On this page, you find the full Title History for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship, with all Championship Info, Statistics, the Belt Design changes through the years, and the full list of Title Reigns, along with dates, events, and reign durations.
The IWGP World Heavyweight Championship is a World Title contested in New Japan Pro Wrestling on the Heavyweight brand, by men wrestlers.
The championship was first established on March 1, 2021, and the inaugural champion was Kota Ibushi.
The IWGP Heavyweight Championship and IWGP Intercontinental Championship were previously unified into this championship.
The current champion is Zack Sabre Jr., who won the title at NJPW King of Pro-Wrestling 2024 on October 14, 2024, and has been reigning for 37 days.
IWGP World Heavyweight Championship: Title History
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Promotions History
Promotion from to Promotion 
NJPWBrand
Heavyweight
March 1, 2021 Present
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Championship Names & Belt Designs
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IWGP World Heavyweight Championship March 1, 2021
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IWGP World Heavyweight Championship: Title Reigns
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N. Image Champion Reign 11 
Zack Sabre Jr. 1
- October 14, 2024
- Tokyo, Japan
- | NJPW King of Pro-Wrestling 2024
- 37+ days
37+- days
10 
Tetsuya Naito 2
- June 30, 2024
- Elmont, NY
- | AEW x NJPW: Forbidden Door (2024)
- 106 days
106- days
9 
Jon Moxley 1
- April 12, 2024
- Chicago, IL
- | NJPW Windy City Riot (2024)
- 79 days
79- days
8 Tetsuya Naito 1
- January 4, 2024
- Tokyo, Japan
- | NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 18
- 99 days
99- days
7 
SANADA 1
- April 8, 2023
- Tokyo, Japan
- | NJPW Sakura Genesis 2023
- 271 days
271- days
6 
Kazuchika Okada 2
- January 4, 2023
- Tokyo, Japan
- | NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 17
- 94 days
94- days
5 
Jay White 1
- June 12, 2022
- Osaka, Japan
- | NJPW Dominion 6.12 in Osaka-jo Hall (2022)
- 206 days
206- days
4 Kazuchika Okada 1
- January 4, 2022
- Tokyo, Japan
- | NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 16
- 159 days
159- days
3 
Shingo Takagi 1
- June 7, 2021
- Osaka, Japan
- | NJPW Dominion in Osaka-jo Hall (2021)
- 211 days
Defeated Kazuchika Okada to win the vacant title.211- days
Vacant
- May 20, 2021
- 18 days
The title was vacated due to Will Ospreay suffering a neck injury.18- days
2 
Will Ospreay 1
- April 4, 2021
- Tokyo, Japan
- | NJPW Sakura Genesis 2021
- 46 days
46- days
1 
Kota Ibushi 1
- March 4, 2021
- Tokyo, Japan
- | NJPW 49th Anniversary Show
- 31 days
Ibushi unified the IWGP Heavyweight Championship and the IWGP Intercontinental Championship into the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship, with Ibushi as the inaugural champion.31- days
IWGP World Heavyweight Championship: Statistics
- Promotion
New Japan Pro Wrestling
- Gender Male
- Title Type Primary Title
- Date Established March 1, 2021
- Unified With
IWGP Heavyweight Championship
IWGP Intercontinental Championship
- First ChampionKota Ibushi
- Current ChampionZack Sabre Jr.
Most Number of Reigns
| Rank | Wrestler | Reigns |
|---|---|---|
| Kazuchika Okada | 2 | |
| Tetsuya Naito | 2 | |
| SANADA | 1 | |
| Shingo Takagi | 1 | |
| Jay White | 1 |
Most Combined Days
| Rank | Wrestler | Days |
|---|---|---|
| SANADA | 271 | |
| Kazuchika Okada | 253 | |
| Shingo Takagi | 211 | |
| Jay White | 206 | |
| Tetsuya Naito | 205 |
Longest Reigns
| Rank | Wrestler | Reign | Days |
|---|---|---|---|
| SANADA | April 8, 2023 - January 4, 2024 | 271 | |
| Shingo Takagi | June 7, 2021 - January 4, 2022 | 211 | |
| Jay White | June 12, 2022 - January 4, 2023 | 206 | |
| Kazuchika Okada | January 4, 2022 - June 12, 2022 | 159 | |
| Tetsuya Naito | June 30, 2024 - October 14, 2024 | 106 |