New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) is a Japanese promotion founded by Antonio Inoki in 1972. Owing to its TV program aired on TV Asahi, it is the largest wrestling promotion in Japan and one of the largest in the world. NJPW has working agreements with Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre, RevPro and Ring of Honor. It previously had a working agreement with World Championship Wrestling, the National Wrestling Alliance and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling.
It has also been named Wrestling Observer Newsletter's "Promotion of the Year" 13
times, more than any other wrestling promotion in the world.
Current Championships[]
| Championship
|
Champion(s)
|
Date Won
|
|
IWGP World Heavyweight Championship
|
Zack Sabre Jr.
|
October 14, 2024
|
|
IWGP Tag Team Championship
|
United Empire (Great-O-Khan & HENARE)
|
November 4, 2024
|
|
IWGP Women's Championship
|
Mayu Iwatani
|
April 23, 2023
|
|
NEVER Openweight Championship
|
Shingo Takagi
|
September 29, 2024
|
|
|
NEVER Openweight Six Man Tag Team Championship
|
Hiroshi Tanahashi, Oleg Boltin & Toru Yano
|
June 16, 2024
|
|
|
IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship
|
DOUKI
|
July 5, 2024
|
|
|
IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship
|
Intergalactic Jet Setters (KUSHIDA & Kevin Knight)
|
October 14, 2024
|
|
|
IWGP Global Heavyweight Championship
|
David Finlay
|
May 4, 2024
|
|
|
NJPW WORLD Television Championship
|
Ren Narita
|
October 14, 2024
|
|
|
NJPW STRONG Openweight Championship
|
Gabriel Kidd
|
May 11, 2024
|
|
|
NJPW STRONG Women's Championship
|
Mercedes Mone
|
June 30, 2024
|
|
|
NJPW STRONG Openweight Tag Team Championship
|
Grizzled Young Veterans (James Drake & Zack Gibson)
|
November 8, 2024
|
|
|
NJPW King of Pro-Wrestling Championship
|
Great-O-Khan
|
June 9, 2024
|
Championships Previously Used by NJPW[]
| Championship
|
Last champion(s)
|
Retired
|
Notes
|
| IWGP Heavyweight Championship
|
Kota Ibushi
|
March 4, 2021
|
The Championship was retired after it was unified with the IWGP Intercontinental Championship to create the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship.
|
| NWA International Junior Heavyweight Championship |
Hirooki Goto |
September 8, 2007 |
N/A
|
| NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship |
Craig Classic |
November 6, 2010 |
N/A
|
| NWF Heavyweight Championship |
Shinsuke Nakamura |
January 5, 2004 |
N/A
|
| NWF North American Heavyweight Championship |
Tiger Jeet Singh |
May 21, 1981 |
N/A
|
| NWA North American Tag Team Championship |
Seiji Sakaguch & Riki Chōshū |
June 15, 1979 |
N/
|
| UWA World Junior Light Heavyweight Championship |
Shinjiro Otani |
October 5, 1997 |
N/A
|
| WWF International Heavyweight Championship |
Tatsumi Fujinami |
July 19, 1985 |
N/A
|
| WWF International Tag Team Championship |
Kengo Kimura & Tatsumi Fujinami |
October 31, 1985 |
N/A
|
| WWF Junior Heavyweight Championship |
The Cobra |
October 31, 1985 |
N/A
|
| WWF World Martial Arts Heavyweight Championship |
Antonio Inoki |
December 31, 1989 |
N/A
|
| Greatest 18 Club Championship |
The Great Muta |
August 16, 1992 |
N/A
|
| IWGP U-30 Openweight Championship |
Hiroshi Tanahashi |
June 7, 2006 |
N/A
|
| IWGP Intercontinental Championship
|
Kota Ibushi
|
February 28, 2021
|
The Championship was retired after it was unified with the IWGP Heavyweight Championship to create the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship.
|
| IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship
|
Will Ospreay
|
2023
|
Championship deactivated and replaced with the IWGP Global Heavyweight Championship.
|
Annual tournaments[]
| Tournament
|
Last winner
|
Last held
|
Type
|
Created
|
Notes
|
| G1 Climax
|
Tetsuya Naito
|
August 13, 2023
|
Open weight
|
1991
|
NJPW's biggest annual tournament, primarily for heavyweights but there is no official weight limit
|
| World Tag League
|
Bishamon
(Hirooki Goto & YOSHI-HASHI)
|
December 10, 2023
|
Tag team
|
1991
|
NJPW's annual tag team tournament.
|
| New Japan Cup
|
SANADA
|
March 21, 2023
|
Open weight
|
2005
|
NJPW's annual single-elimination tournament, primarily for heavyweights but there is no official weight limit.
|
| Best of the Super Juniors
|
Master Wato
|
May 28, 2023
|
Junior Heavyweight
|
1988
|
Annual tournament featuring top Junior Heavyweights from all over the world.
|
| Super J Cup
|
El Phantasmo
|
December 12, 2020
|
Junior Heavyweight
|
1994
|
Sporadic tournament featuring top Junior Heavyweights from all over the world, Tournament has been hosted by other promotions than NJPW as well.
|
| Super Jr Tag League
|
Catch 22
(Francesco Akira & TJP)
|
November 4, 2023
|
Junior Heavyweight Tag Team
|
2010
|
Tournament created in 2010, an annual event for NJPW.
|
| Young Lion Cup
|
Karl Fredericks
|
August 25, 2019
|
Rookies
|
1985
|
Tournament that is not held every year.
|
| J Sports Crown 6 Man Openweight Tag Team Tournament
|
Apollo 555 (Hirooki Goto, Prince Devitt and Ryusuke Taguchi)
|
June 23, 2011
|
Six man tag team
|
2010
|
|
See also[]
External links[]
