Taiji Ishimori starts 2024 as NJPW King of Pro Wrestling.
Taiji Ishimori is the first KOPW Champion of the year, winning a four-way scramble against Great-O-Khan, YOH, and Toru Yano.
Ishimori scored a victory with a minute remaining and then spent the final minute running. Great-O-Khan chased after Ishimori instead of going for another pinfall. In the midst of his running, Ishimori grabbed the NJPW KOPW Championship.
The bout was contested under ten-minute scramble rules where the person who scored the last pinfall in the ten minutes would be the winner.
KOPWはやっぱりこういう試合が面白いね--#njdash pic.twitter.com/liVgHQF1Xb
— りょん (@ryon2f) January 5, 2024
Yano, YOH, Ishimori, and Great-O-Khan got in the position to compete at NJPW New Year Dash by being the final four competitors in the NJPW Rambo at NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 18.
The KOPW Title will be defended throughout the year in stipulation matches picked by competitors and then voted on by the fans. The man who ends the year with the title will be the official KOPW Champion. Taichi ended 2023 at the KOPW Champion.
Fans can find results from NJPW New Year Dash at Fightful's results section.
