IWGP Global Heavyweight Championship

The IWGP Global Heavyweight Championship (IWGP GLOBALヘビー級王座, IWGP GLOBAL hebī-kyū ōza) is a professional wrestling championship owned and promoted by the New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) promotion. "IWGP" are the initials of NJPW's governing body, the International Wrestling Grand Prix (インターナショナル・レスリング・グラン・プリ, intānashonaru resuringu guran puri).^[2] The title was created when the IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship was retired. The reigning champion is Yota Tsuji, who is in his first reign. He defeated David Finlay at Wrestle Kingdom 19 to win the title.

IWGP Global Heavyweight Championship
The IWGP Global Heavyweight Championship belt
Details
Promotion	New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW)
Date established	December 11, 2023[1]
Current champion	Yota Tsuji
Date won	January 4, 2025
Other names
IWGP Global Heavyweight Championship (2023–present) IWGP Global Championship
Statistics First champion David Finlay Most reigns David Finlay (2 reigns) Longest reign David Finlay (2nd reign, 245 days) Shortest reign David Finlay (1st reign, 50 days) Oldest champion Nic Nemeth (43 years, 6 months and 27 days) Youngest champion David Finlay (30 years, 7 months and 19 days) Heaviest champion Yota Tsuji (227 lb (103 kg)) Lightest champion David Finlay (209 lb (95 kg))

History

Background

Reigning champion Yota Tsuji

At 2023's Power Struggle, after Will Ospreay had defended the IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship against Shota Umino in the main event, Bullet Club leader David Finlay destroyed both the U.S. belt and Ospreay's custom IWGP United Kingdom Heavyweight Championship belt with a mallet after attacking Ospreay and Umino's former mentor, AEW's Jon Moxley, saying he felt spurned by both lands the belts represented. Finlay's manager, Gedo, stated that Finlay deserved a new championship of his own.^[3]

At the Power Struggle post media scrum, Ospreay declared that since they did not have the IWGP Intercontinental Championship to fight for anymore, a new title should be on the line at Wrestle Kingdom 18.^[4] At a press conference on November 6, 2023, NJPW chairman Naoki Sugabayashi effectively announced the retirement of the United States title, and that a three-way match between Finlay, Ospreay, and Moxley would be for a brand new championship.^[5] On December 11, at another press conference, he announced the name of the new championship, the IWGP Global Heavyweight Championship.^[1][6]

Belt design

The new championship belt was revealed on January 3, 2024. It is set on a white strap, similar to the now-retired IWGP Intercontinental Championship, and features five plates: one center and two set of side plates. The center plate features depictions of lions on each side, the "IWGP" letters in the center, and the words (all in capital letters) "Global" and "Champion" on the top and bottom, respectively; the New Japan logo is also featured on the top. Four gold circles with a ruby in the center are vertically set, two on each side, next to the center plate. The two sets of side plates each feature different parts of the world globe.^[7]

Reigns

As of May 5, 2025, there have been four reigns shared among three wrestlers. David Finlay was the inaugural champion, has the most reigns at two, had the longest reign at 245 days (and combined days at 295) with four successful defenses, and was the youngest champion, winning it at 30 years old. Nic Nemeth was the oldest champion when he won it at 43 years old.

Yota Tsuji is the reigning champion in his first reign, and is the first Japanese wrestler to have held the title. He defeated David Finlay at Wrestle Kingdom 19 in Tokyo, Japan on January 4, 2025.

Key

No.	Overall reign number
Reign	Reign number for the specific champion
Days	Number of days held
Defenses	Number of successful defenses
+	Current reign is changing daily

No.	Champion	Championship change			Reign statistics			Notes	Ref.
		Date	Event	Location	Reign	Days	Defenses
	New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW)
1	David Finlay	January 4, 2024	Wrestle Kingdom 18	Tokyo, Japan	1	50	0	Defeated Will Ospreay and Jon Moxley in a three-way match to become the inaugural champion.	[8]
2	Nic Nemeth	February 23, 2024	The New Beginning in Sapporo: Night 1	Sapporo, Japan	1	71	1		[9]
3	David Finlay	May 4, 2024	Wrestling Dontaku: Night 2	Fukuoka, Japan	2	245	4		[10]
4	Yota Tsuji	January 4, 2025	Wrestle Kingdom 19	Tokyo, Japan	1	121+	4		[11]

Combined reigns

Inaugural and two-time champion David Finlay

As of May 5, 2025.

†	Indicates the current champion

Rank	Wrestler	No. of reigns	Combinded defenses	Combined days
1	David Finlay	2	4	295
2	Yota Tsuji †	1	4	121+
3	Nic Nemeth	1	1	71