NJPW unveiled the new IWGP World Heavyweight Championship belt in a ceremony at the start of today’s Road to Sakura Genesis event in Korakuen Hall.
Kota Ibushi came to the ring to begin the ceremony with the IWGP Heavyweight and IWGP Intercontinental titles. He relinquished the belts to NJPW officials, officially ending their lineage. A roll call video played for both the Heavyweight and Intercontinental titles, then the new World Championship belt was unveiled.
The new IWGP World Heavyweight Championship belt incorporates all four previous IWGP Heavyweight belt designs into the main plate, while the side plates are modeled after the Intercontinental title’s.
Ibushi was presented with the new belt and officially recognized as the first IWGP World Heavyweight Champion.
Ibushi will make his first defense of the title on Sunday, April 4 at Sakura Genesis, facing 2021 New Japan Cup winner Will Ospreay in the main event. The show will air live on NJPW World at 4 a.m. Eastern time.
Kota Ibushi will defend the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship for the first time at Sakura Genesis on Sunday, April 4, taking on 2021 New Japan Cup winner Will Ospreay in the main event. NJPW made the match official at a press conference this morning.
The IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championships will also be on the line at Sakura Genesis, as El Desperado and Yoshinobu Kanemaru defend against SHO and the returning YOH. YOH made the challenge in a surprise return to kick off Sunday’s New Japan Cup final show, and the match has been made official.
The United Empire looks to be adding a new member to their faction at the event, as The Great-O-Khan, Jeff Cobb and a mystery partner will take on Tetsuya Naito, SANADA and Shingo Takagi.
Sakura Genesis takes place Sunday, April 4 in Ryogoku and will be aired live on NJPW World.
Here is the full lineup:
NJPW Sakura Genesis, Sunday, April 4, 4 a.m. Eastern time on NJPW World —
IWGP World Heavyweight Championship: Kota Ibushi (c) vs. Will Ospreay
IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Championships: El Desperado & Yoshinobu Kanemaru (c) vs. SHO & YOH
Hiroshi Tanahashi & Satoshi Kojima vs. Jay White & Bad Luck Fale
Tetsuya Naito, SANADA & Shingo Takagi vs. The Great-O-Khan, Jeff Cobb & a mystery partner
Kazuchika Okada, Toru Yano, Hirooki Goto, Tomohiro Ishii & YOSHI-HASHI vs. EVIL, KENTA, Yujiro Takahashi, Taiji Ishimori & Dick Togo
Taichi, Zack Sabre Jr. & DOUKI vs. Tama Tonga, Tanga Loa & Jado
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.
