List of current champions in New Japan Pro-Wrestling

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New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) is a professional wrestling promotion based in Nakano, Tokyo. Title reigns are either determined by professional wrestling matches or are awarded to a wrestler, as a result of the culmination of various scripted storylines. There are 11 total active championships promoted by NJPW - featuring six singles championships, three traditional tag team championships, and a six-man tag team championship for male wrestlers, with two singles championship for female wrestlers. 16 wrestlers currently hold the titles.

Contents

The list includes the number of times the wrestler has held the title, the date and location of the win, and a description of the winning bout. The following is correct as of May23, 2024.

Overview

Men's Singles

At the top of NJPW's championship hierarchy for male wrestlers in the heavyweight division is the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship. Secondary titles include the IWGP Global Heavyweight Championship, the NJPW World Television Championship, and the KOPW (King of Pro Wrestling) Championship.

In the junior heavyweight division, the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship is the primary title

The NEVER Openweight Championship and the Strong Openweight Championship are available to male wrestlers regardless of weight class.

Men's Tag Team

For tag teams, there are three traditional championships for two-man teams—the IWGP Tag Team Championship, the Strong Openweight Tag Team Championship, and the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship for the junior heavyweight division.

The NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Championship serves as the title for three-man teams.

Women's Division

There are two championships for female wrestlers in NJPW - the IWGP Women's Championship (the primary title which is defended in NJPW and sister promotion Stardom), and the Strong Women's Championship.

Current champions

As of May23, 2024

Men's division

Singles

ChampionshipCurrent champion(s)ReignDate wonDays
held
Successful defensesLocationNotesRef.
IWGP World Heavyweight Championship Jon Moxley Oct 2021.jpg Jon Moxley 1 April 12, 2024413 Chicago, United States Defeated Tetsuya Naito at Windy City Riot. [1]
IWGP Global Heavyweight Championship 2023.11.04-David Finlay (cropped).jpg David Finlay 2 May 4, 2024190 Fukuoka, Japan Defeated Nic Nemeth at Wrestling Dontaku: Night 2. [2]
IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship SHO (wrestler).jpg Sho 1 February 23, 2024902 Sapporo, Japan Defeated El Desperado at The New Beginning in Sapporo. [2]
NEVER Openweight Championship SHINGO TAKAGI 2020.02.20.jpg Shingo Takagi 4 April 6, 2024472 Tokyo, Japan Defeated Evil at Sakura Genesis. [3]
Strong Openweight Championship Gabriel kidd.jpg Gabe Kidd 1 May 11, 2024120 Ontario, California Defeated Eddie Kingston at Resurgence. [4]
KOPW 2024 2023.11.04-uemurayuya.jpg Yuya Uemura 1
(provisional)
April 27, 2024260 Hiroshima, Japan Defeated Great-O-Khan 21 in a Rural Revitalization in Hamamatsu two-out-of-three falls match on the Road to Wrestling Dontaku: Night 7. [5]
NJPW World Television Championship Jeff Cobb 16 Carat Gold 2020 N2 (2).jpg Jeff Cobb 1May 4, 2024201 Fukuoka, Japan Defeated Zack Sabre Jr. at Wrestling Dontaku: Night 1. [6]

Tag teams

ChampionshipCurrent champion(s)ReignDate wonDays
held
Successful defensesLocationNotesRef.
IWGP Tag Team Championship KENTA 201912.jpg
Chase Owens 2016.jpg
Bullet Club
(Kenta and Chase Owens)
2
(3, 2)
May 4, 2024190 Fukuoka, Japan Defeated Bishamon (Hirooki Goto and Yoshi-Hashi) at Wrestling Dontaku: Night 2. [3]
IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship No image available.svg
No image available.svg
Bullet Club War Dogs
(Drilla Moloney and Clark Connors)
2
(2, 2)
February 4, 20241092 Tokyo, Japan Defeated Catch 2/2 (Francesco Akira and TJP) at Road to the New Beginning. [7]
Strong Openweight Tag Team Championship ELP202302.png
Hikuleo.png
Guerrillas of Destiny
(El Phantasmo and Hikuleo)
2
(2, 2)
May 11, 2024120 Ontario, California, USADefeated previous champions TMDK (Mikey Nicholls and Shane Haste) at Resurgence. [4]
NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Championship Toru Yano NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Champion.JPG
Oleg Boltin (cropped).JPG
20221030tana1.jpg
Toru Yano, Oleg Boltin and Hiroshi Tanahashi 1
(5, 1, 5)
April 14, 2024391 Taipei, Taiwan Defeated House of Torture (Evil, Sho and Yoshinobu Kanemaru) in a final of the four-team tournament to win the vacant titles at Wrestling World 2024 in Taiwan. [8]

Women's division

ChampionshipCurrent champion(s)ReignDate wonDays
held
Successful
defenses
LocationNotesRef.
IWGP Women's Championship Iwatani mayu.jpg Mayu Iwatani 1 April 23, 20233965 Yokohama, Japan Defeated Mercedes Moné at All Star Grand Queendom. [9]
Strong Women's Championship Stephanie Vaquer (cropped).jpg Stephanie Vaquer 1March 10, 2024743 Tokyo, Japan Defeated Giulia at Cinderella Tournament Night 2. [10]

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References

  1. "IWGP World Heavyweight Title History on the official website". New Japan Pro Wrestling.
  2. 1 2 "2024.02.23 THE NEW BEGINNING in SAPPORO | NEW JAPAN PRO-WRESTLING". NJPW. Retrieved 2024-02-05.
  3. 1 2 Fritts, Chick (April 6, 2024). "NJPW Sakura Genesis live results: Naito vs. Tsuji IWGP World title match". Wrestling Observer Figure Four Online . Retrieved April 6, 2024.
  4. 1 2 Fritta, Chick (May 11, 2024). "NJPW Resurgence live results: Jon Moxley vs. Shota Umino IWGP World title match". Wrestling Observer Figure Four Online . Retrieved May 12, 2024.
  5. Currier, Joseph (April 27, 2024). "Yuya Uemura wins NJPW KOPW 2024 title". Wrestling Observer Figure Four Online . Retrieved April 27, 2024.
  6. Gibbons, Aidan (May 3, 2024). "NJPW Wrestling Dontaku 2024 Night 1 Results". cultaholic.com. Retrieved May 3, 2024.
  7. Kreikenbohm, Philip (February 4, 2024). "NJPW Road To The New Beginning 2024 - Tag 6 - Online Stream @ Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan". Cagematch - The Internet Wrestling Database. Retrieved February 4, 2024.
  8. Kreikenbohm, Philip (April 14, 2024). "NJPW Wrestling World 2024 In Taiwan - TV-Show @ Zepp New Taipei in New Taipei, Taiwan". Cagematch - The Internet Wrestling Database. Retrieved April 14, 2024.
  9. "Official IWGP Women's Championship History". New Japan Pro Wrestling.
  10. Lambert, Jeremy (2024-03-10). "Stephanie Vaquer Wins NJPW Strong Women's Championship From Giulia". Fightful.