On this page, you find the full Title History for the IWGP Intercontinental Championship, with all Championship Info, Statistics, the Belt Design changes through the years, and the full list of Title Reigns, along with dates, events, and reign durations.
The IWGP Intercontinental Championship was a secondary title contested in New Japan Pro Wrestling, by men wrestlers.
The championship was first established on January 5, 2011, and the inaugural champion was MVP.
The IWGP Intercontinental Championship was retired on March 4, 2021, when it was unified into the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship, with the final champion being Kota Ibushi.
IWGP Intercontinental Championship: Title History
For the Title History of the championship in which this title was unified into, see the page for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship.
IWGP Intercontinental Championship: Title Reigns
N. Image Champion Reign Unified into the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship
- March 4, 2021
- Tokyo, Japan
- | NJPW 49th Anniversary Show
- 1700+ days
The title was unified with the IWGP Heavyweight Championship to form the new IWGP World Heavyweight Championship.27 
Kota Ibushi 2
- January 4, 2021
- Tokyo, Japan
- | NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 15
- 59 days
59- days
26 
Tetsuya Naito 6
- August 29, 2020
- Tokyo, Japan
- | NJPW Summer Struggle in Jingu (2020)
- 128 days
128- days
25 
EVIL 1
- July 12, 2020
- Osaka, Japan
- | NJPW Dominion in Osaka-jo Hall (2020)
- 48 days
48- days
24 Tetsuya Naito 5
- January 4, 2020
- Tokyo, Japan
- | NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 14
- 190 days
190- days
23 
Jay White 1
- September 22, 2019
- Kobe, Japan
- | NJPW Destruction 2019
- 104 days
104- days
22 Tetsuya Naito 4
- June 9, 2019
- Osaka, Japan
- | NJPW Dominion 6.9 in Osaka-jo Hall (2019)
- 105 days
105- days
21 Kota Ibushi 1
- April 6, 2019
- New York City, NY
- | ROH/NJPW G1 Supercard
- 64 days
64- days
20 Tetsuya Naito 3
- January 4, 2019
- Tokyo, Japan
- | NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 13
- 92 days
92- days
19 
Chris Jericho 1
- June 9, 2018
- Osaka, Japan
- | NJPW Dominion 6.9 in Osaka-jo Hall (2019)
- 209 days
209- days
18 Tetsuya Naito 2
- April 29, 2018
- Kumamoto, Japan
- | NJPW Wrestling Hi no Kuni 2018
- 41 days
41- days
17 
Minoru Suzuki 1
- January 27, 2018
- Sapporo, Japan
- | NJPW The New Beginning 2018
- 92 days
92- days
16 
Hiroshi Tanahashi 2
- June 11, 2017
- Osaka, Japan
- | NJPW Dominion 6.11 in Osaka-jo Hall (2017)
- 230 days
230- days
15 Tetsuya Naito 1
- September 25, 2016
- Kobe, Japan
- | NJPW Destruction 2016
- 259 days
259- days
14 
Michael Elgin 1
- June 19, 2016
- Osaka, Japan
- | NJPW Dominion 6.19 In Osaka-Jo Hall (2016)
- 98 days
98- days
13 
Kenny Omega 1
- February 14, 2016
- Nagaoka, Japan
- | NJPW The New Beginning 2016
- 126 days
Defeated Hiroshi Tanahashi to win the vacant title.126- days
Vacant
- January 25, 2016
- Tokyo, Japan
- 20 days
The title was vacated due to Nakamura leaving NJPW for WWE.20- days
12 
Shinsuke Nakamura 5
- September 27, 2015
- Kobe, Japan
- | NJPW Destruction 2015
- 120 days
120- days
11 
Hirooki Goto 2
- May 3, 2015
- Fukuoka, Japan
- | NJPW Wrestling Dontaku 2015
- 147 days
147- days
10 Shinsuke Nakamura 4
- September 21, 2014
- Kobe, Japan
- | NJPW Destruction 2014
- 224 days
224- days
9 
Bad Luck Fale 1
- June 21, 2014
- Osaka, Japan
- | NJPW Dominion 6.21 (2014)
- 92 days
92- days
8 Shinsuke Nakamura 3
- April 6, 2014
- Tokyo, Japan
- | NJPW Invasion Attack 2014
- 76 days
76- days
7 Hiroshi Tanahashi 1
- January 4, 2014
- Tokyo, Japan
- | NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 8
- 92 days
92- days
6 Shinsuke Nakamura 2
- July 20, 2013
- Akita, Japan
- | NJPW Kizuna Road 2013
- 168 days
168- days
5 
La Sombra 1
- May 31, 2013
- Mexico City, Mexico | Super Viernes
- 50 days
50- days
4 Shinsuke Nakamura 1
- July 22, 2012
- Yamagata, Japan
- | NJPW Kizuna Road 2012
- 313 days
313- days
3 Hirooki Goto 1
- February 12, 2012
- Osaka, Japan
- | NJPW The New Beginning 2012
- 161 days
161- days
2 
Masato Tanaka 1
- October 10, 2011
- Tokyo, Japan
- | NJPW Destruction '11
- 125 days
125- days
1 
MVP 1
- May 15, 2011
- Philadelphia, PA
- | NJPW Invasion Tour 2011: Attack On East Coast
- 148 days
Defeated Toru Yano in a tournament final to become the inaugural champion.148- days
IWGP Intercontinental Championship: Names & Belt Designs
-
- IWGP Intercontinental ChampionshipJuly 23, 2012
- IWGP Intercontinental ChampionshipJanuary 5, 2011July 22, 2012
IWGP Intercontinental Championship: Statistics
-
Promotions History
Promotion from to Promotion 
NJPWBrand
Heavyweight
January 5, 2011 March 4, 2021
- Promotion
New Japan Pro Wrestling
- GenderMale
- Title TypeMidcard / Secondary
- Date EstablishedJanuary 5, 2011
- Date RetiredMarch 4, 2021
- Unified Into
IWGP World Heavyweight Championship
- First Champion
MVP - Final ChampionKota Ibushi
Most Number of Reigns
| Rank | Wrestler | Reigns |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tetsuya Naito | 6 |
| 2 | Shinsuke Nakamura | 5 |
| 3 | Hiroshi Tanahashi | 2 |
| 4 | Hirooki Goto | 2 |
| 5 | Kota Ibushi | 2 |
Most Combined Days
| Rank | Wrestler | Days |
|---|---|---|
| Shinsuke Nakamura | 901 | |
| Tetsuya Naito | 815 | |
| Hiroshi Tanahashi | 322 | |
| Hirooki Goto | 308 | |
| Chris Jericho | 209 |
Longest Reigns
| Rank | Wrestler | Reign | Days |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shinsuke Nakamura | July 22, 2012 - May 31, 2013 | 313 | |
| Tetsuya Naito | September 25, 2016 - June 11, 2017 | 259 | |
| Hiroshi Tanahashi | June 11, 2017 - January 27, 2018 | 230 | |
| Shinsuke Nakamura | September 21, 2014 - May 3, 2015 | 224 | |
| Chris Jericho | June 9, 2018 - January 4, 2019 | 209 |