10 Greatest IWGP Heavyweight Champions

After years of chasing the big one, Yuji Nagata finally sealed his name in the history books with his 2002 title win over Tadao Yasuda. Nagata’s epic 13 month long run with the IWGP heavyweight title is the stuff of legend. Setting a record at the time for most successful defences with ten, Nagata put on many a hard hitting, strong style classic.

Often regarded as the ace of the third generation of New Japan, Nagata’s immense skill and intensity were sadly undermined by Inokism. Obsessed with mixed martial arts, Inoki had started deploying his wrestlers into the fighting world with some exceptionally awful results. Worst among them all was Nagata’s swift knockout defeat to Mirko Cro Cop.

On the cusp of the main event at the time, Nagata’s foray into competitive fighting badly damaged his star aura and hindered the drawing power of his otherwise phenomenal title reign.

Winning the belt again in 2007 from Hiroshi Tanahashi, Nagata’s feud with the budding star helped solidify Tanahashi as the new ace of the promotion, ultimately dropping the title back to him later that year.