Championshipname: | IWGP Global Heavyweight Championship |
Currentholder: | David Finlay |
Won: | May 4, 2024 |
Promotion: | New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) |
Created: | December 11, 2023 |
Mostreigns: | David Finlay (2 reigns) |
Firstchamp: | David Finlay |
Longestreign: | David Finlay (2nd reign, + days) |
Shortestreign: | David Finlay (1st reign, 50 days) |
Oldest: | Nic Nemeth |
Youngest: | David Finlay |
Heaviest: | Nic Nemeth (220lb) |
Lightest: | David Finlay (209lb) |
Pastnames: |
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The is a professional wrestling championship owned and promoted by the New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) promotion. "IWGP" are the initials of NJPW's governing body, the .[1] The title was created when the IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship was retired. The current champion is David Finlay, who is in his record-setting second and longest reign. He defeated Nic Nemeth at Wrestling Dontaku: Night 2 on May 4, 2024 in Fukuoka, Japan.
At the 2023 Power Struggle, after Will Ospreay had defended the IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship against Shota Umino in the main event, Bullet Club leader David Finlay destroyed both the U.S. belt and Ospreay's custom IWGP United Kingdom Heavyweight Championship belt with a mallet after attacking Ospreay and Umino's former mentor, AEW's Jon Moxley, and a three-way match was scheduled for three men at Wrestle Kingdom 18.[2]
At a press conference on November 6, 2023, NJPW chairman Naoki Sugabayashi announced that a new championship would replace the United States Heavyweight Championship for the bout.[3] On December 11, at another press conference, he announced the name of the new championship, the IWGP Global Heavyweight Championship.[4] [5]
The new championship belt was revealed on January 3, 2024. It is set on a white strap, similar to the now-retired IWGP Intercontinental Championship, and features five plates: one center and two set of side plates. The center plate features depictions of lions on each side, the "IWGP" letters in the center, and the words (all in capital letters) "Global" and "Champion" on the top and bottom, respectively; the New Japan logo is also featured on the top. Four gold circles with a ruby in the center are vertically set, two on each side, next to the center plate. The two sets of side plates each feature different parts of the world globe.[6]
As of,, there have been three reigns shared among two wrestlers. David Finlay was the inaugural champion, has the most reigns at two, and was the youngest champion, winning it as 30 years old. Nic Nemeth was the oldest champion when he won it at 43 years old.
David Finlay is the current champion in his record-setting second reign. He defeated Nic Nemeth at Wrestling Dontaku: Night 2 in Fukuoka, Japan on May 4, 2024.
As of, .
† | Indicates the current champion |
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Rank | Wrestler | No. of reigns | Combinded defenses | Combined days | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | † | 2 | 1 | + | |
2 | 1 | 1 | 71 |