NJPW announces KOPW first round matches, Korakuen Hall cards

[Big Red Machine]

https://www.f4wonline.com/new-japan-new ... rds-317241

By Ethan Renner | @EthanRenner | Aug 10, 2020 12:38 am


NJPW has revealed the first round matches for the 2020 King of Pro Wrestling tournament and the full cards for their next Korakuen Hall shows on August 26 and August 27.

The KOPW tournament will begin on the 26th. There will be four tournament matches with special stipulations to be determined by a fan vote. The winners of those matches will then face off in a four-way on August 29 at Summer Struggle in Jingu.

The winner of the four-way will be declared the provisional King of Pro Wrestling Champion and will defend the title for the rest of the year. The title holder at the end of the year will be declared the 2020 King of Pro Wrestling.

A pair of non-tournament matches on the 26th were also announced, as well as the full lineup for the penultimate night of the Summer Struggle tour on August 27.

Both shows will air live on NJPW World at 5:30 a.m. Eastern time.

It was also announced that Togi Makabe will be missing time from NJPW as he shoots a movie. No further details on the movie were revealed.

August 26:

KOPW first round match: Kazuchika Okada vs. Yujiro Takahashi
KOPW first round match: Satoshi Kojima vs. El Desperado
KOPW first round match: Toru Yano vs. BUSHI
KOPW first round match: SHO vs. SANADA
Hiroshi Tanahashi, Kota Ibushi, Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Master Wato vs. Taichi, Zack Sabre Jr., Yoshinobu Kanemaru & DOUKI
Hirooki Goto, Tomohiro Ishii & YOSHI-HASHI vs. Yota Tsuji, Yuya Uemura & Gabriel Kidd

August 27:

Tetsuya Naito & Hiromu Takahashi vs. EVIL & Taiji Ishimori
Hiroshi Tanahashi, Kota Ibushi & Master Wato vs. Taichi, Zack Sabre Jr. & Yoshinobu Kanemaru
Shingo Takagi, SANADA & BUSHI vs. Minoru Suzuki, El Desperado & DOUKI
Kazuchika Okada, SHO & Toru Yano vs. Yujiro Takahashi, Gedo & Jado
Hirooki Goto, Tomohiro Ishii & YOSHI-HASHI vs. Yuji Nagata, Tomoaki Honma & Gabriel Kidd
Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Satoshi Kojima vs. Yota Tsuji & Yuya Uemura

[Big Red Machine]

So that's... what, the fifteenth championship in New Japan?

[cero2k]

So that's... what, the fifteenth championship in New Japan?

This is more like CHIKARA's YLC, I don't like the stipulation idea, but I don't mind a cup that can be defended, that doesn't really interfere with championship aspirations, and that gets reset every year.

[Big Red Machine]

So that's... what, the fifteenth championship in New Japan?

This is more like CHIKARA's YLC, I don't like the stipulation idea, but I don't mind a cup that can be defended, that doesn't really interfere with championship aspirations, and that gets reset every year.

The YLC was treated like a title, though. Either way, it's still another thing for people to be chasing, and when you have too many of those, they cease to mean anything.