New Japan Pro-Wrestling is a major federation in Japan, founded by Antonio Inoki in 1972. Owing to its TV program aired on TV Asahi, it is the largest wrestling promotion in Japan and one of the largest in the world. Although attendance has declined in recent years, it still recorded a yearly attendance of approximately 50,000 fans higher than their closest rival Pro Wrestling NOAH in 2005 according to Weekly Fight. In October 2005, 51.5% of NJPW was sold to YUKE's Future Media Creators, an Osaka-based company that markets home videos and video games. NJPW has working agreements with Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre, RevPro and Ring of Honor. It previously had a working agreement with World Championship Wrestling, the National Wrestling Alliance and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling.
It has also been named Wrestling Observer Newsletter's "Promotion of the Year" 13 times, more than any other wrestling promotion in the world.
Current Championships
| Championship | Champion(s) | Date Won | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
IWGP Heavyweight Championship | Tetsuya Naitō | January 5, 2020 |
|
IWGP Intercontinental Championship | Tetsuya Naitō | January 4, 2020 |
|
IWGP Tag Team Championship | Hiroshi Tanahashi & Kota Ibushi | February 21, 2020 |
|
IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship | Jon Moxley | January 4, 2020 |
|
NEVER Openweight Championship | Shingo Takagi | February 1, 2020 |
|
NEVER Openweight Six Man Tag Team Championship | Los Ingobernables de Japón (BUSHI, EVIL & Shingo Takagi) | January 5, 2020 |
|
IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship | Hiromu Takahashi | January 4, 2020 |
|
IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship | Roppongi 3K (SHO & YOH) | January 5, 2020 |
Championships Previously Used by NJPW
| Championship | Last champion(s) | Retired | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| NWA International Junior Heavyweight Championship | Hirooki Goto | September 8, 2007 | N/A |
| NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship | Craig Classic | November 6, 2010 | N/A |
| NWF Heavyweight Championship | Shinsuke Nakamura | January 5, 2004 | N/A |
| NWF North American Heavyweight Championship | Tiger Jeet Singh | May 21, 1981 | N/A |
| NWA North American Tag Team Championship | Seiji Sakaguch & Riki Chōshū | June 15, 1979 | N/ |
| UWA World Junior Light Heavyweight Championship | Shinjiro Otani | October 5, 1997 | N/A |
| WWF International Heavyweight Championship | Tatsumi Fujinami | July 19, 1985 | N/A |
| WWF International Tag Team Championship | Kengo Kimura & Tatsumi Fujinami | October 31, 1985 | N/A |
| WWF Junior Heavyweight Championship | The Cobra | October 31, 1985 | N/A |
| WWF World Martial Arts Heavyweight Championship | The Great Muta | August 16, 1992 | N/A |
| IWGP U-30 Openweight Championship | Hiroshi Tanahashi | June 7, 2006 | N/A |
Annual tournaments
| Tournament | Last winner | Last held | Type | Created | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G1 Climax | Kota Ibushi | August 12, 2019 | Open weight | 1991 | NJPW's biggest annual tournament, primarily for heavyweights but there is no official weight limit |
| World Tag League | FinJuice (David Finlay and Juice Robinson) |
December 8, 2019 | Tag team | 1991 | NJPW's annual tag team tournament. |
| New Japan Cup | Kazuchika Okada | March 24, 2019 | Open weight | 2005 | NJPW's annual single-elimination tournament, primarily for heavyweights but there is no official weight limit. |
| Best of the Super Juniors | Will Ospreay | June 5, 2019 | Junior Heavyweight | 1988 | Annual tournament featuring top Junior Heavyweights from all over the world. |
| Super J Cup | El Phantasmo | August 25, 2019 | Junior Heavyweight | 1994 | Sporadic tournament featuring top Junior Heavyweights from all over the world, Tournament has been hosted by other promotions than NJPW as well. |
| Super Jr Tag Tournament | Roppongi 3K | November 3, 2019 | Junior Heavyweight Tag Team | 2010 | Tournament created in 2010, may be an annual event for NJPW. |
| Young Lion Cup | Karl Fredericks | August 25, 2019 | Rookies | 1985 | Tournament that is not held every year. |
| J Sports Crown 6 Man Openweight Tag Team Tournament | Apollo 555 (Hirooki Goto, Prince Devitt and Ryusuke Taguchi) | June 23, 2011 | Six man tag team | 2010 |