NJPW Title History: The Most Important Belt Changes in Company History
NJPW’s title history is defined by a handful of truly pivotal belt changes, from the rise of the IWGP Heavyweight Championship in the 1980s to Yota Tsuji’s restoration of its lineage in 2026.
IWGP Heavyweight Title: Era‑Defining Changes
The IWGP Heavyweight Championship has been NJPW’s central prize, and its biggest switches usually signal a new ace or creative direction.
| Moment | Event & Date | Why It Mattered |
|---|---|---|
| Antonio Inoki becomes first IWGP Heavyweight Champion | 1987, creation of the “defended” IWGP Heavyweight title replacing the original tournament‑only belt. | Established a regularly defended world title for NJPW, creating the lineage that would define the promotion’s main event scene. |
| Hiroshi Tanahashi’s long 2011–2012 reign | Title win on January 4, 2011 at Wrestle Kingdom; 404‑day reign. | Cemented Tanahashi as the modern “Ace” and stabilized business, laying the groundwork for NJPW’s 2010s boom. |
| Kazuchika Okada’s 720‑day reign | Won the title June 19, 2016 at Dominion, held it 720 days. | Record‑setting reign that defined the Okada era and provided the backbone for the Okada–Omega and Okada–Naito classics. |
| Shingo Takagi wins the vacant world title | Defeated Okada for the vacant belt at Dominion 2021. | Marked the elevation of a former junior and outsider into the main‑event heavyweight picture, reflecting a more flexible top‑card philosophy. |
Unification and Creation of the IWGP World Heavyweight Title
In the 2020s, NJPW dramatically reshaped its top championship picture by unifying belts and introducing the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship.
| Moment | Event & Date | Why It Mattered |
|---|---|---|
| Kota Ibushi unifies IWGP Heavyweight & Intercontinental | Wrestle Kingdom 15 (January 4, 2021) and follow‑up; by March 4, 2021 the titles were unified into the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship. | Retired the original V4 Heavyweight belt and created the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship, breaking with a lineage that stretched back to the 1980s. |
| Will Ospreay’s brief reign and injury vacancy | Ospreay won at Sakura Genesis 2021, vacated due to neck injury on May 20, 2021. | Showed the fragility of the new belt’s early years and forced NJPW to rapidly reshuffle its top scene, leading to Shingo’s coronation. |
| Okada, Jay White, Naito rotate as world champions | Multiple reigns between 2022–2024, including Okada’s sixth and seventh recognized world‑level reigns. | Kept the new title’s prestige high by anchoring it around established main‑eventers and longtime rivals, bridging eras for fans. |
2026: Yota Tsuji Restores the IWGP Heavyweight Lineage
Yota Tsuji’s double‑title win and the return of the IWGP Heavyweight Championship in early 2026 may be the most historically significant NJPW belt shift since the original unification.
| Moment | Event & Date | Why It Mattered |
|---|---|---|
| Tsuji wins IWGP World & defends IWGP Global | Wrestle Kingdom 20 (January 4, 2026): Tsuji defeats Konosuke Takeshita, leaving with both the IWGP World Heavyweight and IWGP Global Heavyweight titles. | Positioned Tsuji as the face of a new era and the first top star to simultaneously embody NJPW’s domestic and global ambitions. |
| V4 IWGP Heavyweight belt returns | New Year Dash!! 2026 (January 5): Tsuji unveils the classic V4 Heavyweight belt and is introduced as IWGP Heavyweight Champion. | Officially restores the beloved original Heavyweight title design and identity, responding to years of fan debate over the World belt. |
| Lineages merged into one | NJPW recognizes IWGP World Heavyweight champions (2021–2026) as part of the IWGP Heavyweight lineage, retroactively merging histories. | Ensures that reigns by Ibushi, Ospreay, Shingo, Okada, Jay White, Naito and others count as IWGP Heavyweight reigns, creating a single continuous “world title” record. |
| Heavyweight vs Global split clarified | IWGP Heavyweight becomes Japan‑centric; the IWGP Global title is earmarked for international defenses and crossover shows with AEW, CMLL, etc. | Re‑establishes a classic domestic ace belt while using the Global title as the traveling championship for Forbidden Door‑style events. |
Other Key Title Shifts That Shaped NJPW
Beyond the top belt, several other championships and moments have had outsized impact on NJPW’s direction.
How to Use This History as a New Fan
NJPW’s title changes are the easiest way to map eras and recommended viewing.
- Start with landmark switches like Tanahashi’s 2011 win, Okada’s 2012 breakthrough, Okada’s 2016–2018 reign, Ibushi’s 2021 unification, and Tsuji’s 2026 restoration.
- Use title histories and Wrestle Kingdom cards to build a watchlist around these reigns; almost every major belt change listed here anchors a highly rated main event or legendary match.
