Every NJPW Title Change Of 2024
All of the NJPW title changes from 2024
Another year for New Japan Pro-Wrestling is ahead and the promotion looks set to begin the year with a big shake-up, as they usually do, with Wrestle Kingdom 18 set to take place at the Tokyo Dome on January 4.
Before NJPW's biggest show of the year, however, the promotion's champions on January 1 were:
- SANADA - IWGP World Heavyweight Championship
- Will Ospreay - IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship
- Hiromu Takahashi - IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship
- Shingo Takagi - NEVER Openweight Championship
- Zack Sabre Jr. - NJPW World TV Championship
- YOSHI-HASHI & Hirooki Goto - IWGP Tag Team Championships
- Drilla Moloney & Clark Connors - IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championships
- Kazuchika Okada, Hiroshi Tanahashi, & Tomohiro Ishii - NEVER Openweight Six-Man Tag Team Championships
- El Phantasmo & Hikuleo - NJPW STRONG Openweight Tag Team Championships
- Mayu Iwatani - IWGP Women's Championship
- Giulia - NJPW STRONG Women's Championship
1. Catch 22 (Francesco Akira & TJP) - IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championships - NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 18
New Japan Pro-Wrestling wasted no time in booking a title change at Wrestle Kingdom, the promotion's biggest show of the year inside the Tokyo Dome on January 4, as TJP and Francesco Akira of Catch 22 defeated Clark Connors and Drilla Moloney of Bullet Club War Dogs to become the new IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champions.
The two teams faced off in a Casket Match on December 21 which ended with TJP being trapped inside the casket. At the pre-Wrestle Kingdom press conference it was noted that 'Aswang' would be showing up at Wrestle Kingdom and that was indeed the case as 'Aswang' (TJP in a cryptid mask) emerged from the coffin.
The match went nine minutes and 38 seconds before Aswang TJP bit Drilla Moloney and sprayed him with mist. Catch 22 then followed up with Double Knees to become three-time IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champions.
The loss at Wrestle Kingdom ended Bullet Club War Dogs' time with the titles after 184 days, having beaten Catch 22 for the gold at NJPW STRONG Independence Day.
Moloney and Clark Connors introduced a new white set of tag team title belts before Wrestle Kingdom but the new set was promptly retired only three days later, with Akira and TJP appearing at New Year Dash with the previous black version of the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Titles.
Written by Aidan Gibbons
Editor-in-Chief of Cultaholic.com Twitter: @theaidangibbons
