The UWA Asia Pacific Heavyweight Championship (Japanese: UWAアジアパシフィックヘビー級王座, Hepburn: UWA Ajia Pashifikku Hebī-kyū Ōza) is a single championship title in the Japanese professional wrestlingpromotionReal Japan Pro Wrestling (RJPW). The title was established in 2018 as part of a collaboration between RJPW and the revived MexicanUniversal Wrestling Association.[1] As it is a professional wrestling championship, the championship is not won not by actual competition, but by a scripted ending to a match determined by the bookers and match makers.[a] On occasion the promotion declares a championship vacant, which means there is no champion at that point in time. This can either be due to a storyline,[b] or real life issues such as a champion suffering an injury being unable to defend the championship,[c] or leaving the company.[d]
As of April 19, 2022[update], there have been a total of five reigns. The current champion is Shogun Okamoto who is in his second reign.
History
On February 28, 2018, a press conference was held in Tokyo, Japan announcing a Universal Wrestling Association (UWA) revival.[6] As part of the revival, the UWA Asia Pacific Heavyweight Championship was created and Rey Ángel was appointed as the first champion with a title defense scheduled on September 20 against Kouki Iwasaki from Ganbare☆Pro-Wrestling.[7][8]
Reigns
Key
No.
Overall reign number
Reign
Reign number for the specific champion
Days
Number of days held
Defenses
Number of successful defenses
N/A
Unknown information
(NLT)
Championship change took place "no later than" the date listed
^Hornbaker (2016) p. 550: "Professional wrestling is a sport in which match finishes are predetermined. Thus, win–loss records are not indicative of a wrestler's genuine success based on their legitimate abilities – but on now much, or how little they were pushed by promoters"[2]
^Duncan & Will (2000) p. 271, Chapter: Texas: NWA American Tag Team Title [World Class, Adkisson] "Championship held up and rematch ordered because of the interference of manager Gary Hart"[3]
^Duncan & Will (2000) p. 20, Chapter: (United States: 19th Century & widely defended titles – NWA, WWF, AWA, IW, ECW, NWA) NWA/WCW TV Title "Rhodes stripped on 85/10/19 for not defending the belt after having his leg broken by Ric Flair and Ole & Arn Anderson"[4]
^Duncan & Will (2000) p. 201, Chapter: (Memphis, Nashville) Memphis: USWA Tag Team Title "Vacant on 93/01/18 when Spike leaves the USWA."[5]
^The exact date the championship was awarded has not been confirmed, putting the title reign at between 51 and 204 days.