KOPW (professional wrestling championship)
KOPW (an abbreviation for King of Pro-Wrestling) is an openweight championship created and promoted by the Japanese professional wrestling promotion New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW).
| KOPW | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
KOPW championship belt and trophy | |||||||||||||||||||
| Details | |||||||||||||||||||
| Promotion | New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Date established | July 28, 2020 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Current champion(s) | Great-O-Khan (provisional) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Date won | January 20, 2024 | ||||||||||||||||||
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KOPW follows a non-traditional formula: a "provisional champion" is first determined early in the year, with the provisional title being defended and potentially changing hands over the course of the year. Eventually, the provisional champion at the end of the year is officially recognized as the year's sole official champion. Furthermore, in contrast with NJPW's heavy focus on traditional matches, the title matches are exclusively focused on non-regular stipulations; each of the wrestlers involved in a title match proposes a stipulation, and fans vote to select which is followed.
The title was created by professional wrestler Kazuchika Okada, who introduced it during a press conference on July 28, 2020. Toru Yano became the first provisional champion on August 29, 2020, and the first official champion after a final title defense on December 23, 2020. Originally represented by a trophy, it later became represented by a title belt in December 2022.