Wrestlers With The Most World Titles (Across All Major Federations)

3 NWA International Championships

2 [3] Triple Crown Heavyweight Championships

1 AWA World Heavyweight Championship

In 1983, All Japan Pro Wrestling sanctioned two major singles titles: the PWF Heavyweight Championship which had been their top singles title since the early '70s when Giant Baba founded the company, and the NWA International Heavyweight Championship, which became part of their product when they started working with the American promotion in 1981. When Jumbo Tsuruta won the NWA belt from Bruiser Brody in '83, Giant Baba as the reigning PWF champion declared him to be Japan's "Ace" (yes, long before Tanahashi), thus elevating the NWA International title and cementing him as Japan's biggest star.

Baba would once again put his faith in Jumbo (whom he had himself scouted) when in 1989 All Japan ceased its association with NWA and were looking to become an independent company with an exclusive roster and a unique world championship. Jumbo would defeat Stan Hansen to combine the two above mentioned championships with the NWA United National Championship and become the first ever Triple Crown Heavyweight Champion.

In 1991, Jumbo Tsuruta won his third and last Triple Crown title, and was named Wrestler of the Year by WON and by Tokyo Sports. That was his last lap. The '90s were a golden era for AJPW, a new generation of unbelievable talents were defining puroresu (more on that in a moment) and Jumbo Tsuruta's best days were behind him. He died in 2000 from complications during a liver transplant surgery, and will remain one of the two or three most important names in All Japan's history.

(Note: the first Triple Crown title won by Tsuruta can be considered a continuation of his first PWF and third NWA International title reigns, as the belts were unified to form the Triple Crown, hence why we count only two)