Rural Revitalization vs Catch Rules poll starts April 19
A special press conference on April 18 saw Yuya Uemura and Great-O-Khan present their choices of rules for the KOPW 2024 title match on the Road to Dontaku in Hiroshima Sun Plaza Hall on April 27.
As challenger, Uemura was first to present, proposing a Catch Rules Match. The match would be contested with a 61 minute time limit, best two out of three falls. No strikes will be allowed in favour of purely throws and submissions. ‘I chose these rules because O-Khan is the champion,’ Uemura stated, alluding to O-Khan’s proficient grappling background, before saying ‘I have other reasons too, but I’ll tell you that when I win the title.’ That drew the ire of O-Khan, who stated ‘you aren’t winning anyway, so you should say now’. O-Khan would sneer that Uemura had no chance of beating him in a Catch contest, but Uemura insisted that he wanted to challenge himself as he challenged his foe.
Great-O-Khan presented his own two out of three falls match, but under Rural Revitalization Rules. Similar to his bout with Tanga Loa in Shizuoka last month, O-Khan’s pledge to ‘unite the fiefdoms’ across Japan has seen him put a Hiroshima spin on his choice of three stipulations. ‘What’s famous in Hiroshima?’ O-Khan asked ‘Mazda! Mazda cars and their tires are famous. Whoever can bring four tires into the ring will be the winner of the first fall. We pledge to please the peasants of Hiroshima and make them proud of local industry’.
O-Khan went on to say the second fall would be an eating contest, but to Uemura’s surprise stated that it would be Hiroshima lemons that would be the subject of the fall. O-Khan vowed to make the lemons of the region the most famous in the world. In a bid to appease Uemura’s desire to wrestle the champion, O-Khan said that ‘if we go to the the third fall, and we won’t, then it will be a tables match. To win you have to use an offensive move to drive one’s foe through a table.’
O-Khan also stated that should Uemura be defeated, he must buy 100 lemons, and drive a Mazda car going forward. ‘This is a prize for you as a loser! An honour! We will buy 100 lemons and drive Mazda cars either way! We will make the Hiroshima people proud!’ In response to this added stipulation, Uemura proposed that under his rules, the loser should buy 20 of Hiroshima’s famed oysters for the winner.
O-Khan warned against such levity though, sneering that while Boltin Oleg had become NEVER 6 Man Champion while still a Young Lion in Taiwan, Uemura had lost his hair and lost a challenge to the IWGP Tag Team Champions. O-Khan promised total victory regardless of rules April 27.
Voting begins April 19 to determine the rules, with voting lasting for three days.
Yuya Uemura’s rules
61 minutes, best of three falls Catch Rules
No strikes allowed. Grapples, throws and submissions only for pinfall or submission.
Great-O-Khan’s rules
No time limit, best of three round Rural Revitalization Rules
First fall- Mazda Tyre Carrying Contest
Second fall- Hiroshima Lemon Eating Contest
Third fall- Table Match
