IWGP Intercontinental Championship

IWGP Intercontinental Championship
The IWGP Intercontinental Championship belt (2012–2021)
Details
PromotionNew Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW)
Date establishedJanuary 5, 2011
Date retiredMarch 4, 2021
Statistics
First champion(s)MVP[1]
Final champion(s)Kota Ibushi
Most reignsTetsuya Naito (6 reigns)
Longest reignShinsuke Nakamura (313 days)
Shortest reignTetsuya Naito (41 days)
Oldest championMinoru Suzuki (49 years, 7 months and 10 days)[2]
Youngest championLa Sombra (23 years, 6 months and 28 days)[3]
Heaviest championBad Luck Fale (140 kg (310 lb))[4]
Lightest championLa Sombra (80 kg (180 lb))[5]

The IWGP Intercontinental Championship (IWGPインターコンチネンタル王座, IWGP intākonchinentaru ōza) was a professional wrestling championship owned by the New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) promotion. "IWGP" is the acronym 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).[6] The title was officially announced on January 5, 2011, and the Inaugural Champion MVP was crowned on May 15, 2011, during NJPW's first tour of the United States. On March 4, 2021, the championship was retired by NJPW after being unified with the IWGP Heavyweight Championship to form the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship.[7] The final champion was Kota Ibushi, who was in his second reign at the time of the title's retirement.[8]

The title formed what was unofficially called the "New Japan Triple Crown" (新日本トリプルクラウン, Shin Nihon Toripuru Kuraun) along with the IWGP Heavyweight Championship and the NEVER Openweight Championship.[9]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference Invasion Philadelphia was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ 棚橋 弘至. New Japan Pro-Wrestling (in Japanese). Archived from the original on June 7, 2017. Retrieved June 11, 2017.
  3. ^ 「ビバ！メヒコ メキシコ通信局」次代のニューヒーロー・ソンブラ. NPN (in Japanese). November 25, 2009. Retrieved May 31, 2013.
  4. ^ バッドラック・ファレ. New Japan Pro-Wrestling (in Japanese). Archived from the original on June 23, 2014. Retrieved June 21, 2014.
  5. ^ "Statistics for Professional wrestlers". PWI Presents: 2008 Wrestling Almanak and book of facts. Kappa Publications. pp. 66–79. 2008 Edition.
  6. ^ Fiorvanti, Tim (January 2, 2017). "What to watch for at New Japan Pro Wrestling's Wrestle Kingdom 11". ESPN. Archived from the original on January 3, 2017. Retrieved May 12, 2017.
  7. ^ 【3月4日（木）日本武道館、メインはタイトル戦に変更！】飯伏とデスペラードが二冠王座戦で激突！ 『NJC』1回戦で内藤とオーカーンが注目の初対決！ 因縁勃発の小島とコブが激突！. New Japan Pro-Wrestling (in Japanese). March 1, 2021. Retrieved March 1, 2021.
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference WK15 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  9. ^ 真壁 ＩＣ王座に照準の真意. Tokyo Sports (in Japanese). February 29, 2016. Archived from the original on July 2, 2017. Retrieved February 29, 2016.