NJPW Introduces New KOPW Championship Belt

New Japan Pro-Wrestling have scrapped the King of Pro-Wrestling trophy, announcing it will be replaced with the KOPW Title belt in 2023.

NJPW revealed the new belt at today's Road to Tokyo Dome show. The 2023 KOPW Champion will be crowned at Wrestle Kingdom 17 during the New Japan Ranbo. 

The KOPW trophy was established back in the summer of 2020 by Kazuchika Okada and it very quickly became an undercard belt that was largely ignored by fans due to it's association with Toru Yano. A new champion is always crowned at the start of the year and fans get to vote on gimmick matches for title defences.

Toru Yano ended 2020 and 2021 as KOPW Champion but the trophy became more relevant in 2022 due to the programme between former IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Shingo Takagi and Taichi. Shingo ended the year with the trophy following his victory over Taichi at TAKATaichi Together in a Last Man Standing Lumberjack Match on December 19.