IWGP World Heavyweight Championship
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The International Wrestling Grand Prix (IWGP) World Heavyweight Championship is the top singles title in New Japan Pro Wrestling. It has existed since 1987 and has World Title status per Pro Wrestling Illustrated. It is one of the three World Titles in Japan, the others being the AJPW Triple Crown Championship and the AWA World Heavyweight Championship.
[edit] Title history
| Wrestler | Reigns | Date | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Antonio Inoki | 1 | June 12, 1987 | Tokyo, Japan | Defeated Masa Saito in a tournament final. |
| Vacated on May 2, 1988 when Inoki injures his leg. | ||||
| Tatsumi Fujinami | 1 | May 8, 1988 | Tokyo, Japan | Defeated Big Van Vader in a decision match. |
| Held up on May 27, 1988 when a defense against Riki Chōshū ends in a no contest. | ||||
| Tatsumi Fujinami | 2 | June 24, 1988 | Osaka, Japan | Defeated Riki Chōshū in a decision match. |
| Voluntarily vacated on April 5, 1989 so the title can be decided in an 8-man tournament. | ||||
| Big Van Vader | 1 | April 24, 1989 | Tokyo, Japan | Defeated Shinya Hashimoto in a tournament final. |
| Salman Hashimikov | 1 | May 25, 1989 | Osaka, Japan | |
| Riki Chōshū | 1 | July 12, 1989 | Osaka, Japan | |
| Big Van Vader | 2 | August 10, 1989 | Tokyo, Japan | |
| Riki Chōshū | 2 | August 19, 1990 | Tokyo, Japan | |
| Tatsumi Fujinami | 3 | December 26, 1990 | Hamamatsu, Japan | |
| Big Van Vader | 3 | January 17, 1991 | Yokohama, Japan | |
| Tatsumi Fujinami | 4 | March 4, 1991 | Hiroshima, Japan | |
| Riki Chōshū | 3 | January 4, 1992 | Tokyo, Japan | |
| The Great Muta | 1 | August 16, 1992 | Fukuoka, Japan | Also held NWA World Heavyweight Title. becoming the only man to do so. |
| Shinya Hashimoto | 1 | September 20, 1993 | Nagoya, Japan | |
| Tatsumi Fujinami | 5 | April 4, 1994 | Hiroshima, Japan | |
| Shinya Hashimoto | 2 | May 1, 1994 | Fukuoka, Japan | |
| Keiji Mutoh | 2 | May 3, 1995 | Fukuoka, Japan | |
| Nobuhiko Takada | 1 | January 4, 1996 | Tokyo, Japan | |
| Shinya Hashimoto | 3 | April 29, 1996 | Tokyo, Japan | |
| Kensuke Sasaki | 1 | August 31, 1997 | Yokohama, Japan | |
| Tatsumi Fujinami | 6 | April 4, 1998 | Tokyo, Japan | |
| Masahiro Chono | 1 | August 8, 1998 | Osaka, Japan | |
| Vacated on September 21, 1998 when Chono injures his neck. | ||||
| Scott Norton | 1 | September 23, 1998 | Yokohama, Japan | Defeated Yuji Nagata in a tournament final. |
| Keiji Mutoh | 3 | January 4, 1999 | Tokyo, Japan | |
| Genichiro Tenryu | 1 | December 10, 1999 | Osaka, Japan | |
| Kensuke Sasaki | 2 | January 4, 2000 | Tokyo, Japan | |
| Vacated on October 9, 2000 after Sasaki loses a non-title match to Toshiaki Kawada. | ||||
| Kensuke Sasaki | 3 | January 4, 2001 | Tokyo, Japan | Defeated Toshiaki Kawada in a tournament final. |
| Scott Norton | 2 | March 17, 2001 | Nagoya, Japan | |
| Kazuyuki Fujita | 1 | April 9, 2001 | Osaka, Japan | |
| Vacated on January 4, 2002 when Fujita injures his ankle. | ||||
| Tadao Yasuda | 1 | February 16, 2002 | Tokyo, Japan | Defeated Yuji Nagata in a tournament final. |
| Yuji Nagata | 1 | April 5, 2002 | Tokyo, Japan | |
| Yoshihiro Takayama | 1 | May 2, 2003 | Tokyo, Japan | |
| Hiroyoshi Tenzan | 1 | November 3, 2003 | Yokohama, Japan | |
| Shinsuke Nakamura | 1 | December 9, 2003 | Osaka, Japan | |
| Vacated on February 5, 2004 due to various injuries. | ||||
| Hiroyoshi Tenzan | 2 | February 15, 2004 | Tokyo, Japan | Defeated Genichiro Tenryu in a tournament final. |
| Kensuke Sasaki | 4 | March 14, 2004 | Tokyo, Japan | |
| Bob Sapp | 1 | March 28, 2004 | Tokyo, Japan | |
| Vacated on June 2, 2004 after Sapp loses an MMA match to Kazuyuki Fujita. | ||||
| Kazuyuki Fujita | 2 | June 5, 2004 | Osaka, Japan | Defeated Hiroshi Tanahashi in a decision match. |
| Kensuke Sasaki | 5 | October 9, 2004 | Tokyo, Japan | |
| Hiroyoshi Tenzan | 3 | December 12, 2004 | Nagoya, Japan | |
| Satoshi Kojima | 1 | February 20, 2005 | Tokyo, Japan | Also held AJPW Triple Crown Championship, becoming the only man to do so. |
| Hiroyoshi Tenzan | 4 | May 14, 2005 | Tokyo, Japan | |
| Kazuyuki Fujita | 3 | July 18, 2005 | Sapporo, Japan | |
| Brock Lesnar | 1 | October 8, 2005 | Tokyo, Japan | Defeated Fujita and Masahiro Chono in a three-way match. |
| Stripped on July 15, 2006 due to contractual complications. | ||||
| Hiroshi Tanahashi | 1 | July 17, 2006 | Sapporo, Japan | Defeated Giant Bernard in a tournament final. |
