On this page, you find the full Title History for the NEVER Openweight 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 NEVER Openweight Championship is a secondary title contested in New Japan Pro Wrestling, by men wrestlers.
The championship was first established on November 19, 2012, and the inaugural champion was Masato Tanaka.
The title was originally scheduled to be defended exclusively at NEVER events, but this plan was quickly changed. "Openweight" means that both heavyweight and junior heavyweight wrestlers are eligible to challenge for it.
The current champion is Shingo Takagi, who won the title at NJPW Destruction in Kobe 2024 on September 29, 2024, and has been reigning for 81 days.
NEVER Openweight Championship: Title History
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Promotions History
Promotion from to Promotion 
NJPWNovember 19, 2012 Present
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Championship Names & Belt Designs
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NEVER Openweight Championship November 19, 2012
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NEVER Openweight Championship: Title Reigns
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N. Image Champion Reign 46 
Shingo Takagi 5
- September 29, 2024
- Kobe, Japan
- | NJPW Destruction in Kobe 2024
- 81+ days
81+- days
45 
HENARE 1
- June 16, 2024
- Sapporo, Japan
- | NJPW New Japan Soul 2024
- 105 days
105- days
44 Shingo Takagi 4
- April 6, 2024
- Tokyo, Japan
- | NJPW Sakura Genesis 2024
- 71 days
71- days
43 
EVIL 3
- January 20, 2024
- Nagoya, Japan
- | NJPW The New Beginning 2024
- 77 days
77- days
42 
Tama Tonga 4
- January 4, 2024
- Tokyo, Japan
- | NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 18
- 16 days
16- days
41 Shingo Takagi 3
- October 28, 2023
- Las Vegas, NV
- | NJPW Strong Fighting Spirit Unleashed 2023
- 68 days
68- days
40 Tama Tonga 3
- October 9, 2023
- Tokyo, Japan
- | NJPW Destruction 2023
- 19 days
19- days
39 
David Finlay 1
- May 3, 2023
- Fukuoka, Japan
- | NJPW Wrestling Dontaku 2023
- 159 days
159- days
38 Tama Tonga 2
- January 4, 2023
- Tokyo, Japan
- | NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 17
- 119 days
119- days
37 
Karl Anderson 1
- June 12, 2022
- Osaka, Japan
- | NJPW Dominion 6.12 in Osaka-jo Hall (2022)
- 206 days
206- days
36 Tama Tonga 1
- May 1, 2022
- Fukuoka, Japan
- | NJPW Wrestling Dontaku 2022
- 42 days
42- days
35 EVIL 2
- January 4, 2022
- Tokyo, Japan
- | NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 16
- 117 days
117- days
34 
Tomohiro Ishii 6
- November 13, 2021
- San Jose, CA
- | NJPW Battle in the Valley
- 52 days
52- days
33 
Jay White 1
- May 3, 2021
- Fukuoka, Japan
- | NJPW Wrestling Dontaku 2021
- 194 days
194- days
32 
Hiroshi Tanahashi 1
- January 30, 2021
- Nagoya, Japan
- | NJPW The New Beginning 2021
- 93 days
93- days
31 Shingo Takagi 2
- November 7, 2020
- Osaka, Japan
- | NJPW Power Struggle 2020
- 84 days
84- days
30 
Minoru Suzuki 2
- August 29, 2020
- Tokyo, Japan
- | NJPW Summer Struggle in Jingu (2020)
- 70 days
70- days
29 Shingo Takagi 1
- February 1, 2020
- Sapporo, Japan
- | NJPW The New Beginning 2020
- 210 days
210- days
28 
Hirooki Goto 5
- January 5, 2020
- Tokyo, Japan
- | NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 14
- 27 days
27- days
27 
KENTA 1
- August 31, 2019
- London, England
- | NJPW Royal Quest
- 127 days
127- days
26 Tomohiro Ishii 5
- June 9, 2019
- Osaka, Japan
- | NJPW Dominion 6.9 in Osaka-jo Hall (2019)
- 83 days
83- days
25 
Taichi 2
- May 3, 2019
- Fukuoka, Japan
- | NJPW Wrestling Dontaku 2019
- 37 days
37- days
24 
Jeff Cobb 1
- April 6, 2019
- New York City, NY
- | ROH/NJPW G1 Supercard
- 27 days
27- days
23 
Will Ospreay 1
- January 4, 2019
- Tokyo, Japan
- | NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 13
- 92 days
Ospreay is the first junior heavyweight to win the title.92- days
22 
Kota Ibushi 1
- December 9, 2018
- Iwate, Japan
- | NJPW World Tag League 2018 Finals
- 26 days
26- days
21 Hirooki Goto 4
- November 3, 2018
- Osaka, Japan
- | NJPW Power Struggle & Super Jr. Tag League 2018
- 36 days
36- days
20 Taichi 1
- September 17, 2018
- Beppu, Japan
- | NJPW Destruction 2018
- 47 days
47- days
19 Hirooki Goto 3
- June 17, 2018
- Tokyo, Japan
- | NJPW Kizuna Road 2018
- 92 days
92- days
18 
Michael Elgin 1
- June 9, 2018
- Osaka, Japan
- | NJPW Dominion 6.9 in Osaka-jo Hall (2018)
- 8 days
8- days
17 Hirooki Goto 2
- January 4, 2018
- Tokyo, Japan
- | NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 12
- 156 days
156- days
16 Minoru Suzuki 1
- April 27, 2017
- Hiroshima, Japan | Road to Wrestling Dontaku 2017: Aki no Kuni Sengoku Emaki
- 252 days
252- days
15 Hirooki Goto 1
- January 4, 2017
- Tokyo, Japan
- | NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 11
- 113 days
113- days
14 
Katsuyori Shibata 3
- November 15, 2016
- Singapore
- | NJPW Wrestling World 2016 in Singapore
- 50 days
50- days
13 
EVIL 1
- November 5, 2016
- Osaka, Japan
- | NJPW Power Struggle 2016
- 10 days
10- days
12 Katsuyori Shibata 2
- June 19, 2016
- Osaka, Japan
- | NJPW Dominion 6.19 In Osaka-Jo Hall (2016)
- 139 days
139- days
11 
Yuji Nagata 1
- May 3, 2016
- Fukuoka, Japan
- | NJPW Wrestling Dontaku 2016
- 47 days
47- days
10 
Katsuyori Shibata 1
- January 4, 2016
- Tokyo, Japan
- | NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 10
- 120 days
120- days
9 Tomohiro Ishii 4
- October 12, 2015
- Tokyo, Japan
- | NJPW King of Pro-Wrestling 2016
- 84 days
84- days
8 
Togi Makabe 2
- April 29, 2015
- Mashiki, Japan | Wrestling Hinokuni
- 166 days
166- days
7 Tomohiro Ishii 3
- February 14, 2015
- Sendai, Japan
- | NJPW The New Beginning 2015
- 74 days
Defeated Tomoaki Honma to win the vacant title.74- days
Vacant
- February 14, 2015
- Sendai, Japan
- | NJPW The New Beginning 2015
- 0 days
The title was vacated due to Makabe being sidelined with influenza.0- days
6 Togi Makabe 1
- January 4, 2015
- Tokyo, Japan
- | NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 9
- 41 days
41- days
5 Tomohiro Ishii 2
- October 13, 2014
- Tokyo, Japan
- | NJPW King of Pro-Wrestling 2015
- 83 days
83- days
4 
Yujiro Takahashi 1
- June 29, 2014
- Tokyo, Japan
- | NJPW Kizuna Road 2014
- 106 days
106- days
3 Tomohiro Ishii 1
- February 11, 2014
- Osaka, Japan
- | NJPW The New Beginning 2014
- 138 days
138- days
2 
Tetsuya Naito 1
- September 29, 2013
- Kobe, Japan
- | NJPW Destruction (2013)
- 135 days
135- days
1 
Masato Tanaka 1
- November 19, 2012
- Tokyo, Japan
- | NJPW NEVER: Shodai NEVER Musabetsu Kyu Oza Kettei Tournament
- 314 days
Defeated Karl Anderson in a tournament finals to become the inaugural champion.314- days
NEVER Openweight Championship: Statistics
- Promotion
New Japan Pro Wrestling
- Gender Male
- Title Type Secondary Title
- Date Established November 19, 2012
- First ChampionMasato Tanaka
- Current ChampionShingo Takagi
Most Number of Reigns
| Rank | Wrestler | Reigns |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tomohiro Ishii | 6 |
| 2 | Shingo Takagi | 5 |
| 3 | Hirooki Goto | 5 |
| 4 | Tama Tonga | 4 |
| 5 | Katsuyori Shibata | 3 |
| 6 | EVIL | 3 |
Most Combined Days
| Rank | Wrestler | Days |
|---|---|---|
| Shingo Takagi | 514+ | |
| Tomohiro Ishii | 514 | |
| Hirooki Goto | 424 | |
| Minoru Suzuki | 322 | |
| Masato Tanaka | 314 |
Longest Reigns
| Rank | Wrestler | Reign | Days |
|---|---|---|---|
| Masato Tanaka | November 19, 2012 - September 29, 2013 | 314 | |
| Minoru Suzuki | April 27, 2017 - January 4, 2018 | 252 | |
| Shingo Takagi | February 1, 2020 - August 29, 2020 | 210 | |
| Karl Anderson | June 12, 2022 - January 4, 2023 | 206 | |
| Jay White | May 3, 2021 - November 13, 2021 | 194 |