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IWGP Heavyweight Championship

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IWGP Heavyweight Championship
Tournament information

The International Wrestling Grand Prix (IWGP) World Heavyweight Championship is the top professional wrestling title in Japanese promotion New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW). It was created in 1987 with NJPW founder Antonio Inoki defeating Masa Saito in the finals of the annual IWGP Tournament.[1][2][3]

In 2006, then-champion Brock Lesnar was stripped of the title for being unable to defend it due to what was described as "problems with a working visa";[4] however, Lesnar kept the physical belt and signed with Antonio Inoki's Inoki Genome Federation (IGF) in 2007, losing the championship to Kurt Angle on the inaugural broadcast.[5] Angle later lost the title in a unification match to the NJPW-recognized champion Shinsuke Nakamura in 2008.[6]

There have been a total of 22 recognized champions who have had a combined 48 official reigns.

Title history

Wrestler: Times: Date: Location: Notes:
Antonio Inoki 1 June 12 1987 Tokyo, Japan Defeated Masa Saito in a tournament final.[1]
Vacated May 2 1988 Vacated due to Inoki fracturing his left foot.[7]
Tatsumi Fujinami 1 May 8 1988 Tokyo, Japan Defeated Big Van Vader.[7]
Vacated May 27 1988 Sendai, Japan Held up after a title defense against Riki Chōshū ended in a no contest.[7]
Tatsumi Fujinami 2 June 24 1988 Osaka, Japan Defeated Riki Chōshū in a rematch.[7]
Vacated April 5 1989 Vacated so the title could be decided in a tournament.[7]
Big Van Vader 1 April 24 1989 Tokyo, Japan Defeated Shinya Hashimoto in a tournament final with Lou Thesz as the special referee.[3][8]
Salman Hashimikov 1 May 25 1989 Osaka, Japan [7]
Riki Chōshū 1 July 12 1989 Osaka, Japan [9]
Big Van Vader 2 August 10 1989 Tokyo, Japan [9]
Riki Chōshū 2 August 19 1990 Tokyo, Japan [9]
Tatsumi Fujinami 3 December 26 1990 Hamamatsu, Japan [9]
Big Van Vader 3 January 17 1991 Yokohama, Japan [9]
Tatsumi Fujinami 4 March 4 1991 Hiroshima, Japan Defeated Ric Flair on March 21 1991 in a double title match at Starrcade 1991 in Tokyo Dome to win the NWA World Heavyweight Championship.[10]
Riki Chōshū 3 January 4 1992 Tokyo, Japan This match, at Starrcade 1992 in Tokyo Dome, was also for Chōshū's Greatest 18 Championship.[11][12]
The Great Muta 1 August 16 1992 Fukuoka, Japan This was also for Chōshū's Greatest 18 Championship.[11]
Shinya Hashimoto 1 September 20 1993 Nagoya, Japan [11]
Tatsumi Fujinami 5 April 4 1994 Hiroshima, Japan Won the title on the Battle Line Kyushu tour.[13]
Shinya Hashimoto 2 May 1 1994 Fukuoka, Japan Won the title at Wrestling Dontaku.[14]
Keiji Muto
(formerly The Great Muta)		 2 May 3 1995 Fukuoka, Japan Won the title at Wrestling Dontaku.[15]
Nobuhiko Takada 1 January 4 1996 Tokyo, Japan Won the title at Wrestling World.[16]
Shinya Hashimoto 3 April 29 1996 Tokyo, Japan Won the title at Battle Formation.[16]
Kensuke Sasaki 1 August 31 1997 Yokohama, Japan Won the title at Final Power Hall in Yokohama.[17]
Tatsumi Fujinami 6 April 4 1998 Tokyo, Japan Won the title at Antonio Inoki Retirement Show.[18]
Masahiro Chono 1 August 8 1998 Osaka, Japan Won the title at Rising the Next Generations in Osaka Dome.[18]
Vacated September 21 1998 Vacated due to Chono injuring his neck.[1]
Scott Norton 1 September 23 1998 Yokohama, Japan Defeated Yuji Nagata at Big Wednesday.[19]
Keiji Muto 3 January 4 1999 Tokyo, Japan Won the title at Wrestling World.[20]
Genichiro Tenryu 1 December 10 1999 Osaka, Japan Won the title on the Battle Final tour.[21]
Kensuke Sasaki 2 January 4 2000 Tokyo, Japan Won the title at Wrestling World.[22]
Vacated October 9 2000 Tokyo, Japan Vacated after Sasaki lost a non-title match to Toshiaki Kawada at Do Judge!!.[23][22]
Kensuke Sasaki 3 January 4 2001 Tokyo, Japan Defeated Toshiaki Kawada in a tournament final at Wrestling World.[24]
Scott Norton 2 March 17 2001 Nagoya, Japan Won the title on the Hyper Battle tour.[25]
Kazuyuki Fujita 1 April 9 2001 Osaka, Japan Won the title at Strong Style.[24]
Vacated January 4 2002 Vacated due to an injured achilles tendon.[1]
Tadao Yasuda 1 February 16 2002 Tokyo, Japan Defeated Yuji Nagata in a tournament final on the Fighting Spirit tour.[26]
Yuji Nagata 1 April 5 2002 Tokyo, Japan Won the title at Toukon Special.[27]
Yoshihiro Takayama 1 May 2 2003 Tokyo, Japan This match, at Ultimate Crush, was also for Takayama's NWF Heavyweight Championship.[28]
Hiroyoshi Tenzan 1 November 3 2003 Yokohama, Japan Won the title at Yokohama Dead Out.[28]
Shinsuke Nakamura 1 December 9 2003 Osaka, Japan Won the title on the Battle Final tour.[29] Defeated Yoshihiro Takayama on January 4 2004 at Wrestling World in Tokyo to unify Takayama's NWF title into the IWGP title.[30]
Vacated February 5 2004 Vacated due to various injuries.[1]
Hiroyoshi Tenzan 2 February 15 2004 Tokyo, Japan Defeated Genichiro Tenryu in a tournament final on the Fighting Spirit tour.[31]
Kensuke Sasaki 4 March 12 2004 Tokyo, Japan Won the title on the Hyper Battle tour.[32]
Bob Sapp 1 March 28 2004 Tokyo, Japan Won the title at King of Sports.[30]
Vacated June 2 2004 Vacated after Sapp lost a K-1 fight to Kazuyuki Fujita.[3]
Kazuyuki Fujita 2 June 5 2004 Osaka, Japan Defeated Hiroshi Tanahashi at The Crush II.[33]
Kensuke Sasaki 5 October 9 2004 Tokyo, Japan Won the title at Pro-Wrestlers Be Strongest.[30]
Hiroyoshi Tenzan 3 December 12 2004 Nagoya, Japan Won the title on the Battle Final tour.[34]
Satoshi Kojima 1 February 20 2005 Tokyo, Japan This match, on the New Year Gold Series tour, was also for Kojima's AJPW Triple Crown Championship.[35]
Hiroyoshi Tenzan 4 May 14 2005 Tokyo, Japan Won the title at Nexess VI.[36]
Kazuyuki Fujita 3 July 18 2005 Sapporo, Japan Won the title on the Summer Fight Series tour.[37]
Brock Lesnar 1 October 8 2005 Tokyo, Japan This was a triple threat match also involving Masahiro Chono at Toukon Souzou New Chapter.[36]
Vacated July 15 2006 Vacated due to Lesnar being unable to defend the title because of "problems with a working visa".[4] Lesnar refuses to turn over the IWGP title belt and later is recognized by the Inoki Genome Federation as their first champion, using the same belt.
Hiroshi Tanahashi 1 July 17 2006 Sapporo, Japan Defeated Giant Bernard in a tournament final on the Circuit 2006 Turbulence tour.[38]
Yuji Nagata 2 April 13 2007 Osaka, Japan Won the title on the Circuit 2007 New Japan Brave tour.[39]
Hiroshi Tanahashi 2 October 8 2007 Tokyo, Japan Won the title at Explosion '07.[40]
Shinsuke Nakamura 2 January 4 2008 Tokyo, Japan Won the title at Wrestle Kingdom II in Tokyo Dome.[41] Defeated Kurt Angle on February 17 2008 on the Circuit 2008 New Japan ISM tour to unify the IWGP Third Belt title.[6]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e "IWGP Heavyweight Championship title history". Strong Style Spirit. Retrieved 2007-07-06.
  2. ^ "IWGP Heavyweight Championship title history". Wrestling-Titles.com. Retrieved 2007-07-06.
  3. ^ a b c "IWGP Heavyweight Championship title history". TitleHistories.com. Retrieved 2007-07-06.
  4. ^ a b "NJPW news, June 28 - July 19 2006". Strong Style Spirit. Retrieved 2007-07-06.
  5. ^ "IGF results" (in German). PuroLove.com. Retrieved 2008-02-17.
  6. ^ a b "NJPW Circuit 2008 New Japan ISM tour results". Strong Style Spirit. Retrieved 2008-01-27.
  7. ^ a b c d e f "IWGP World Heavyweight Championship official title history (page 1)" (in Japanese). NJPW.co.jp. Retrieved 2007-07-06.
  8. ^ "1989 IWGP Heavyweight Championship tournament results". Strong Style Spirit. Retrieved 2007-07-06.
  9. ^ a b c d e "IWGP Heavyweight Championship official title history (page 2)" (in Japanese). NJPW.co.jp. Retrieved 2007-07-06.
  10. ^ "NJPW results, 1991". Strong Style Spirit. Retrieved 2007-07-06.
  11. ^ a b c "IWGP Heavyweight Championship official title history (page 3)" (in Japanese). NJPW.co.jp. Retrieved 2007-07-06.
  12. ^ "NJPW results, 1992". Strong Style Spirit. Retrieved 2007-07-06.
  13. ^ "NJPW Battle Line Kyushu tour results". Strong Style Spirit. Retrieved 2007-07-06.
  14. ^ "NJPW results, 1994". Strong Style Spirit. Retrieved 2007-07-06.
  15. ^ "NJPW results, 1995". Strong Style Spirit. Retrieved 2007-07-06.
  16. ^ a b "NJPW results, 1996". Strong Style Spirit. Retrieved 2007-07-06.
  17. ^ "NJPW results, 1997". Strong Style Spirit. Retrieved 2007-07-06.
  18. ^ a b "NJPW results, 1998". Strong Style Spirit. Retrieved 2007-07-06.
  19. ^ "NJPW G1 Climax Special tour results". Strong Style Spirit. Retrieved 2007-07-06.
  20. ^ "NJPW results, 1999". Strong Style Spirit. Retrieved 2007-07-06.
  21. ^ "NJPW Battle Final 1999 tour results". Strong Style Spirit. Retrieved 2007-07-06.
  22. ^ a b "NJPW results, 2000". Strong Style Spirit. Retrieved 2007-07-06.
  23. ^ "IWGP Heavyweight Championship official title history (page 5)" (in Japanese). NJPW.co.jp. Retrieved 2007-07-06.
  24. ^ a b "NJPW results, 2001". Strong Style Spirit. Retrieved 2007-07-06.
  25. ^ "NJPW Hyper Battle 2001 tour results". Strong Style Spirit. Retrieved 2007-07-06.
  26. ^ "NJPW Fighting Spirit 2002 tour results". Strong Style Spirit. Retrieved 2007-07-06.
  27. ^ "NJPW results, 2002". Strong Style Spirit. Retrieved 2007-07-06.
  28. ^ a b "NJPW results, 2003". Strong Style Spirit. Retrieved 2007-07-06.
  29. ^ "NJPW Battle Final 2003 tour results". Strong Style Spirit. Retrieved 2007-07-06.
  30. ^ a b c "NJPW results, 2004". Strong Style Spirit. Retrieved 2007-07-06.
  31. ^ "NJPW Fighting Spirit 2004 tour results". Strong Style Spirit. Retrieved 2007-07-06.
  32. ^ "NJPW Hyper Battle 2004 tour results". Strong Style Spirit. Retrieved 2007-07-06.
  33. ^ "NJPW Best of the Super Juniors XI tour results". Strong Style Spirit. Retrieved 2007-07-06.
  34. ^ "NJPW Battle Final 2004 tour results". Strong Style Spirit. Retrieved 2007-07-06.
  35. ^ "NJPW New Year Gold Series tour results". Strong Style Spirit. Retrieved 2007-07-06.
  36. ^ a b "NJPW results, 2005". Strong Style Spirit. Retrieved 2007-07-06.
  37. ^ "NJPW Summer Fight Series tour results". Strong Style Spirit. Retrieved 2007-07-06.
  38. ^ "NJPW Circuit 2006 Turbulence tour results". Strong Style Spirit. Retrieved 2007-07-06.
  39. ^ "NJPW Circuit 2007 New Japan Brave tour results". Strong Style Spirit. Retrieved 2007-07-06.
  40. ^ "NJPW Explosion '07 official results" (in Japanese). NJPW.co.jp. Retrieved 2007-10-08.
  41. ^ "NJPW results, 2008". Strong Style Spirit. Retrieved 2008-01-08.

See also

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