Unique new title announced by NJPW's Kazuchika Okada; fans to vote for match stipulations

At NJPW's Sengoku Lord in Nagoya event, Kazuchika Okada had teased a controversial announcement that he was going to make. Now, Okada has held a press conference to announce a new title for NJPW, the KOPW 2020 title. The concept of the title is quite unique with it resetting each and every year according to the rules reported.

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NJPW's Kazuchika Okada announces new KOPW 2020 title

In a press conference that Kazuchika Okada called specially, a new title was announced for New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). The title itself will not have a Championship belt, immediately coming off as different from all the other Championships.

A new title!An unprecedented announcement!Summer Struggle sees the hunt for KOPW2020 begin!https://t.co/IOYeJQNfWw#njpw #njsst #KOPW2020 pic.twitter.com/XwMtDAnl5P

— NJPW Global (@njpwglobal) July 28, 2020

The rules for competing for the title will be quite different as well. On August 26th, eight wrestlers will be wrestling in four first round matches. The NJPW tournament will come to an end at Jingu in a Four-way match. Thus the event will be a two-night one to decide the titleholder. The KOPW 2020 title tournament's first round will take place at Korauken Hall on 26th August, before the four men who made it through the second round battles on 29th August at the Summer Struggle event in Jingu Stadium.

Okada announced an annual competition, KOPW. On August 26th, eight wrestlers will wrestle in four first round matches. The tournament ends at Jingu with a four-way match. Looks like a yearly exhibition match with the previous year’s winner defending.

— Super J-Cast (@thesuperjcast) July 28, 2020

All eight wrestlers will be bringing their own desired rules for the match to the first round. According to Kazuchika Okada for these NJPW titles, the rules are not limited by anything at all.

"There are all kinds of rules. Two out of three falls, ladder, steel cage matches, it could be anything."

Following this, the fans will vote for which wrestler's rules will be followed for the single matches. The winner of each of those single matches will face each other in a regular rules Fatal Fourway. Whoever wins that match will be the provisional KOPW 2020 title holder.

However, the title has to be defended until the end of the year, with the stipulations for each of the matches where the title is defended being decided by a vote from the fans.

At the end of the year, whoever holds the KOPW 2020 title will be awarded the KOPW trophy and then the tournament and process will start again for the next year with KOPW 2021.

Okada said that this was to make sure that NJPW provided something that was totally different from what can be expected from IWGP titles.