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IWGP Heavyweight Championship
The IWGP Heavyweight Championship (IWGPヘビー級王座, IWGP hebī-kyū ōza) was 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). 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. 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.

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. 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.

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. 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. 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". 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. 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, 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.
— 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.
— 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.
— 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.
5 Salman Hashimikov May 25, 1989 Battle Satellite 1989 in Osaka Dome Osaka, Japan 1 48 0
6 Riki Choshu July 12, 1989 Summer Fight Series 1989 Osaka, Japan 1 29 0
7 Big Van Vader August 10, 1989 Fighting Satellite of 1989 Tokyo, Japan 2 374 4
8 Riki Choshu August 19, 1990 Summer Night Fever II Tokyo, Japan 2 129 1
9 Tatsumi Fujinami December 26, 1990 King of Kings Hamamatsu, Japan 3 22 0
10 Big Van Vader January 17, 1991 New Year Dash 1991 Yokohama, Japan 3 46 0
11 Tatsumi Fujinami March 4, 1991 Big Fight Series 1991 Hiroshima, Japan 4 306 3
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.
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.
14 Shinya Hashimoto September 20, 1993 G1 Climax Special 1993 Nagoya, Japan 1 196 4
15 Tatsumi Fujinami April 4, 1994 Battle Line Kyushu Hiroshima, Japan 5 27 0
16 Shinya Hashimoto May 1, 1994 Wrestling Dontaku 1994 Fukuoka, Japan 2 367 9
17 Keiji Mutoh May 3, 1995 Wrestling Dontaku 1995 Fukuoka, Japan 2 246 5 Mutoh previously won the title as The Great Muta.
18 Nobuhiko Takada January 4, 1996 Wrestling World 1996 Tokyo, Japan 1 116 1
19 Shinya Hashimoto April 29, 1996 Battle Formation Tokyo, Japan 3 489 7
20 Kensuke Sasaki August 31, 1997 Final Power Hall in Yokohama Yokohama, Japan 1 216 3
21 Tatsumi Fujinami April 4, 1998 Antonio Inoki Retirement Show Tokyo, Japan 6 126 2
22 Masahiro Chono August 8, 1998 Rising the Next Generation in Osaka Dome Osaka, Japan 1 44 0
— 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.
24 Keiji Mutoh January 4, 1999 Wrestling World 1999 Tokyo, Japan 3 340 5
25 Genichiro Tenryu December 10, 1999 Battle Final 1999 Osaka, Japan 1 25 0
26 Kensuke Sasaki/Power Warrior January 4, 2000 Wrestling World 2000 Tokyo, Japan 2 279 5
— 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.
28 Scott Norton March 17, 2001 Hyper Battle 2001 Nagoya, Japan 2 23 0
29 Kazuyuki Fujita April 9, 2001 Strong Style 2001 Osaka, Japan 1 270 2
— 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.
31 Yuji Nagata April 5, 2002 Toukon Special Tokyo, Japan 1 392 10
32 Yoshihiro Takayama May 2, 2003 Ultimate Crush Tokyo, Japan 1 185 3 This match was also for Takayama's NWF Heavyweight Championship.
33 Hiroyoshi Tenzan November 3, 2003 Yokohama Dead Out Yokohama, Japan 1 36 0
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.
— 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.
36 Kensuke Sasaki March 12, 2004 Hyper Battle 2004 Tokyo, Japan 4 16 0
37 Bob Sapp March 28, 2004 King of Sports Tokyo, Japan 1 66 1
— 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.
39 Kensuke Sasaki October 9, 2004 Pro-Wrestlers Be Strongest Tokyo, Japan 5 64 2
40 Hiroyoshi Tenzan December 12, 2004 Battle Final 2004 Nagoya, Japan 3 70 0
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.
42 Hiroyoshi Tenzan May 14, 2005 Nexess VI Tokyo, Japan 4 65 1
43 Kazuyuki Fujita July 18, 2005 Summer Fight Series 2005 Sapporo, Japan 3 82 0
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.
— 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.
45 Hiroshi Tanahashi July 17, 2006 Circuit2006 Turbulence Sapporo, Japan 1 270 4 Tanahashi defeated Giant Bernard in a tournament final for the title.
46 Yuji Nagata April 13, 2007 Circuit2007 New Japan Brave tour Osaka, Japan 2 178 2
47 Hiroshi Tanahashi October 8, 2007 Explosion '07 Tokyo, Japan 2 88 1
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.
49 Keiji Mutoh April 27, 2008 Circuit2008 New Japan Brave tour Osaka, Japan 4 252 4
50 Hiroshi Tanahashi January 4, 2009 Wrestle Kingdom III in Tokyo Dome Tokyo, Japan 3 122 3
51 Manabu Nakanishi May 6, 2009 Dissidence Tokyo, Japan 1 45 0
52 Hiroshi Tanahashi June 20, 2009 Dominion 6.20 Osaka, Japan 4 58 1
— 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.
54 Togi Makabe May 3, 2010 Wrestling Dontaku 2010 Fukuoka, Japan 1 161 3
55 Satoshi Kojima October 11, 2010 Destruction '10 Tokyo, Japan 2 85 1
56 Hiroshi Tanahashi January 4, 2011 Wrestle Kingdom V in Tokyo Dome Tokyo, Japan 5 404 11
57 Kazuchika Okada February 12, 2012 The New Beginning Osaka, Japan 1 125 2
58 Hiroshi Tanahashi June 16, 2012 Dominion 6.16 Osaka, Japan 6 295 7
59 Kazuchika Okada April 7, 2013 Invasion Attack Tokyo, Japan 2 391 8
60 A.J. Styles May 3, 2014 Wrestling Dontaku 2014 Fukuoka, Japan 1 163 2
61 Hiroshi Tanahashi October 13, 2014 King of Pro-Wrestling Tokyo, Japan 7 121 1
62 A.J. Styles February 11, 2015 The New Beginning in Osaka Osaka, Japan 2 144 1
63 Kazuchika Okada July 5, 2015 Dominion 7.5 in Osaka-jo Hall Osaka, Japan 3 280 3
64 Tetsuya Naito April 10, 2016 Invasion Attack 2016 Tokyo, Japan 1 70 1
65 Kazuchika Okada June 19, 2016 Dominion 6.19 in Osaka-jo Hall Osaka, Japan 4 720 12
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.
67 Hiroshi Tanahashi January 4, 2019 Wrestle Kingdom 13 in Tokyo Dome Tokyo, Japan 8 38 0
68 Jay White February 11, 2019 The New Beginning in Osaka Osaka, Japan 1 54 0
69 Kazuchika Okada April 6, 2019 G1 Supercard New York City, U.S. 5 274 5
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.
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.
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.
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.
— Unified March 4, 2021 Anniversary Event Tokyo, Japan — — — Unified with the IWGP Intercontinental Championship to form the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship.

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
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  • "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.
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Sporting positions
Preceded by New Japan Pro-Wrestling's top heavyweight championship
1987–2021 		Succeeded by

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