NJPW New Japan Ranbo Stipulation Revealed

The stipulation for the New Japan Ranbo at Wrestle Grand Slam in Tokyo Dome has been revealed.

Toru Yano will put his KOPW 2021 Trophy on the line on the July 25 pre-show and a fan vote determined the stipulation for the match. Fans had to choose between a Ranbo with Handcuffs or a Ranbo with Blindfolds and the handcuffs proved to be the popular choice, winning 76.3 percent of the vote. 

As a result, the Ranbo will be contested under normal rules but wrestlers can also be eliminated by being handcuffed to the ropes or ringside area. Any handcuffed wrestler also won't be freed until after the match is finished. 

Beyond being handcuffed, NJPW wrestlers can be eliminated by pinfall, submission, disqualification or by being thrown over the top rope. Similar to the Royal Rumble, wrestlers will enter the match at random in one-minute intervals. 

The Ranbo will be Toru Yano's third defence of the trophy that he captured at Wrestle Kingdom 15. The Sublime Master Thief has successfully retained the trophy against Chase Owens in a Texas Strap match and against EVIL in a Creation Of Darkness Blindfold match already this year. 

The New Japan Ranbo will take place on the Wrestle Grand Slam in Tokyo Dome pre-show. Check out the full card below:
• New Japan Ranbo With Handcuffs - KOPW 2021 Trophy - Pre-Show
• El Phantasmo & Taiji Ishimori (c) vs. Rocky Romero & Ryusuke Taguchi - IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship
• El Desperado (c) vs. Robbie Eagles - IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship
• Kazuchika Okada def. Jeff Cobb
• Tetsuya Naito & SANADA (c) vs. Dangerous Tekkers - IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Championship
• Shingo Takagi (c) vs. Kota Ibushi - IWGP World Heavyweight Championship