IWGP Heavyweight Championship

This article is about NJPW's former top heavyweight title. For the new world title, see IWGP World Heavyweight Championship. For the original version, see IWGP Heavyweight Championship (original version). For the IGF version, see IWGP Heavyweight Championship (IGF). For other uses, see IWGP Heavyweight Championship (disambiguation).
IWGP Heavyweight Championship
The IWGP Heavyweight Championship belt
(2008 – 2021)
Details
PromotionNew Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW)
Date establishedJune 12, 1987
Statistics
First champion(s)Antonio Inoki
Final champion(s)Kota Ibushi
Most reignsHiroshi Tanahashi (8 reigns)
Longest reignKazuchika Okada (4th reign) (720 days)
Shortest reignKensuke Sasaki (4th reign) (16 days)
Oldest championGenichiro Tenryu (49 years, 10 months and 8 days)[1]
Youngest championShinsuke Nakamura (23 years, 9 months and 15 days)[2]

The IWGP Heavyweight Championship (IWGPヘビー級王座, IWGP hebī-kyū ōza) was a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship[3] owned by the New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) promotion. "IWGP" is the acronym of NJPW's governing body, the International Wrestling Grand Prix (インターナショナル・レスリング・グラン・プリ, intānashonaru resuringu guran puri).[4] The title was introduced on June 12, 1987, in the final of an IWGP tournament. It was unified with the IWGP Intercontinental Championship on March 4, 2021, to form the new IWGP World Heavyweight Championship.

The championship was represented by four different belts from 1987 to 2021. The fourth and last generation belt was introduced in March 2008.[5] The title formed what was unofficially called the "New Japan Triple Crown" (新日本トリプルクラウン, Shin Nihon Toripuru Kuraun) along with the IWGP Intercontinental Championship and the NEVER Openweight Championship.[6]

Title history

An early version of this championship was introduced in 1983 for the winner (Hulk Hogan) of the IWGP League 1983. Since then, the championship was defended annually against the winner of the IWGP League of the year. A new IWGP Heavyweight Championship arrived only in 1987, replacing the old version.[7] The 1987 version was defended regularly and was the top championship of NJPW until the introduction of the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship in 2021.

Throughout the history of the championship, several wrestlers were forced to relinquish the title due to an inability to participate in title defenses. When a wrestler had been injured or unable to compete for other reasons, tournaments were held to determine the new champion.[8][9]

In 2006, Brock Lesnar was stripped of the title for refusing to defend it, claiming he was owed money by NJPW. The company went on to crown a new champion, while Lesnar kept the physical belt.[10] He signed with Antonio Inoki's Inoki Genome Federation (IGF) in 2007, and lost the championship to Kurt Angle on the promotion's inaugural event.[11][12] Angle later lost the belt in a unification match to the NJPW-recognized champion Shinsuke Nakamura in 2008.

On January 5, 2020, Tetsuya Naito won the Heavyweight and Intercontinental Championships. Both titles kept their individual history, but were defended at the same time. Sometimes, they were called "Double Championship".[13][14] One year after Naito's victory, Chairman Naoki Sugabayashi announced the unification of both titles, deactivating the Intercontinental title and forming the new IWGP World Heavyweight Championship.[15] On March 4, 2021, the Double Champion Kota Ibushi defeated El Desperado to unify and retire both titles.

On October 21, 2021, after winning the G1 Climax, winner Kazuchika Okada asked for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship belt to be awarded to him for winning the G1 instead of the typical briefcase and contract for an IWGP World Heavyweight Championship match at Wrestle Kingdom 16. On October 25 at Road to Power Struggle, Okada's request was approved and he appeared with the championship; despite holding the championship belt, Okada was not recognized as the official IWGP Heavyweight Champion and the belt is still considered deactivated.

Reigns

Final champion Kota Ibushi

There were seventy three reigns shared among thirty-one wrestlers with ten vacancies. Title changes happen at NJPW-promoted events. Big Van Vader, Salman Hashimikov, Scott Norton, Bob Sapp, Brock Lesnar, A.J. Styles, Kenny Omega and Jay White were the eight non-Japanese wrestlers (billed as gaijin) to have held the title, with Vader being the first American champion, Hashimikov being the only Soviet-born champion,[16] Omega is the only Canadian champion and White the only New Zealand champion. Antonio Inoki was the first champion in the title's history. Hiroshi Tanahashi held the record for most reigns with eight. Kazuchika Okada held the record for the longest reign in the title's history at 720 days during his fourth reign, over which he successfully defended the title 12 times, more defenses than any other title holder. Kensuke Sasaki's fourth reign of 16 days is the shortest in the title's history. Over his five reigns, Okada successfully defended the title 30 times, the most of any champion. Big Van Vader's first and third reigns, Salman Hashimikov's only reign, Riki Choshu's first reign, Tatsumi Fujinami's third and fifth reigns, Masahiro Chono's only reign, Genichiro Tenryu's only reign, Scott Norton's second reign, Hiroyoshi Tenzan's first and third reigns, Kensuke Sasaki's fourth reign, Kazuyuki Fujita's third reign, Manabu Nakanishi's only reign, Hiroshi Tanahashi's eighth reign, and Jay White's only reign are all tied for least successful defenses at zero.

Key
No. Overall reign number
Reign Reign number for the specific champion
Days Number of days held
Defenses Number of successful defenses
No. Champion Championship change Reign statistics Notes Ref.
Date Event Location Reign Days Defenses
1 Antonio Inoki June 12, 1987 IWGP Champion Series 1987 Tokyo, Japan 1 325 4 Inoki defeated Masa Saito in a tournament final. [17]
— Vacated May 2, 1988 — — — — — Vacated due to Inoki fracturing his left foot.
2 Tatsumi Fujinami May 8, 1988 Super Fight Series 1988 Tokyo, Japan 1 19 1 Fujinami defeated Big Van Vader to win the vacant title. [18]
— Vacated May 27, 1988 — — — — — Title held up after defense against Riki Choshu ended in a no contest.
3 Tatsumi Fujinami June 24, 1988 IWGP Champion Series 1988 Osaka, Japan 2 285 7 Fujinami defeated Riki Choshu to win the vacant title. [19]
— Vacated April 5, 1989 — — — — — Vacated so the title could be decided in a tournament.
4 Big Van Vader April 24, 1989 Battle Satellite in Tokyo Dome Tokyo, Japan 1 31 0 Vader defeated Shinya Hashimoto in a tournament final to win the vacant title. [20]
5 Salman Hashimikov May 25, 1989 Battle Satellite 1989 in Osaka Dome Osaka, Japan 1 48 0 [21][22]
6 Riki Choshu July 12, 1989 Summer Fight Series 1989 Osaka, Japan 1 29 0 [23][24]
7 Big Van Vader August 10, 1989 Fighting Satellite of 1989 Tokyo, Japan 2 374 4 [25]
8 Riki Choshu August 19, 1990 Summer Night Fever II Tokyo, Japan 2 129 1 [26]
9 Tatsumi Fujinami December 26, 1990 King of Kings Hamamatsu, Japan 3 22 0 [27]
10 Big Van Vader January 17, 1991 New Year Dash 1991 Yokohama, Japan 3 46 0 [28]
11 Tatsumi Fujinami March 4, 1991 Big Fight Series 1991 Hiroshima, Japan 4 306 3 [29][30]
12 Riki Choshu January 4, 1992 Super Warriors in Tokyo Dome Tokyo, Japan 3 225 4 This match was also for Choshu's Greatest 18 Championship. [31]
13 The Great Muta August 16, 1992 G1 Climax Special 1992 Fukuoka, Japan 1 400 5 This match was also for Choshu's Greatest 18 Championship. [32]
14 Shinya Hashimoto September 20, 1993 G1 Climax Special 1993 Nagoya, Japan 1 196 4 [33][34]
15 Tatsumi Fujinami April 4, 1994 Battle Line Kyushu Hiroshima, Japan 5 27 0 [35]
16 Shinya Hashimoto May 1, 1994 Wrestling Dontaku 1994 Fukuoka, Japan 2 367 9 [36]
17 Keiji Mutoh May 3, 1995 Wrestling Dontaku 1995 Fukuoka, Japan 2 246 5 Mutoh previously won the title as The Great Muta. [37][38]
18 Nobuhiko Takada January 4, 1996 Wrestling World 1996 Tokyo, Japan 1 116 1 [39]
19 Shinya Hashimoto April 29, 1996 Battle Formation Tokyo, Japan 3 489 7 [40]
20 Kensuke Sasaki August 31, 1997 Final Power Hall in Yokohama Yokohama, Japan 1 216 3 [41]
21 Tatsumi Fujinami April 4, 1998 Antonio Inoki Retirement Show Tokyo, Japan 6 126 2 [42]
22 Masahiro Chono August 8, 1998 Rising the Next Generation in Osaka Dome Osaka, Japan 1 44 0 [43]
— Vacated September 21, 1998 — — — — — Title was vacated due to Chono's neck injury.
23 Scott Norton September 23, 1998 Big Wednesday Yokohama, Japan 1 103 4 Norton defeated Yuji Nagata to win the vacant title. [44]
24 Keiji Mutoh January 4, 1999 Wrestling World 1999 Tokyo, Japan 3 340 5 [45]
25 Genichiro Tenryu December 10, 1999 Battle Final 1999 Osaka, Japan 1 25 0 [46][47]
26 Kensuke Sasaki/Power Warrior January 4, 2000 Wrestling World 2000 Tokyo, Japan 2 279 5 [48]
— Vacated October 9, 2000 — — — — — Vacated after Sasaki lost a non-title match to Toshiaki Kawada at Do Judge!!.
27 Kensuke Sasaki January 4, 2001 Wrestling World 2001 Tokyo, Japan 3 72 1 Sasaki defeated Toshiaki Kawada in a tournament final to win the vacant title. [49]
28 Scott Norton March 17, 2001 Hyper Battle 2001 Nagoya, Japan 2 23 0 [50]
29 Kazuyuki Fujita April 9, 2001 Strong Style 2001 Osaka, Japan 1 270 2 [51][52]
— Vacated January 4, 2002 — — — — — Fujita vacated the title due to an injured achilles tendon.
30 Tadao Yasuda February 16, 2002 Fighting Spirit 2002 Tokyo, Japan 1 48 1 Yasuda defeated Yuji Nagata in a tournament final to win the vacant title. [53][54]
31 Yuji Nagata April 5, 2002 Toukon Special Tokyo, Japan 1 392 10 [55]
32 Yoshihiro Takayama May 2, 2003 Ultimate Crush Tokyo, Japan 1 185 3 This match was also for Takayama's NWF Heavyweight Championship. [56][57]
33 Hiroyoshi Tenzan November 3, 2003 Yokohama Dead Out Yokohama, Japan 1 36 0 [58]
34 Shinsuke Nakamura December 9, 2003 Battle Final 2003 Osaka, Japan 1 58 1 Nakamura defeated Yoshihiro Takayama to unify the IWGP Heavyweight Championship with the NWF Heavyweight Championship on January 4, 2004, at Wrestling World 2004. [59]
— Vacated February 5, 2004 — — — — — Title was vacated due to Nakamura suffering various injuries.
35 Hiroyoshi Tenzan February 15, 2004 Fighting Spirit 2004 Tokyo, Japan 2 26 1 Tenzan defeated Genichiro Tenryu in a tournament final for the vacant title. [60][61]
36 Kensuke Sasaki March 12, 2004 Hyper Battle 2004 Tokyo, Japan 4 16 0 [62]
37 Bob Sapp March 28, 2004 King of Sports Tokyo, Japan 1 66 1 [63]
— Vacated June 2, 2004 — — — — — Title vacated after Sapp lost a K-1 fight to Kazuyuki Fujita.
38 Kazuyuki Fujita June 5, 2004 The Crush II Osaka, Japan 2 126 1 Fujita defeated Hiroshi Tanahashi to win the vacant title. [64]
39 Kensuke Sasaki October 9, 2004 Pro-Wrestlers Be Strongest Tokyo, Japan 5 64 2 [65]
40 Hiroyoshi Tenzan December 12, 2004 Battle Final 2004 Nagoya, Japan 3 70 0 [66]
41 Satoshi Kojima February 20, 2005 New Year Gold Series Tokyo, Japan 1 83 1 This match was also for Kojima's Triple Crown Heavyweight Championship. [67]
42 Hiroyoshi Tenzan May 14, 2005 Nexess VI Tokyo, Japan 4 65 1 [68]
43 Kazuyuki Fujita July 18, 2005 Summer Fight Series 2005 Sapporo, Japan 3 82 0 [69][70]
44 Brock Lesnar October 8, 2005 Toukon Souzou New Chapter Tokyo, Japan 1 280 3 This was a three-way match, also involving Masahiro Chono. [71][72]
— Vacated July 15, 2006 — — — — — Title was vacated due to Lesnar refusing to return and defend it. Lesnar kept the physical championship belt, and later was recognized by the Inoki Genome Federation as their first champion, using the same belt. [10]
45 Hiroshi Tanahashi July 17, 2006 Circuit2006 Turbulence Sapporo, Japan 1 270 4 Tanahashi defeated Giant Bernard in a tournament final for the title. [73][74]
46 Yuji Nagata April 13, 2007 Circuit2007 New Japan Brave tour Osaka, Japan 2 178 2 [75]
47 Hiroshi Tanahashi October 8, 2007 Explosion '07 Tokyo, Japan 2 88 1 [76][77]
48 Shinsuke Nakamura January 4, 2008 Wrestle Kingdom II in Tokyo Dome Tokyo, Japan 2 114 2 Nakamura defeated Kurt Angle on February 17, 2008, on the Circuit2008 New Japan Ism tour to unify the NJPW and IGF versions of the IWGP Heavyweight Championship. [78]
49 Keiji Mutoh April 27, 2008 Circuit2008 New Japan Brave tour Osaka, Japan 4 252 4 [79]
50 Hiroshi Tanahashi January 4, 2009 Wrestle Kingdom III in Tokyo Dome Tokyo, Japan 3 122 3 [80]
51 Manabu Nakanishi May 6, 2009 Dissidence Tokyo, Japan 1 45 0 [81]
52 Hiroshi Tanahashi June 20, 2009 Dominion 6.20 Osaka, Japan 4 58 1 [82]
— Vacated August 17, 2009 — — — — — Title vacated due to Tanahashi fracturing his eye socket.
53 Shinsuke Nakamura September 27, 2009 Circuit2009 New Japan Generation tour Kobe, Japan 3 218 6 Nakamura defeated Togi Makabe to win the vacant title. [83]
54 Togi Makabe May 3, 2010 Wrestling Dontaku 2010 Fukuoka, Japan 1 161 3 [84]
55 Satoshi Kojima October 11, 2010 Destruction '10 Tokyo, Japan 2 85 1 [85]
56 Hiroshi Tanahashi January 4, 2011 Wrestle Kingdom V in Tokyo Dome Tokyo, Japan 5 404 11 [86]
57 Kazuchika Okada February 12, 2012 The New Beginning Osaka, Japan 1 125 2 [87]
58 Hiroshi Tanahashi June 16, 2012 Dominion 6.16 Osaka, Japan 6 295 7 [88]
59 Kazuchika Okada April 7, 2013 Invasion Attack Tokyo, Japan 2 391 8 [89]
60 A.J. Styles May 3, 2014 Wrestling Dontaku 2014 Fukuoka, Japan 1 163 2 [90]
61 Hiroshi Tanahashi October 13, 2014 King of Pro-Wrestling Tokyo, Japan 7 121 1 [91]
62 A.J. Styles February 11, 2015 The New Beginning in Osaka Osaka, Japan 2 144 1 [92]
63 Kazuchika Okada July 5, 2015 Dominion 7.5 in Osaka-jo Hall Osaka, Japan 3 280 3 [93]
64 Tetsuya Naito April 10, 2016 Invasion Attack 2016 Tokyo, Japan 1 70 1 [94]
65 Kazuchika Okada June 19, 2016 Dominion 6.19 in Osaka-jo Hall Osaka, Japan 4 720 12 [95]
66 Kenny Omega June 9, 2018 Dominion 6.9 in Osaka-jo Hall Osaka, Japan 1 209 3 This was a no time limit two out of three falls match in which Omega won 2–1. [96]
67 Hiroshi Tanahashi January 4, 2019 Wrestle Kingdom 13 in Tokyo Dome Tokyo, Japan 8 38 0 [97]
68 Jay White February 11, 2019 The New Beginning in Osaka Osaka, Japan 1 54 0 [98]
69 Kazuchika Okada April 6, 2019 G1 Supercard New York City, U.S. 5 274 5 [99]
70 Tetsuya Naito January 5, 2020 Wrestle Kingdom 14 in Tokyo Dome
Night 2 		Tokyo, Japan 2 189 1 This match was also for Naito's IWGP Intercontinental Championship. [100]
71 Evil July 12, 2020 Dominion in Osaka-jo Hall Osaka, Japan 1 48 1 This match was also for Naito's IWGP Intercontinental Championship. [101]
72 Tetsuya Naito August 29, 2020 Summer Struggle in Jingu Tokyo, Japan 3 128 1 This match was also for Evil's IWGP Intercontinental Championship. [102]
73 Kota Ibushi January 4, 2021 Wrestle Kingdom 15 in Tokyo Dome
Night 1 		Tokyo, Japan 1 59 3 This match was also for Naito's IWGP Intercontinental Championship. [103][104]
— Unified March 4, 2021 Anniversary Event Tokyo, Japan — — — Unified with the IWGP Intercontinental Championship to form the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship. [105]

Combined reigns

Five-time champion Kazuchika Okada holds the records for longest reign at 720 days, longest combined reign at 1,790 days, most defenses in one reign at 12, and most combined defenses at 30.
Hiroshi Tanahashi posing with the IWGP Heavyweight Championship belt in front of a crowd.
Record eight-time champion Hiroshi Tanahashi
Rank Wrestler No. of
reigns 		Combined
defenses 		Combined days
1 Kazuchika Okada 5 30 1,790
2 Hiroshi Tanahashi 8 28 1,396
3 Keiji Mutoh/The Great Muta 4 19 1,238
4 Shinya Hashimoto 3 20 1,052
5 Tatsumi Fujinami 6 13 785
6 Kensuke Sasaki/Power Warrior 5 11 647
7 Yuji Nagata 2 12 570
8 Kazuyuki Fujita 3 3 478
9 Big Van Vader 3 4 451
10 Shinsuke Nakamura 3 9 390
11 Tetsuya Naito 3 3 387
12 Riki Choshu 3 5 383
13 Antonio Inoki 1 4 325
14 A.J. Styles 2 3 307
15 Brock Lesnar 1 3 280
16 Kenny Omega 1 3 209
17 Hiroyoshi Tenzan 4 2 197
18 Yoshihiro Takayama 1 3 185
19 Satoshi Kojima 2 2 168
20 Togi Makabe 1 3 161
21 Scott Norton 2 4 126
22 Nobuhiko Takada 1 1 116
23 Bob Sapp 1 1 66
24 Kota Ibushi 1 3 59
25 Jay White 1 0 54
26 Evil 1 1 48
Tadao Yasuda 1 1 48
Salman Hashimikov 1 0 48
29 Manabu Nakanishi 1 0 45
30 Masahiro Chono 1 0 44
31 Genichiro Tenryu 1 0 25

See also

References

General
  • "Pro Wrestling Illustrated: 2008 Wrestling Almanac & Book of Facts". The ... Wrestling Almanac and Book of Facts. 29 (5). Sports & Entertainment Publications, LLC: 107–108. ISSN 1043-7576.
  • "IWGP Heavyweight Championship history". New Japan Pro-Wrestling (in Japanese). NJPW.co.jp. Archived from the original on 2017-07-05. Retrieved 2016-11-10.
Specific
  1. ^ 永田 やるぞ！ＩＷＧＰ５０歳で戴冠！！. Tokyo Sports (in Japanese). January 31, 2015. Archived from the original on November 7, 2017. Retrieved January 9, 2016.
  2. ^ 新日本・中邑、米ＷＷＥ移籍へ. Daily Sports Online (in Japanese). Kobe Shimbun. January 8, 2016. Archived from the original on August 21, 2017. Retrieved January 9, 2016.
  3. ^ Meltzer, Dave (June 23, 2017). "Daily Update: WWE house shows, Cody Rhodes, Mr. Pogo". Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Archived from the original on June 27, 2017. Retrieved June 30, 2017.
  4. ^ "WK9 101: The Intro". Global Force Wrestling. 13 November 2014. Archived from the original on 2017-07-11. Retrieved 2016-02-01.
  5. ^ 4代目IWGPヘビー級ベルトが遂に完成！. New Japan Pro-Wrestling (in Japanese). 2008-03-07. Archived from the original on 2017-12-21. Retrieved 2017-11-21.
  6. ^ 真壁 ＩＣ王座に照準の真意. Tokyo Sports (in Japanese). 2016-02-29. Archived from the original on 2017-07-02. Retrieved 2017-01-05.
  7. ^ "International Wrestling Grand Prix Championship Tournament". Wrestling-Titles.com. Archived from the original on 2018-08-20. Retrieved 2019-02-09.
  8. ^ "History of the IWGP Heavyweight Title". Official Website of the Inoki Dojo. Archived from the original on 2009-03-21. Retrieved 2009-03-26.
  9. ^ Molinaro, John F. "Vader rejuvenated in Japan". Slam! Sports. Canadian Online Explorer. Archived from the original on January 12, 2016. Retrieved 2009-03-26.
  10. ^ a b Woodward, Buck (2007-06-29). "Kurt Angle beats Brock Lesnar in WrestleMania rematch in Japan". Pro Wrestling Insider. Archived from the original on 2017-08-25. Retrieved 2017-11-21.
  11. ^ Martin, Adam (2007-06-28). "Brock Lesnar in Japan with IWGP Title; could defend against Kurt Angle". Wrestleview. Archived from the original on 2007-07-01. Retrieved 2009-03-26.
  12. ^ Martin, Adam (2007-07-02). "Video online of Angle vs. Lesnar in Japan, Ask TNA Wrestling, TNA Today". Wrestleview. Archived from the original on 2007-07-04. Retrieved 2009-03-26.
  13. ^ "2021.01.05 Varsan presents WRESTLE KINGDOM 15 in Tokyo Dome | NEW JAPAN PRO-WRESTLING". Archived from the original on 2021-01-06. Retrieved 2021-01-07.
  14. ^ "5 Problems With The Double Champion Idea In NJPW (& 5 Ways It's Working)". Archived from the original on 2020-12-19. Retrieved 2021-01-07.
  15. ^ "NJPW: Kota Ibushi unifica los dos títulos IWPG en un único campeonato mundial | Solowrestling". Archived from the original on 2021-07-15. Retrieved 2021-03-05.
  16. ^ ""新IWGP王者"AJスタイルズに直撃! 「もう誰にもIWGPを渡す気はない！俺が"カネの雨"を降らせるから心配するな！」". New Japan Pro-Wrestling (in Japanese). 2014-05-12. Archived from the original on 2014-05-12. Retrieved 2015-05-06.
  17. ^ Kreikenbohm, Philip (June 12, 1987). "NJPW IWGP Champion Series 1987 - Tag 25". Cagematch - The Internet Wrestling Database. Archived from the original on October 12, 2020. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
  18. ^ Kreikenbohm, Philip (May 8, 1988). "NJPW Super Fight Series 1988 - Tag 22". Cagematch - The Internet Wrestling Database. Archived from the original on January 13, 2021. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
  19. ^ Kreikenbohm, Philip (June 24, 1988). "NJPW IWGP Champion Series 1988 - Tag 28". Cagematch - The Internet Wrestling Database. Archived from the original on October 18, 2020. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
  20. ^ Kreikenbohm, Philip (April 24, 1989). "NJPW Battle Satellite In Tokyo Dome". Cagematch - The Internet Wrestling Database. Archived from the original on September 25, 2014. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
  21. ^ Hoops, Brian (2015-05-25). "On this day in pro wrestling history (May 25): Rockers last match in AWA, Tiger Mask wins NWA Jr. Heavyweight gold, Russian amateur wrestler beats Vader". Wrestling Observer/Figure Four Online. Archived from the original on 2018-06-12. Retrieved 2017-02-19.
  22. ^ Kreikenbohm, Philip (May 25, 1989). "NJPW Battle Satellite 1989 In Osaka". Cagematch - The Internet Wrestling Database. Archived from the original on October 12, 2020. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
  23. ^ Hoops, Brian (2015-07-12). "On this day in pro wrestling history (July 12): Gagne, Bruiser & Crusher, Ladd wins Americas title, 1992 Bash with Sting vs. Vader". Wrestling Observer/Figure Four Online. Archived from the original on 2018-06-12. Retrieved 2017-02-12.
  24. ^ Kreikenbohm, Philip (July 12, 1989). "NJPW Summer Fight Series 1989 - Tag 19". Cagematch - The Internet Wrestling Database. Archived from the original on October 12, 2020. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
  25. ^ Kreikenbohm, Philip (August 10, 1989). "NJPW - TV-Show @ Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo, Japan". Cagematch - The Internet Wrestling Database. Archived from the original on October 20, 2020. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
  26. ^ Kreikenbohm, Philip (August 19, 1990). "Riki Choshu defeated Big Van Vader". Cagematch - The Internet Wrestling Database. Archived from the original on October 18, 2020. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
  27. ^ Kreikenbohm, Philip (December 26, 1990). "Tatsumi Fujinami defeated Riki Choshu". Cagematch - The Internet Wrestling Database. Archived from the original on July 11, 2021. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
  28. ^ Kreikenbohm, Philip (January 17, 1991). "NJPW New Year Dash 1991 - Tag 11". Cagematch - The Internet Wrestling Database. Archived from the original on October 12, 2020. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
  29. ^ Hoops, Brian (2017-03-04). "Daily Pro Wrestling History (03/04): ROH 10th Anniversary Show". Wrestling Observer/Figure Four Online. Archived from the original on 2018-06-12. Retrieved 2017-03-05.
  30. ^ Kreikenbohm, Philip (March 4, 1991). "NJPW Big Fight Series 1991 - Tag 2". Cagematch - The Internet Wrestling Database. Archived from the original on October 14, 2020. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
  31. ^ Kreikenbohm, Philip (January 4, 1992). "NJPW/WCW Starrcade 1992 In Tokyo Dome". Cagematch - The Internet Wrestling Database. Archived from the original on November 15, 2021. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
  32. ^ Kreikenbohm, Philip (August 16, 1992). "NJPW G1 Climax Special 1992 - Tag 2". Cagematch - The Internet Wrestling Database. Archived from the original on June 11, 2020. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
  33. ^ Hoops, Brian (2015-09-20). "On this date in pro wrestling history (9/20): Flair defeats McDaniel, Gagne beats Von Raschke". Wrestling Observer/Figure Four Online. Archived from the original on 2018-06-12. Retrieved 2017-02-19.
  34. ^ Kreikenbohm, Philip (September 20, 1993). "NJPW G1 Climax Special 1993 - Tag 1". Cagematch - The Internet Wrestling Database. Archived from the original on October 12, 2020. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
  35. ^ Kreikenbohm, Philip (April 4, 1994). "NJPW Battle Line Kyushu 1994 - Tag 2: Grand Cross In Hiroshima". Cagematch - The Internet Wrestling Database. Archived from the original on October 19, 2020. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
  36. ^ Kreikenbohm, Philip (May 1, 1994). "NJPW Wrestling Dontaku In Fukuoka Dome". Cagematch - The Internet Wrestling Database. Archived from the original on April 4, 2023. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
  37. ^ F4W Staff (2015-05-03). "On this day in pro wrestling history: Low Ki Vs. Dewitt, Punk wins OVW title, Mutoh wins IWGP belt, Bret wins NA title, Dibiase & Dr. Death, Sheik, Watts, Fargos". Wrestling Observer/Figure Four Online. Archived from the original on 2018-06-12. Retrieved 2017-02-11.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  38. ^ Kreikenbohm, Philip (May 3, 1995). "NJPW Wrestling Dontaku 1995 In Fukuoka Dome". Cagematch - The Internet Wrestling Database. Archived from the original on October 13, 2020. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
  39. ^ Kreikenbohm, Philip (January 4, 1996). "NJPW Wrestling World In Tokyo Dome". Cagematch - The Internet Wrestling Database. Archived from the original on November 12, 2020. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
  40. ^ Kreikenbohm, Philip (April 29, 1996). "NJPW Battle Formation In Tokyo Dome". Cagematch - The Internet Wrestling Database. Archived from the original on October 19, 2020. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
  41. ^ Kreikenbohm, Philip (August 31, 1997). "NJPW Final Power Hall In Yokohama". Cagematch - The Internet Wrestling Database. Archived from the original on October 12, 2020. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
  42. ^ Kreikenbohm, Philip (April 4, 1998). "NJPW The Final Inoki Tournament". Cagematch - The Internet Wrestling Database. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
  43. ^ Kreikenbohm, Philip (August 8, 1998). "NJPW Rising The Next Generations In Osaka Dome". Cagematch - The Internet Wrestling Database. Archived from the original on October 18, 2020. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
  44. ^ Kreikenbohm, Philip (September 23, 1998). "NJPW G1 Climax Special 1998 - Tag 13 ~ Big Wednesday". Cagematch - The Internet Wrestling Database. Archived from the original on October 12, 2020. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
  45. ^ Kreikenbohm, Philip (January 4, 1999). "NJPW Wrestling World In Tokyo Dome 1999". Cagematch - The Internet Wrestling Database. Archived from the original on October 12, 2020. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
  46. ^ Molinaro, John (1999-12-11). "Tenryu wins IWGP Heavyweight title". SLAM! Sports: Wrestling. Canadian Online Explorer. Archived from the original on January 12, 2016. Retrieved 2009-06-27.
  47. ^ Kreikenbohm, Philip (December 10, 1999). "NJPW Battle Final 1999 - Tag 17". Cagematch - The Internet Wrestling Database. Archived from the original on December 21, 2014. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
  48. ^ Kreikenbohm, Philip (January 4, 2000). "NJPW Wrestling World 2000". Cagematch - The Internet Wrestling Database. Archived from the original on December 18, 2020. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
  49. ^ Kreikenbohm, Philip (January 4, 2001). "NJPW Wrestling World 2001". Cagematch - The Internet Wrestling Database. Archived from the original on October 18, 2020. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
  50. ^ Kreikenbohm, Philip (March 17, 2001). "NJPW Hyper Battle 2001 - Tag 12". Cagematch - The Internet Wrestling Database. Archived from the original on October 19, 2020. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
  51. ^ 4月9日（月）大阪ドーム. New Japan Pro-Wrestling (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 2002-12-21. Retrieved 2017-08-04.
  52. ^ Kreikenbohm, Philip (April 9, 2001). "NJPW Strong Style 2001". Cagematch - The Internet Wrestling Database. Archived from the original on October 20, 2020. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
  53. ^ Hoops, Brian (2017-02-16). "On this day in pro wrestling history (Feb 16): Bret Hart wins WWF gold at In Your House". Wrestling Observer/Figure Four Online. Archived from the original on 2018-06-12. Retrieved 2017-02-17.
  54. ^ Kreikenbohm, Philip (February 16, 2002). "NJPW Fighting Spirit 2002 - Tag 10". Cagematch - The Internet Wrestling Database. Archived from the original on February 18, 2019. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
  55. ^ Kreikenbohm, Philip (April 5, 2002). "NJPW Inoki-Ism Fighting Spirit Special". Cagematch - The Internet Wrestling Database. Archived from the original on October 18, 2020. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
  56. ^ Power Slam Staff (August 2003). "We are the Champions (as of July 8)". Power Slam Magazine. Lancaster, Lancashire, England: SW Publishing LTD. p. 15. 109.
  57. ^ Kreikenbohm, Philip (May 2, 2003). "NJPW Ultimate Crush". Cagematch - The Internet Wrestling Database. Archived from the original on October 12, 2020. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
  58. ^ Kreikenbohm, Philip (November 3, 2003). "NJPW Yokohama Dead Out". Cagematch - The Internet Wrestling Database. Archived from the original on October 12, 2020. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
  59. ^ Kreikenbohm, Philip (December 9, 2003). "NJPW Battle Final 2003 - Tag 12". Cagematch - The Internet Wrestling Database. Archived from the original on October 18, 2020. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
  60. ^ Hoops, Brian (2017-02-15). "On this day in pro wrestling history (Feb 15): Eddie Guerrero wins the WWE Championship". Wrestling Observer/Figure Four Online. Archived from the original on 2018-06-12. Retrieved 2017-02-16.
  61. ^ Kreikenbohm, Philip (February 15, 2004). "NJPW Fighting Spirit 2004 - Tag 14". Cagematch - The Internet Wrestling Database. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
  62. ^ Kreikenbohm, Philip (March 12, 2004). "NJPW Hyper Battle 2004 - Tag 9". Cagematch - The Internet Wrestling Database. Archived from the original on March 6, 2019. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
  63. ^ Kreikenbohm, Philip (March 28, 2004). "NJPW King Of Sports". Cagematch - The Internet Wrestling Database. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
  64. ^ Kreikenbohm, Philip (June 5, 2004). "NJPW Best Of The Super Junior XI - Tag 11 ~ The Crush II". Cagematch - The Internet Wrestling Database. Archived from the original on August 6, 2021. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
  65. ^ Kreikenbohm, Philip (October 9, 2004). "NJPW Pro-Wrestlers Be Strongest". Cagematch - The Internet Wrestling Database. Archived from the original on March 7, 2019. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
  66. ^ Kreikenbohm, Philip (December 12, 2004). "NJPW Battle Final 2004 - Tag 13". Cagematch - The Internet Wrestling Database. Archived from the original on March 6, 2019. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
  67. ^ Kreikenbohm, Philip (February 20, 2005). "NJPW New Year Gold Series 2005 - Tag 12". Cagematch - The Internet Wrestling Database. Archived from the original on January 3, 2022. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
  68. ^ Kreikenbohm, Philip (May 14, 2005). "NJPW Nexess VI". Cagematch - The Internet Wrestling Database. Archived from the original on October 12, 2020. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
  69. ^ 7月18日(月)札幌・月寒グリーンドーム. New Japan Pro-Wrestling (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 2006-11-14. Retrieved 2017-08-04.
  70. ^ Kreikenbohm, Philip (July 18, 2005). "NJPW Summer Fight Series 2005 - Tag 10". Cagematch - The Internet Wrestling Database. Archived from the original on October 18, 2020. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
  71. ^ Hoops, Brian (2017-10-08). "Daily Pro Wrestling History (10/08): Brock Lesnar wins IWGP title". Wrestling Observer/Figure Four Online. Archived from the original on 2018-06-12. Retrieved 2017-11-21.
  72. ^ Kreikenbohm, Philip (October 8, 2005). "NJPW Toukon Souzou New Chapter". Cagematch - The Internet Wrestling Database. Archived from the original on March 3, 2021. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
  73. ^ Hoops, Brian (2015-07-17). "On this day in pro wrestling history, Kangaroos, Gagne vs. Kiniski in Hawaii, Gordy wins Triple Crown, Hogan wins WCW title from Flair at Bash at the Beach, famous Punk vs. Cena Chicago bout". Wrestling Observer/Figure Four Online. Archived from the original on 2018-06-12. Retrieved 2017-02-13.
  74. ^ Kreikenbohm, Philip (July 17, 2006). "NJPW Circuit 2006 Turbulence - Tag 12". Cagematch - The Internet Wrestling Database. Archived from the original on December 16, 2021. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
  75. ^ Kreikenbohm, Philip (April 13, 2007). "NJPW 35th Anniversary Tour~ Circuit 2007 New Japan Brave - Tag 5". Cagematch - The Internet Wrestling Database. Archived from the original on October 16, 2020. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
  76. ^ "NJPW Explosion '07 official results" (in Japanese). NJPW.co.jp. Archived from the original on 2007-10-11. Retrieved 2007-10-08.
  77. ^ Kreikenbohm, Philip (October 8, 2007). "NJPW Explosion '07". Cagematch - The Internet Wrestling Database. Archived from the original on October 12, 2020. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
  78. ^ Kreikenbohm, Philip (January 4, 2008). "NJPW Wrestle Kingdom II In Tokyo Dome". Cagematch - The Internet Wrestling Database. Archived from the original on October 12, 2020. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
  79. ^ Kreikenbohm, Philip (April 27, 2008). "NJPW Circuit 2008 New Japan Brave - Tag 11". Cagematch - The Internet Wrestling Database. Archived from the original on January 3, 2022. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
  80. ^ Kreikenbohm, Philip (January 4, 2009). "NJPW Wrestle Kingdom III In Tokyo Dome". Cagematch - The Internet Wrestling Database. Archived from the original on April 4, 2023. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
  81. ^ Kreikenbohm, Philip (May 6, 2009). "NJPW Dissidence - TV-Show @ Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan". Cagematch - The Internet Wrestling Database. Archived from the original on October 19, 2020. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
  82. ^ Kreikenbohm, Philip (June 20, 2009). "NJPW Dominion 6.20 - Pay Per View @ Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium in Osaka, Japan". Cagematch - The Internet Wrestling Database. Archived from the original on January 14, 2021. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
  83. ^ Kreikenbohm, Philip (September 27, 2009). "NJPW Circuit 2009 New Japan Generation - Tag 10". Cagematch - The Internet Wrestling Database. Archived from the original on October 18, 2020. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
  84. ^ Kreikenbohm, Philip (May 3, 2010). "NJPW Wrestling Dontaku 2010". Cagematch - The Internet Wrestling Database. Archived from the original on October 18, 2020. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
  85. ^ Kreikenbohm, Philip (October 11, 2010). "NJPW Destruction 2010". Cagematch - The Internet Wrestling Database. Archived from the original on January 13, 2021. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
  86. ^ Kreikenbohm, Philip (January 4, 2011). "NJPW Wrestle Kingdom V In Tokyo Dome". Cagematch - The Internet Wrestling Database. Archived from the original on October 12, 2020. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
  87. ^ Kreikenbohm, Philip (February 12, 2012). "NJPW The New Beginning 2012". Cagematch - The Internet Wrestling Database. Archived from the original on October 18, 2020. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
  88. ^ Kreikenbohm, Philip (June 16, 2012). "NJPW Dominion 6.16". Cagematch - The Internet Wrestling Database. Archived from the original on October 12, 2020. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
  89. ^ Kreikenbohm, Philip (April 7, 2013). "NJPW Invasion Attack". Cagematch - The Internet Wrestling Database. Archived from the original on April 7, 2022. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
  90. ^ Kreikenbohm, Philip (May 3, 2014). "NJPW Wrestling Dontaku 2014". Cagematch - The Internet Wrestling Database. Archived from the original on October 12, 2020. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
  91. ^ Kreikenbohm, Philip (October 13, 2014). "NJPW King Of Pro-Wrestling 2014". Cagematch - The Internet Wrestling Database. Archived from the original on April 9, 2023. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
  92. ^ Kreikenbohm, Philip (February 11, 2015). "NJPW The New Beginning In Osaka". Cagematch - The Internet Wrestling Database. Archived from the original on October 12, 2020. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
  93. ^ Kreikenbohm, Philip (July 5, 2015). "NJPW Dominion 7.5 In Osaka-Jo Hall". Cagematch - The Internet Wrestling Database. Archived from the original on October 17, 2020. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
  94. ^ Kreikenbohm, Philip (April 10, 2016). "NJPW Invasion Attack 2016". Cagematch - The Internet Wrestling Database. Archived from the original on November 19, 2020. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
  95. ^ Kreikenbohm, Philip (June 19, 2016). "NJPW Dominion 6.19 In Osaka-Jo Hall". Cagematch - The Internet Wrestling Database. Archived from the original on November 18, 2020. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
  96. ^ Kreikenbohm, Philip (June 9, 2018). "NJPW Dominion 6.9 In Osaka-Jo Hall". Cagematch - The Internet Wrestling Database. Archived from the original on August 24, 2021. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
  97. ^ Kreikenbohm, Philip (January 4, 2019). "NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 13 In Tokyo Dome". Cagematch - The Internet Wrestling Database. Archived from the original on January 14, 2021. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
  98. ^ Kreikenbohm, Philip (February 11, 2019). "NJPW The New Beginning In Osaka 2019". Cagematch - The Internet Wrestling Database. Archived from the original on October 21, 2020. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
  99. ^ Kreikenbohm, Philip (April 6, 2019). "ROH/NJPW G1 Supercard". Cagematch - The Internet Wrestling Database. Archived from the original on March 7, 2021. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
  100. ^ Kreikenbohm, Philip (January 5, 2020). "NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 14 In Tokyo Dome - Tag 2". Cagematch - The Internet Wrestling Database. Archived from the original on October 17, 2020. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
  101. ^ Kreikenbohm, Philip (July 12, 2020). "NJPW Dominion In Osaka-Jo Hall". Cagematch - The Internet Wrestling Database. Archived from the original on May 31, 2022. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
  102. ^ Kreikenbohm, Philip (August 29, 2020). "NJPW Summer Struggle in Jingu". Cagematch - The Internet Wrestling Database. Archived from the original on October 12, 2020. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
  103. ^ Powell, Jason (January 4, 2021). "1/4 NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 15 results: Powell's review of Tetsuya Naito vs. Kota Ibushi for the IWGP Heavyweight and IWGP Intercontinental Championships, Kazuchika Okada vs. Will Ospreay, Hiromu Takahashi vs. El Phantasmo for a shot at the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Archived from the original on May 30, 2022. Retrieved January 4, 2021.
  104. ^ Kreikenbohm, Philip (January 4, 2021). "NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 15 In Tokyo Dome - Tag 1". Cagematch - The Internet Wrestling Database. Archived from the original on January 11, 2021. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
  105. ^ 【新日本】飯伏勝利で２冠統一へ！菅林会長は「ＩＷＧＰ世界ヘビー級王座」新設を明言. Tokyo Sports (in Japanese). March 1, 2021. Archived from the original on February 28, 2021. Retrieved March 1, 2021.
Sporting positions
Preceded by New Japan Pro-Wrestling's top heavyweight championship
1987–2021 		Succeeded by