IWGP World Heavyweight Championship

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Not to be confused with IMGP World Heavyweight Championship.
See also: IWGP Heavyweight Championship (disambiguation)
IWGP World Heavyweight Championship
IWGP World Heavyweight Championship.jpg
The IWGP World Heavyweight Championship belt
Details
PromotionNew Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW)
Date establishedMarch 1, 2021
Current champion(s)Shingo Takagi
Date wonJune 7, 2021

The IWGP World Heavyweight Championship (IWGP世界ヘビー級王座, IWGP Sekai hebī-kyū ōza) is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship 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).[1] The championship was created on March 1, 2021 by the unification of the IWGP Heavyweight Championship and the IWGP Intercontinental Championship. The title is currently held by Shingo Takagi.

Title history[]

Kota Ibushi became the inaugural champion when he unified the IWGP Heavyweight and Intercontinental titles.

In 2019, when he was IWGP Intercontinental Champion, Tetsuya Naito declared his intention of making history by becoming the first to hold the IWGP Heavyweight Championship and the Intercontinental Championship at the same time.[2] By the end of the year, Jay White, who had won the Intercontinental Championship from Naito, and Kota Ibushi, who was the next challenger for the Heavyweight Championship, also expressed the same desire. After a fan vote, it was decided that Naito, White, Ibushi and Heavyweight Champion Kazuchika Okada would compete at Wrestle Kingdom 14 on January 4–5, 2020, where one would end up with both titles.[3] Naito achieved the feat to become the first "Double Champion" and the two titles were defended together since (apart from one time). During 2020, Naito said his original intention was for the titles to be defended separately. He requested for this, or otherwise for the titles to be unified, but no change happened.[4]

After Ibushi won the titles from Naito at Wrestle Kingdom 15 on January 4, 2021, he expressed his desire for the titles to be unified.[5] On March 1, 2021, with Ibushi still champion, the unification of the titles to create the new IWGP World Heavyweight Championship was officially announced, with Ibushi as the inaugural World Heavyweight Champion. After the announcement, Ibushi, who was scheduled to face El Desperado at the NJPW 49th Anniversary Show on March 4, 2021 in a non-title match, requested for the match to be for the Double Championship.[6] His request was granted with the title unification delayed until after the match, of which the winner would be final Double Champion and, therefore, the inaugural World Heavyweight Champion.[7] Ibushi won the match.[8]

With the announcement of the new championship was the announcement of a new championship belt.[5] Until the new belt was ready, Ibushi continued to hold the old IWGP Heavyweight and IWGP Intercontinental Championship belts. The new belt was eventually revealed and presented to the champion Ibushi in a presentation ceremony on March 30, 2021.[9] Its design incorporated the past belt designs of the two old titles.[10]

Reigns[]

Current and longest reigning champion Shingo Takagi

As of September 18, 2021, there have been three reigns shared among three wrestlers with one vacancy. Kota Ibushi was the inaugural champion. Ibushi has the shortest reign at 31 days. Ibushi is also the oldest champion, winning the title at 38 years and 255 days old, while Ospreay is the youngest at 27.

The current and longest reigning champion is Shingo Takagi. He defeated Kazuchika Okada at Dominion 6.6 in Osaka-jo Hall in Osaka, Japan to win the vacant title; previous champion Will Ospreay vacated the title due to a legitimate neck injury.

Key
No. Overall reign number
Reign Reign number for the specific champion
Days Number of days held
Defenses Number of successful defenses
+ Current reign is changing daily
No. Champion Championship change Reign statistics Notes Ref.
Date Event Location Reign Days Defenses
1 Kota Ibushi March 4, 2021 49th Anniversary Show Tokyo, Japan 1 31 0 After Ibushi, who was the reigning IWGP Heavyweight and IWGP Intercontinental Champion, successfully defended both titles against El Desperado at the event, they were unified into the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship, with Ibushi as the inaugural champion. [8]
2 Will Ospreay April 4, 2021 Sakura Genesis 2021 Tokyo, Japan 1 46 1 [11]
— Vacated May 20, 2021 — — — — — The title was vacated due to Ospreay suffering a neck injury. [12]
3 Shingo Takagi June 7, 2021 Dominion 6.6 in Osaka-jo Hall Osaka, Japan 1 103+ 2 Defeated Kazuchika Okada to win the vacant title. [13]


References[]

  1. ^ "WK9 101: The Intro". Global Force Wrestling. Retrieved 2016-02-01.
  2. ^ なんと挑戦者が握手を要求!? 内藤vsタイチのインターコンチネンタル王座調印式は、不気味な静けさの“挑発”合戦！【公開調印式】 (in Japanese). New Japan Pro-Wrestling. February 1, 2019. Retrieved March 31, 2021.
  3. ^ 【WK14】“ダブル選手権”が正式決定！「史上初の男になってみせますよ」内藤が“二冠”獲得に自信！「おまえのアイディアは俺が成し遂げる」王者・ジェイは不敵に挑発三昧！【東京ドーム会見（1）】 (in Japanese). New Japan Pro-Wrestling. November 5, 2019. Retrieved March 31, 2021.
  4. ^ 「タイトルマッチは別々に行った方がいい」内藤が今後の“二冠問題”に言及！ 真夏の野外ビッグマッチ恒例化も熱望！SHOがジュニアタッグ王座返上に関してコメント！【8.31二夜明け会見】 (in Japanese). New Japan Pro-Wrestling. August 31, 2020. Retrieved March 31, 2021.
  5. ^ Jump up to: a b 「この二つのベルトを一つにしたら、もっと凄いことが生まれるんじゃないかなと。絶対おもしろいことになる」“二冠王者”飯伏幸太がベルト統一を再提案！【1.12会見】 (in Japanese). New Japan Pro-Wrestling. January 12, 2021. Retrieved March 31, 2021.
  6. ^ 菅林会長が、IWGPヘビー＆IWGPインターコンチネンタル王座を統一した、“IWGP世界ヘビー級王座”の新設を発表！ 王者・飯伏はデスペラードとの“二冠王座戦”を要求！【3.1一夜明け会見】 (in Japanese). New Japan Pro-Wrestling. March 1, 2021. Retrieved March 31, 2021.
  7. ^ 【3月4日（木）日本武道館、メインはタイトル戦に変更！】飯伏とデスペラードが二冠王座戦で激突！ 『NJC』1回戦で内藤とオーカーンが注目の初対決！ 因縁勃発の小島とコブが激突！ (in Japanese). New Japan Pro-Wrestling. March 1, 2021. Retrieved March 31, 2021.
  8. ^ Jump up to: a b Elizabeth, Claire (March 4, 2021). "NJPW 49th Anniversary Show results for Thursday, March 4: Desperado vs. Ibushi, Naito vs. O-Khan, and more". cagesideseats.com. Retrieved March 4, 2021.
  9. ^ "【注目！】"IWGP世界ヘビー級ベルト"がついにお披露目！ 3月30日（火）後楽園ホール大会の試合前、飯伏幸太選手への"贈呈式"を実施！" (in Japanese). New Japan Pro-Wrestling. March 26, 2021. Retrieved March 28, 2021.
  10. ^ "IWGP World Heavyweight Championship revealed in Korakuen Hall". New Japan Pro-Wrestling. March 30, 2021. Retrieved March 31, 2021.
  11. ^ Lambert, Jeremy (April 4, 2021). "NJPW Sakura Genesis Results (4/4): Will Ospreay Battles Kota Ibushi". Fightful. Retrieved April 4, 2021.
  12. ^ "Will Ospreay injured; vacates world title". njpw1972.com. May 20, 2021. Retrieved May 20, 2021.
  13. ^ "2021.06.07 Dominion 6.6 in Osaka-jo Hall". New Japan Pro-Wrestling. Retrieved June 2, 2021.

External links[]

Sporting positions
Preceded by
IWGP Heavyweight Championship 		New Japan Pro-Wrestling's top heavyweight championship
2021–present 		Succeeded by
Current
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