & Yuya Uemura