NJPW Title Retired

A title within New Japan Pro-Wrestling has been scrapped.

Following his draw with Taichi in the main event of the December 22 Road to Tokyo Dome show, KOPW Champion Great-O-Khan announced the title would be retired. Great-O-Khan will be the belt's final champion.

The KOPW Championship was introduced by Kazuchika Okada in 2020 and the belt was reset at the beginning of every year, with a new champion being crowned in a four-way following a New Japan Ranbo at Wrestle Kingdom. Past champions included Shingo Takagi, Taichi, Minoru Suzuki, Toru Yano, Taiji Ishimori, and Yuya Uemura.

The New Japan Ranbo will be utilised at Wrestle Kingdom 19 but the match on January 4 will be for a future IWGP World Heavyweight Title shot.

El Phantasmo will also make his in-ring return at Wrestle Kingdom and he will be part of the NJPW World Television Title match. The match will now be Ren Narita vs. Jeff Cobb vs. Ryohei Oiwa vs. El Phantasmo. Phantasmo's return came together following his recovery from cancer.

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