NJPW Creates IWGP Global Championship To Replace US/UK Title

The IWGP United Kingdom/United States Championship will be replaced at Wrestle Kingdom 18 by the IWGP Global Heavyweight Championship, New Japan Pro-Wrestling have announced at a press conference today.

The IWGP United States Title has been in place since 2017 but Will Ospreay changed the belt to the IWGP United Kingdom Championship in the Summer of 2023. David Finlay then destroyed both belts at Power Struggle in November, with NJPW announcing soon after the titles would be replaced.

NJPW Chairman Naoki Sugabayashi made that change official today and Will Ospreay will face Jon Moxley and David Finlay in a Three-Way on January 4 inside the Tokyo Dome for the IWGP Global Championship.

Sugabayashi revealed NJPW considered reviving the beloved IWGP Intercontinental Title but the promotion decided to go with the IWGP Global Heavyweight Championship instead. 

"The IWGP US Heavyweight Championship came into being in July 2017 to mark NJPW's first major event in the United States of America in Long Beach. After its introduction, it became the symbol of NJPW competition in the USA. In the years that followed, the title would be defended in Japan, becoming familiar to Japanese fans as well. However, with the introduction of the IWGP UK Championship this summer, there was confusion among fans as to the status of the title," Sugabayashi began.

"With that in mind, this new championship combines and adds to the US and UK Championship roles, and will be called the IWGP Global Heavyweight Championship. As has already been discussed in a recent business strategy presentation, NJPW is working to ensure that 2024 sees our presence grow not just in the UK and the US, but throughout all of Europe, the rest of Asia and Oceania," he continued.

"With a mindfulness on the international space, there was discussion of renewing the defunct IWGP Intercontinental Championship, but as we see an entirely new level of international involvement, the IWGP Global Heavyweight name was decided to be the most fitting. We hope fans look forward to seeing the brand-new title and the matches contested for it. As a result, January 4’s three-way at Wrestle Kingdom between Will Ospreay, Jon Moxley and David Finlay will officially determine the first IWGP Global Heavyweight Champion."

Kenny Omega was the inaugural IWGP United States Champion and he would regain the title at Wrestle Kingdom 17, defeating Will Ospreay. Ospreay would then win back the title at Forbidden Door. Outside of Omega and Ospreay, past IWGP United States champions include Jay White, Hiroshi Tanahashi, Cody Rhodes, Juice Robinson, Jon Moxley, Lance Archer, KENTA, and SANADA.