10 Most Prestigious Wrestling Championship Belts Ever

8. The IWGP Intercontinental Championship (NJPW)

Date established: 5 January, 2011 # Of Reigns: 10 Wrestler with Most Reigns: Shinsuke Nakamura (4) Longest Reign: Shinsuke Nakamura (313 Days) Shortest Reign: La Sombra (50 Days) The youngest title on this list, the IWGP Intercontinental Championship is almost always associated with its most prolific owner, Shinsuke Nakamura. Ever since the title was established in 2011, he has helped elevate its prestige in a very short amount of time. In fact, there are some people who consider this belt to be more important than New Japan€™s World Championship. This was demonstrated at Wrestle Kingdom 8, when Tanahashi and Nakamura faced off for this belt in the main event, instead of the World Title taking that spot. Not since the earliest of WrestleManias was any secondary title in any promotion ever so prestigious. The Intercontinental, US or any secondary title in a promotion is normally meant to be a stepping stone for a wrestler€™s rise to the main event, not the main event itself. But with Nakamura as IWGP Intercontinental Champion, the belt was elevated to a level of prestige equivalent to a world title. He did this by bringing out his absolute best in his title defenses, and carried himself as Champion in a way that made the belt seem important, as opposed to just a €˜stepping stone€™. Currently, with New Japan€™s top belt (more on that later) being held by someone who isn€™t exclusively signed with New Japan, it€™s the Intercontinental Championship that€™s being put in the main events of NJPW PPVs. Considering how important that title is to its holder, NJPW shows don€™t lose out on big-match atmosphere; with this belt, people are still guaranteed a great match.