NEVER Openweight Championship

On this page, you find the full Title History for the NEVER Openweight 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 NEVER Openweight Championship is a secondary title contested in New Japan Pro Wrestling, by men wrestlers.

The championship was first established on November 19, 2012, and the inaugural champion was Masato Tanaka.

The title was originally scheduled to be defended exclusively at NEVER events, but this plan was quickly changed. "Openweight" means that both heavyweight and junior heavyweight wrestlers are eligible to challenge for it.

The current champion is HENARE, who won the title at NJPW New Japan Soul 2024 on June 16, 2024, and has been reigning for 41 days.

NEVER Openweight Championship: Title History

Promotions / Brands

Promotion from to
Promotion NJPW November 19, 2012 Present

Promotion	from	to
Promotion NJPW	November 19, 2012	Present

Championship Names & Belt Designs
- NEVER Openweight Championship November 19, 2012

NEVER Openweight Championship: Title Reigns

N.	Champion	Reign
45	HENARE 1 June 16, 2024 Sapporo, Japan \| NJPW New Japan Soul 2024 41+ days	41+ days
44	Shingo Takagi 4 April 6, 2024 Tokyo, Japan \| NJPW Sakura Genesis 2024 71 days	71 days
43	EVIL 3 January 20, 2024 Nagoya, Japan \| NJPW The New Beginning 2024 77 days	77 days
42	Tama Tonga 4 January 4, 2024 Tokyo, Japan \| NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 18 16 days	16 days
41	Shingo Takagi 3 October 28, 2023 Las Vegas, NV \| NJPW Strong Fighting Spirit Unleashed 2023 68 days	68 days
40	Tama Tonga 3 October 9, 2023 Tokyo, Japan \| NJPW Destruction 2023 19 days	19 days
39	David Finlay 1 May 3, 2023 Fukuoka, Japan \| NJPW Wrestling Dontaku 2023 159 days	159 days
38	Tama Tonga 2 January 4, 2023 Tokyo, Japan \| NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 17 119 days	119 days
37	Karl Anderson 1 June 12, 2022 Osaka, Japan \| NJPW Dominion 6.12 in Osaka-jo Hall (2022) 206 days	206 days
36	Tama Tonga 1 May 1, 2022 Fukuoka, Japan \| NJPW Wrestling Dontaku 2022 42 days	42 days
35	EVIL 2 January 4, 2022 Tokyo, Japan \| NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 16 117 days	117 days
34	Tomohiro Ishii 6 November 13, 2021 San Jose, CA \| NJPW Battle in the Valley 52 days	52 days
33	Jay White 1 May 3, 2021 Fukuoka, Japan \| NJPW Wrestling Dontaku 2021 194 days	194 days
32	Hiroshi Tanahashi 1 January 30, 2021 Nagoya, Japan \| NJPW The New Beginning 2021 93 days	93 days
31	Shingo Takagi 2 November 7, 2020 Osaka, Japan \| NJPW Power Struggle 2020 84 days	84 days
30	Minoru Suzuki 2 August 29, 2020 Tokyo, Japan \| NJPW Summer Struggle in Jingu (2020) 70 days	70 days
29	Shingo Takagi 1 February 1, 2020 Sapporo, Japan \| NJPW The New Beginning 2020 210 days	210 days
28	Hirooki Goto 5 January 5, 2020 Tokyo, Japan \| NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 14 27 days	27 days
27	KENTA 1 August 31, 2019 London, England \| NJPW Royal Quest 127 days	127 days
26	Tomohiro Ishii 5 June 9, 2019 Osaka, Japan \| NJPW Dominion 6.9 in Osaka-jo Hall (2019) 83 days	83 days
25	Taichi 2 May 3, 2019 Fukuoka, Japan \| NJPW Wrestling Dontaku 2019 37 days	37 days
24	Jeff Cobb 1 April 6, 2019 New York City, NY \| ROH/NJPW G1 Supercard 27 days	27 days
23	Will Ospreay 1 January 4, 2019 Tokyo, Japan \| NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 13 92 days Ospreay is the first junior heavyweight to win the title.	92 days
22	Kota Ibushi 1 December 9, 2018 Iwate, Japan \| NJPW World Tag League 2018 Finals 26 days	26 days
21	Hirooki Goto 4 November 3, 2018 Osaka, Japan \| NJPW Power Struggle & Super Jr. Tag League 2018 36 days	36 days
20	Taichi 1 September 17, 2018 Beppu, Japan \| NJPW Destruction 2018 47 days	47 days
19	Hirooki Goto 3 June 17, 2018 Tokyo, Japan \| NJPW Kizuna Road 2018 92 days	92 days
18	Michael Elgin 1 June 9, 2018 Osaka, Japan \| NJPW Dominion 6.9 in Osaka-jo Hall (2018) 8 days	8 days
17	Hirooki Goto 2 January 4, 2018 Tokyo, Japan \| NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 12 156 days	156 days
16	Minoru Suzuki 1 April 27, 2017 Hiroshima, Japan \| Road to Wrestling Dontaku 2017: Aki no Kuni Sengoku Emaki 252 days	252 days
15	Hirooki Goto 1 January 4, 2017 Tokyo, Japan \| NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 11 113 days	113 days
14	Katsuyori Shibata 3 November 15, 2016 Singapore \| NJPW Wrestling World 2016 in Singapore 50 days	50 days
13	EVIL 1 November 5, 2016 Osaka, Japan \| NJPW Power Struggle 2016 10 days	10 days
12	Katsuyori Shibata 2 June 19, 2016 Osaka, Japan \| NJPW Dominion 6.19 In Osaka-Jo Hall (2016) 139 days	139 days
11	Yuji Nagata 1 May 3, 2016 Fukuoka, Japan \| NJPW Wrestling Dontaku 2016 47 days	47 days
10	Katsuyori Shibata 1 January 4, 2016 Tokyo, Japan \| NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 10 120 days	120 days
9	Tomohiro Ishii 4 October 12, 2015 Tokyo, Japan \| NJPW King of Pro-Wrestling 2016 84 days	84 days
8	Togi Makabe 2 April 29, 2015 Mashiki, Japan \| Wrestling Hinokuni 166 days	166 days
7	Tomohiro Ishii 3 February 14, 2015 Sendai, Japan \| NJPW The New Beginning 2015 74 days Defeated Tomoaki Honma to win the vacant title.	74 days
	Vacant February 14, 2015 Sendai, Japan \| NJPW The New Beginning 2015 0 days The title was vacated due to Makabe being sidelined with influenza.	0 days
6	Togi Makabe 1 January 4, 2015 Tokyo, Japan \| NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 9 41 days	41 days
5	Tomohiro Ishii 2 October 13, 2014 Tokyo, Japan \| NJPW King of Pro-Wrestling 2015 83 days	83 days
4	Yujiro Takahashi 1 June 29, 2014 Tokyo, Japan \| NJPW Kizuna Road 2014 106 days	106 days
3	Tomohiro Ishii 1 February 11, 2014 Osaka, Japan \| NJPW The New Beginning 2014 138 days	138 days
2	Tetsuya Naito 1 September 29, 2013 Kobe, Japan \| NJPW Destruction (2013) 135 days	135 days
1	Masato Tanaka 1 November 19, 2012 Tokyo, Japan \| NJPW NEVER: Shodai NEVER Musabetsu Kyu Oza Kettei Tournament 314 days Defeated Karl Anderson in a tournament finals to become the inaugural champion.	314 days

NEVER Openweight Championship: Statistics

Promotion New Japan Pro Wrestling
Gender Male
Title Type Secondary Title
Date Established November 19, 2012
Notes The title was originally scheduled to be defended exclusively at NEVER events, but this plan was quickly changed. "Openweight" means that both heavyweight and junior heavyweight wrestlers are eligible to challenge for it.

First ChampionMasato Tanaka
Current ChampionHENARE

Most Number of Reigns

Rank	Wrestler	Reigns
	Tomohiro Ishii	6
	Hirooki Goto	5
	Shingo Takagi	4
	Tama Tonga	4
	Katsuyori Shibata	3

Most Combined Days

Rank	Wrestler	Days
	Tomohiro Ishii	514
	Shingo Takagi	433
	Hirooki Goto	424
	Minoru Suzuki	322
	Masato Tanaka	314

Longest Reigns

Wrestler	Reign	Days
Masato Tanaka	November 19, 2012 - September 29, 2013	314
Minoru Suzuki	April 27, 2017 - January 4, 2018	252
Shingo Takagi	February 1, 2020 - August 29, 2020	210
Karl Anderson	June 12, 2022 - January 4, 2023	206
Jay White	May 3, 2021 - November 13, 2021	194