Ospreay, Moxley, Finlay to battle for new title January 4
Watch Wrestle Kingdom 18 LIVE and in English January 4 2024!
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The post World Tag League press conference on December 11 saw the face of January4’s three way battle between Jon Moxley, David Finlay and Will Ospreay change with the official introduction of a new title for the match.
After Finlay destroyed both the IWGP United States and United Kingdom Championships at Power Struggle in November, Chairman Naoki Sugabayashi announced that a new title would replace the IWGP US (UK) Championship designation. Today that title has officially been named the IWGP Global Heavyweight Championship, with this comment from Sugabayashi.
‘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.
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.
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. Thank you’
NJPW STRONG, IWGP titles on the line January 4
Watch Wrestle Kingdom 18 LIVE and in English January 4 2024!
International tickets on sale NOW for Wrestle Kingdom!
After World Tag League 2023 saw Bishamon achieve an unprecedented threepeat with the tag trophies, and become the first champions to ever win the tournament, Hirooki Goto and YOSHI-HASHI had a clear request. After a war of a tournament final in Kumamoto, and with the scores between the teams level at a win apiece, the request was made for a rubber match with a lot of gold on the line.
January 4 will see Guerrillas of Destiny, Hikuleo and El Phantasmo granted one more shot at Bishamon, but have to put their own NJPW STRONG Tag titles on the line in order to do so. It’s winner take all at the Tokyo Dome- historically the IWGP Tag Team Championships have changed hands every year in the Dome since 2013, but by the same measure, the World Tag League winners have been victorious at every Wrestle Kingdom bar one in the last decade. Just who will emerge with all the gold January 4?
