7 Things You Need To Know About NJPW's American Expansion

3. The IWGP United States Championship

NJPW USA
NJPW1972.com

As announced on May 12th, NJPW’s American shows are getting their own title.

The IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship was announced during last week’s NJPW/ROH War Of The Worlds pay-per-view in New York City, and the first champion will be crowned following a round robin tournament culminating at the G1 Special events in July.

Details are thin on the ground at the moment, but former ROH World Champion Jay Lethal has been announced as the first participant, and a host of other ROH/NJPW stars should soon join him. The first US Champion will be crowned in Long Beach, and while New Japan have been careful to point out that future US-based events are dependent on the July shows’ success, the fact that they’ve announced a new title so soon hints at permanence.

There’s no word on whether the US Championship will only be defended on American shows, or, like the WWE UK Title, it’ll feature at events around the world.

Its existence demonstrates that NJPW are going out of the way to make a big impression on American shores, and the first champion looks set to become the face of the promotion’s ongoing expansion.

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Andy has been with WhatCulture for eight years and is currently WhatCulture's Wrestling Channel Manager. A writer, presenter, and editor with 10+ years of experience in online media, he has been a sponge for all wrestling knowledge since playing an old Royal Rumble 1992 VHS to ruin in his childhood. Having previously worked for Bleacher Report, Andy specialises in short and long-form writing, video presenting, voiceover acting, and editing, all characterised by expert wrestling knowledge and commentary. Andy is as much a fan of 1985 Jim Crockett Promotions as he is present-day AEW and WWE - just don't make him choose between the two.