NJPW Using MMA Rules For Upcoming Bout

The worlds of pro wrestling and mixed martial arts are set to cross paths again this Sunday in Japan. 

As per New Japan Pro-Wrestling, Shingo Takagi and Great-O-Khan will battle over the Provisional KOPW 2023 Championship at The New Beginning in Nagoya pay-per-view in a mixed martial arts rules match. The bout was determined this past weekend via a Twitter poll, with Takagi proposing the return of the 30-count fall match, while Great-O-Khan suggested the MMA-themed clash. Once the ballot had closed, it was revealed that 60.7% of the voters (17,992 out of 29,617) sided with the United Empire member's option. Additionally, it was confirmed that Takagi's status as the No.1 contender for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship would also be on the line. 

The KOPW, which will have an official championship belt this year for the first time since it was introduced to NJPW by Kazuchika Okada in 2020, kick-started its latest chase on the first night of Wrestle Kingdom 17 inside the Tokyo Dome. Great-O-Khan, Takagi, Toru Yano, and Sho advanced from the pre-show New Japan Ranbo to compete in a four-way match at the following night's New Year Dash event to crown the first interim champion of the year – whoever is carrying the interim title at the end of the calendar year will be crowned the official KOPW 2023 Champion. Takagi emerged victorious at the action-packed New Year Dash show to become the inaugural 2023 provisional titleholder. 

MMA-style matches are not uncommon in pro wrestling. New Japan Pro-Wrestling had numerous talents compete in MMA in the early 2000s, including Yuji Nagata. In WWE, Seth "Freakin" Rollins and Riddle battled last year in a Fight Pit match at Extreme Rules. Both wrestlers could only win via submission or knockout inside a modified steel cage. Former UFC Heavyweight Champion Daniel Cormier served as special guest referee for the bout.