Created in 1987, the IWGP Heavyweight Title is one of wrestling's most coveted prizes. A legacy that began with New Japan founder, Antonio Inoki, the belt has been held by some of wrestling's top stars, such as Inoki himself, Riki Choshu, Tatsumi Fujinami, and Shinya Hashimoto. Click each wrestler's name to get a list of title defenses during his reign (if there is no link for a wrestler, it means that he had no successful title defenses).
1. (6/12/87 @ Tokyo Ryogoku Kokugikan) Antonio Inoki beat Masa Saito (14:53) by pinfall (tournament final).
-- Inoki vacates on 5/2/88 due to a left leg fracture.
2. (5/8/88 @ Tokyo Ariake Colosseum) Tatsumi Fujinami beat Big Van Vader (16:02) by DQ (decision match).
-- Title is held up on 5/27/88 when Fujinami vs. Riki Choshu is a no contest.
3. (6/24/88 @ Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium) Tatsumi Fujinami (2) beat Riki Choshu (18:46) with an inside cradle (decision match).
-- Fujinami vacates on 4/5/89 to raise the value of the title in a Tokyo Dome tournament.
4. (4/24/89 @ Tokyo Dome) Big Van Vader beat Shinya Hashimoto (9:47) with an inside cradle (tournament final).
5. (5/25/89 @ Osaka Castle Hall) Salman Hashimikov beat Big Van Vader (8:45) by pinfall.
6. (7/12/89 @ Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium) Riki Choshu beat Salman Hashimikov (7:40) with a lariat.
7. (8/10/89 @ Tokyo Ryogoku Kokugikan) Big Van Vader (2) beat Riki Choshu (10:04) with a front cradle.
8. (8/19/90 @ Tokyo Ryogoku Kokugikan) Riki Choshu (2) beat Big Van Vader (11:51) with a lariat.
9. (12/26/90 @ Hamamatsu Arena) Tatsumi Fujinami (3) beat Riki Choshu (18:46) with a figure-four leglock.
10. (1/17/91 @ Yokohama Bunka Gymnasium) Big Van Vader (3) beat Tatsumi Fujinami (12:57) by pinfall.
11. (3/4/91 @ Hiroshima Sun Plaza) Tatsumi Fujinami (4) beat Big Van Vader (13:14) by pinfall.
12. (1/4/92 @ Tokyo Dome) Riki Choshu (3) beat Tatsumi Fujinami (12:11) with a lariat.
13. (8/16/92 @ Fukuoka International Center) Great Muta (Keiji Muto) beat Riki Choshu (11:26) with a moonsault press.
14. (9/20/93 @ Aichi Prefectural Gymnasium) Shinya Hashimoto beat Great Muta (20:30) with a jumping DDT.
15. (4/4/94 @ Hiroshima Green Arena) Tatsumi Fujinami (5) beat Shinya Hashimoto (14:55) with a ground Cobra Twist.
16. (5/1/94 @ Fukuoka Dome) Shinya Hashimoto (2) beat Tatsumi Fujinami (6:04) with a DDT.
17. (5/3/95 @ Fukuoka Dome) Keiji Muto (2) beat Shinya Hashimoto (21:13) with a moonsault press.
18. (1/4/96 @ Tokyo Dome) Nobuhiko Takada beat Keiji Muto (17:51) with a cross armbreaker.
19. (4/29/96 @ Tokyo Dome) Shinya Hashimoto (3) beat Nobuhiko Takada (12:53) with a triangle choke hold.
20. (8/31/97 @ Yokohama Arena) Kensuke Sasaki beat Shinya Hashimoto (16:54) with a Northern Light bomb.
21. (4/4/98 @ Tokyo Dome) Tatsumi Fujinami (6) beat Kensuke Sasaki (21:18) with a German suplex hold.
22. (8/8/98 @ Osaka Dome) Masahiro Chono beat Tatsumi Fujinami (19:53) with an STF.
-- Chono vacates on 9/21/98 due to a neck injury.
23. (9/23/98 @ Yokohama Arena) Scott Norton beat Yuji Nagata (11:11) with a powerbomb (decision match).
24. (1/4/99 @ Tokyo Dome) Keiji Muto (3) beat Scott Norton (19:01) with a figure-four leglock.
25. (12/10/99 @ Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium) Genichiro Tenryu beat Keiji Muto (26:32) with a Northern Light bomb.
26. (1/4/00 @ Tokyo Dome) Kensuke Sasaki (2) beat Genichiro Tenryu (14:43) with a Northern Light bomb.
-- Sasaki vacates on 10/9/00 after losing a non-title match to Toshiaki Kawada.
27. (1/4/01 @ Tokyo Dome) Kensuke Sasaki (3) beat Toshiaki Kawada (10:30) with a Northern Light bomb (tournament final).
28. (3/17/01 @ Aichi Prefectural Gymnasium) Scott Norton (2) beat Kensuke Sasaki (11:49) with a jumping lariat.
29. (4/9/01 @ Osaka Dome) Kazuyuki Fujita beat Scott Norton (6:43) with a sleeper hold.
-- Fujita vacates on 1/4/02 due to a damaged achilles tendon.
30. (2/16/02 @ Tokyo Ryogoku Kokugikan) Tadao Yasuda beat Yuji Nagata (15:15) with a front sleeper (tournament final).
31. (4/5/02 @ Tokyo Budokan Hall) Yuji Nagata beat Tadao Yasuda (15:01) with the Nagata Lock II.
32. (5/2/03 @ Tokyo Dome) Yoshihiro Takayama beat Yuji Nagata (18:17) with a German suplex.
33. (11/3/03 @ Yokohama Arena) Hiroyoshi Tenzan beat Yoshihiro Takayama (27:26) with a moonsault press.
34. (12/9/03 @ Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium) Shinsuke Nakamura beat Hiroyoshi Tenzan (12:03) with a cross armbreaker.
-- Nakamura vacates on 2/5/04 due to various injuries.
35. (2/15/04 @ Tokyo Ryogoku Kokugikan) Hiroyoshi Tenzan (2) beat Genichiro Tenryu (13:01) with a diving headbutt (tournament final).
36. (3/14/04 @ Yoyogi National Stadium Gymnasium #2) Kensuke Sasaki (4) beat Hiroyoshi Tenzan (15:45) with the Volcano Eruption.
37. (3/28/04 @ Tokyo Ryogoku Kokugikan) Bob Sapp beat Kensuke Sasaki (8:24) with a Beast bomb.
-- Sapp vacates on 6/2/04 after refusing to face his next challenger.
38. (6/5/04 @ Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium) Kazuyuki Fujita (2) beat Hiroshi Tanahashi (11:45) by KO (decision match).
39. (10/9/04 @ Tokyo Ryogoku Kokugikan) Kensuke Sasaki (5) beat Kazuyuki Fujita (2:29) by pinfall.
40. (12/12/04 @ Aichi Prefectural Gymnasium) Hiroyoshi Tenzan (3) beat Kensuke Sasaki (31:38) with a moonsault press.
41. (2/20/05 @ Tokyo Ryogoku Kokugikan) Satoshi Kojima beat Hiroyoshi Tenzan (59:49) by KO.
42. (5/14/05 @ Tokyo Dome) Hiroyoshi Tenzan (4) beat Satoshi Kojima (19:34) with the TTD.
43. (7/18/05 @ Tsukisamu Green Dome) Kazuyuki Fujita (3) beat Hiroyoshi Tenzan (13:59) with a knee kick.
44. (10/8/05 @ Tokyo Dome / Three Way Match) Brock Lesnar beat Kazuyuki Fujita & Masahiro Chono (8:05) with the Verdict on Chono.
-- Lesnar is stripped of the title on 7/15/06 due to contractual problems.
45. (7/17/06 @ Tsukisamu Green Dome) Hiroshi Tanahashi beat Giant Bernard (17:44) with the Sling Blade (tournament final).
46. (4/13/07 @ Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium) Yuji Nagata (2) beat Hiroshi Tanahashi (23:33) with a backdrop hold.
47. (10/8/07 @ Tokyo Ryogoku Kokugikan) Hiroshi Tanahashi (2) beat Yuji Nagata (31:05) with the High Fly Flow.
48. (1/4/08 @ Tokyo Dome) Shinsuke Nakamura (2) beat Hiroshi Tanahashi (23:08) with the Landslide.
49. (4/27/08 @ Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium) Keiji Muto (4) beat Shinsuke Nakamura (22:34) with a moonsault press.
