NJPW Unveils New IWGP World Heavyweight Title Belt Design

A new era means a new IWGP World Heavyweight Championship belt in NJPW...

by Andy H Murray
Kota Ibushi new belt
NJPW

New Japan Pro Wrestling has just unveiled its new IWGP World Heavyweight Championship belt design.

Kota Ibushi's shiny new strap was revealed at today's Road to Sakura Genesis show in Korakuen Hall. Here's what it looks like:-

IWGP World Heavyweight Championship
NJPW

The new strap is a sharp detour from the old design, with its rounder plates and more visible black leather. Its central plate is supposedly designed to resemble a crown (and the more obtuse "concept of flight"), though it looks dangerously close to one of the most loathed title belts in modern wrestling history, the old WWE Divas Title.

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Ibushi is set to defend the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship against Will Ospreay at Sakura Genesis this Sunday, 4 April. This comes following Ospreay's victory over Shingo Takagi in this year's New Japan Cup final.

The IWGP World Heavyweight Title comes following NJPW's controversial decision to merge its Intercontinental and old Heavyweight straps. Those old championships had been tethered together since Tetsuya Naito became New Japan's first double champion at Wrestle Kingdom 14 in January 2020, with Ibushi capturing them by beating Naito at this year's WK event, before successfully defending against Jay White the following evening.

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Andy has been with WhatCulture for six years and is currently WhatCulture's Senior Wrestling Reporter. 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.