NJPW to Unify IWGP Heavyweight and Intercontinental to Form New IWGP World Heavyweight Championship

[Chris]

NJPW will be unifying the IWGP Heavyweight and IWGP Intercontinental Championships into a new title, according to a report from Tokyo Sports.

The report quotes NJPW Chairman Naoki Sugabayashi and states that the Heavyweight and Intercontinental titles will be unified as the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship, a new title, and that current double champ Kota Ibushi will be recognized as the first IWGP World Heavyweight Champion.
Sugabayashi also suggests in the article that Ibushi will make the first defense of the new title against the winner of the New Japan Cup.

The report also states that a new physical title belt will be made to represent the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship.

Ibushi has been advocating for the title unification since defeating Tetsuya Naito for both top IWGP belts at Wrestle Kingdom 15 on January 4.

Naito, who came to be synonymous with the Intercontinental title with a record six reigns spanning 814 days, challenged Ibushi at today's Castle Attack show in Osaka for just the IC Championship. The build to that match played heavily on Ibushi's desire to unify the titles and Naito's want to separate them.

Prior to the solo IC defense at Castle Attack, the Heavyweight and Intercontinental Championships had been defended in double title matches since January 5, 2020, when IC champ Naito beat Kazuchika Okada for the Heavyweight title in a "Double Gold Dash."

NJPW will hold a press conference at 1 a.m. Eastern time Monday. The official announcement of the new title, the field and brackets for the 2021 New Japan Cup, plus the card for the 49th Anniversary event on March 4 are expected at the presser.

At the conclusion of today's Castle Attack event, new IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion El Desperado challenged Ibushi to a match at the anniversary show for both the Heavyweight and Intercontinental titles, as the Jr. Champion traditionally faces the Heavyweight Champion on that show. However, Tokyo Sports reports that their match will be non-title.

Source: f4wonline.com

 

[Kairi HoHo]

I look forward to what the new title looks like for The God. I would of loved a name change, but of course they wanted to keep the name at least.

 

[Chris]

I look forward to what the new title looks like for The God. I would of loved a name change, but of course they wanted to keep the name at least.

Technically it's a name change bc they're adding "world" the IWGP Heavyweight Championship I guess never had that moniker.

Honestly I hate this tho, both belts look amazing and are two of my favorites in wrestling nowadays so the new one better be absolutely fire. I would have preferred just splitting them up again but whatever.

 

[Kairi HoHo]

Technically it's a name change bc they're adding "world" the IWGP Heavyweight Championship I guess never had that moniker.

Honestly I hate this tho, both belts look amazing and are two of my favorites in wrestling nowadays so the new one better be absolutely fire. I would have preferred just splitting them up again but whatever.

True but I'm pretty sure the IC title was beat up to death because of Naito throwing it around like a kid when they get the wrong Toy for Christmas so it was due. At times I've called it the IWGP World Title anyways and probably will still call it that. I wonder if the new belt might be like what WWE does with talent having something aligned to the talent like a logo or something with Ibushi.

 

[Chris]

True but I'm pretty sure the IC title was beat up to death because of Naito throwing it around like a kid when they get the wrong Toy for Christmas so it was due. At times I've called it the IWGP World Title anyways and probably will still call it that. I wonder if the new belt might be like what WWE does with talent having something aligned to the talent like a logo or something with Ibushi.

I really hope not

 

[CakeWalker]

I hate this....so much.

 

[Chris]

They also mention that they want to retain lineages of both titles and not to a disservice to one....but I think making a new belt where Ibushi is recognized as first champion does that to both

 

[Kairi HoHo]

I really hope not

What God wants he gets. Yeah I heard that Chris and I was like then...why do this fools.

 

[Cwalker]

Haven't kept up with anything NJPW related in 2-3 years. This seems unnecessary.

I guess my first question is how credible/prestigious is the US title? Cause the underneath guys need something to fight for.

 

[Chris]

Haven't kept up with anything NJPW related in 2-3 years. This seems unnecessary.

I guess my first question is how credible/prestigious is the US title? Cause the underneath guys need something to fight for.

Would be fine without COVID in this similar situation bc it was getting a nice run of champions, but it being stuck in the USA and NJPW not wanting their United States title to be defended in the United States almost killed it until they finally let that Moxley/KENTA match go

But yeah, I don't think you need and IC and US for NJPW in normal times, just one midcard heavyweight belt, but even then they have the weight split and a ton of juniors just graduate to heavyweight eventually so that's kind of midcardy too

 

[Cwalker]

Your second point is kinda what I was gettingg at. If the US title is important then this doesn't matter as much cause you don't need both.

And I just realized something..another US title is being held hostage by Ambrose. Deja vu