IWGP World Championship
1987 - 2021
Antonio Inoki
06.12.1987 - 05.02.1988
- defeated Masa Saito in a tournament final to become the first International Wrestling Grand Prix (IWGP) World Champion
VACANT
05.02.1988 - 05.08.1988
- Antonio Inoki vacated the title due to being injured
Tatsumi Fujinami
05.08.1988 - 05.27.1988
- defeated Big Van Vader to win the vacant title
VACANT
05.27.1988 - 06.24.1988
- the title was held up after a controversial title defense between Tatsumi Fujinami and Riki Choshu
Tatsumi Fujinami (2)
06.24.1988 - 04.05.1989
- defeated Riki Choshu to win the vacant title
VACANT
04.05.1989 - 04.24.1989
- Tatsumi Fujinami vacated the title so that it could be decided in a tournament
Big Van Vader
04.24.1989 - 05.25.1989
- defeated Shinya Hashimoto in a tournament final to win the vacant title
Salman Hashimikov
05.25.1989 - 07.12.1989
Riki Choshu
07.12.1989 - 08.10.1989
Big Van Vader (2)
08.10.1989 - 08.19.1990
Riki Choshu (2)
08.19.1990 - 12.26.1990
Tatsumi Fujinami (3)
12.26.1990 - 01.17.1991
Big Van Vader (3)
01.17.1991 - 03.04.1991
Tatsumi Fujinami (4)
03.04.1991 - 01.04.1992
Riki Choshu (3)
01.04.1992 - 08.16.1992
The Great Muta
08.16.1992 - 09.20.1993
Shinya Hashimoto
09.20.1993 - 04.04.1994
Tatsumi Fujinami (5)
04.04.1994 - 05.01.1994
Shinya Hashimoto (2)
05.01.1994 - 05.03.1995
Keiji Muto (2)
05.03.1995 - 01.04.1996
Nobuhiko Takada
01.04.1996 - 04.29.1996
Shinya Hashimoto (3)
04.29.1996 - 08.31.1997
Kensuke Sasaki
08.31.1997 - 04.04.1998
Tatsumi Fujinami (6)
04.04.1998 - 08.08.1998
Masahiro Chono
08.08.1998 - 09.21.1998
VACANT
09.21.1998 - 09.23.1998
- Masahiro Chono vacated the title due to being injured
Scott Norton
09.23.1998 - 01.04.1999
- defeated Yuji Nagata to win the vacant title
Keiji Muto (3)
01.04.1999 - 12.10.1999
Genichiro Tenryu
12.10.1999 - 01.04.2000
Kensuke Sasaki (2)
01.04.2000 - 10.09.2000
VACANT
10.09.2000 - 01.04.2001
- the title was held up after a controversial title defense between Kensuke Sasaki and Toshiaki Kawada
Kensuke Sasaki (3)
01.04.2001 - 03.17.2001
- defeated Toshiaki Kawada to win the vacant title
Scott Norton (2)
03.17.2001 - 04.09.2001
Kazuyuki Fujita
04.09.2001 - 01.04.2002
VACANT
01.04.2002 - 02.16.2002
- Kazuyuki Fujita vacated the title due to being injured
Tadao Yasuda
02.16.2002 - 04.05.2002
- defeated Yuji Nagata in a tournament final to win the vacant title
Yuji Nagata
04.05.2002 - 05.02.2003
Yoshihiro Takayama
05.02.2003 - 11.03.2003
Hiroyoshi Tenzan
11.03.2003 - 12.09.2003
Shinsuke Nakamura
12.09.2003 - 02.05.2004
VACANT
02.05.2024 - 02.15.2004
- Shinsuke Nakamura vacated the title due to being injured
Hiroyoshi Tenzan (2)
02.15.2004 - 03.12.2004
- defeated Genichiro Tenryu in a tournament final to win the vacant title
Kensuke Sasaki (4)
03.12.2004 - 03.28.2004
Bob Sapp
03.28.2004 - 06.02.2004
VACANT
06.02.2004 - 06.05.2004
- Bob Sapp vacated the title after losing a match to Kazuyuki Fujita
Kazuyuki Fujita (2)
06.05.2004 - 10.09.2004
Kensuke Sasaki (5)
10.09.2004 - 12.12.2004
Hiroyoshi Tenzan (3)
12.12.2004 - 02.20.2005
Satoshi Kojima
02.20.2005 - 05.14.2005
Hiroyoshi Tenzan (4)
05.14.2005 - 07.18.2005
Kazuyuki Fujita (3)
07.18.2005 - 10.08.2005
Brock Lesnar
10.08.2005 - 07.15.2006
VACANT
07.15.2006 - 07.17.2006
- Brock Lesnar was stripped of the title after he refused to return to Japan and defend it
Hiroshi Tanahashi
07.17.2006 - 04.13.2007
- defeated Giant Bernard in a tournament final to win the vacant title
Yuji Nagata (2)
04.13.2007 - 10.08.2007
Hiroshi Tanahashi (2)
10.08.2007 - 01.04.2008
Shinsuke Nakamura (2)
01.04.2008 - 04.27.2008
Keiji Muto (4)
04.27.2008 - 01.04.2009
Hiroshi Tanahashi (3)
01.04.2009 - 05.06.2009
Manabu Nakanishi
05.06.2009 - 06.20.2009
Hiroshi Tanahashi (4)
06.20.2009 - 08.17.2009
VACANT
08.17.2009 - 09.27.2009
- Hiroshi Tanahashi vacated the title due to being injured
Shinsuke Nakamura (3)
09.27.2009 - 05.03.2010
- defeated Togi Makabe to win the vacant title
Togi Makabe
05.03.2010 - 10.11.2010
Satoshi Kojima (2)
10.11.2010 - 01.04.2011
Hiroshi Tanahashi (5)
01.04.2011 - 02.12.2012
Kazuchika Okada
02.12.2012 - 06.16.2012
Hiroshi Tanahashi (6)
06.16.2012 - 04.07.2013
Kazuchika Okada (2)
04.07.2013 - 05.03.2014
AJ Styles
05.03.2014 - 10.13.2014
Hiroshi Tanahashi (7)
10.13.2014 - 02.11.2015
AJ Styles (2)
02.11.2015 - 07.05.2015
Kazuchika Okada (3)
07.05.2015 - 04.10.2016
Tetsuya Naito
04.10.2016 - 06.19.2016
Kazuchika Okada (4)
06.19.2016 - 06.09.2018
Kenny Omega
06.09.2018 - 01.04.2019
Hiroshi Tanahashi (8)
01.04.2019 - 02.11.2019
Jay White
02.11.2019 - 04.06.2019
Kazuchika Okada (5)
04.06.2019 - 01.05.2020
Tetsuya Naito (2)
01.05.2020 - 07.12.2020
Evil
07.12.2020 - 08.29.2020
Tetsuya Naito (3)
08.29.2020 - 01.04.2021
Kota Ibushi
01.04.2021 - 03.04.2021
DEACTIVATED
03.04.2021
- the title was unified with the IWGP Intercontinental Championship to become the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship