IWGP Women's Championship

The IWGP Women's Championship (Japanese: IWGP女子王座, Hepburn: IWGP Joshi Ōza) is a women's professional wrestling world championship owned by the New Japan Pro-Wrestling promotion. The title is exclusively defended on shows promoted by NJPW, not only in Japan but worldwide, with talent from NJPW's sister promotion World Wonder Ring Stardom featuring as its primary contenders.[3] The inaugural champion was Kairi. The current champion is Mercedes Moné, who is in her first reign.

IWGP Women's Championship
The IWGP Women's Championship belt
Details
PromotionNew Japan Pro-Wrestling
World Wonder Ring Stardom
Date establishedJuly 29, 2022
Current champion(s)Mercedes Moné
Date wonFebruary 18, 2023[1]
Statistics
First champion(s)Kairi[2]
Longest reignKairi (90 days)
Oldest championKairi (34 years, 58 days)
Youngest championMercedes Moné (31 years, 23 days)

History
The inaugural IWGP Women's Champion Kairi

Ever since New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) was founded in 1972, the company had never had a women's championship. On July 29, 2022, it was announced by Takaaki Kidani, owner of World Wonder Ring Stardom and former chairman of NJPW through parent company Bushiroad, that Stardom's roster would compete for NJPW's first-ever women's championship, the IWGP Women's Championship, at the co-promoted event Historic X-Over, set to take place on November 20.[4][5] The title is managed by the IWGP Executive Committee.

On August 23 at the press conference for Historic X-Over, the dates and venues for the inaugural tournament were announced. The tournament featured seven wrestlers, with four Stardom wrestlers and three foreign wrestlers participating in the tournament with the finals taking place on November 20.[6] On August 27, four representatives from certain stables of Stardom were decided to compete in the four available slots. The representatives were Giulia (Donna Del Mondo), Mayu Iwatani (Stars), Starlight Kid (Oedo Tai), and Utami Hayashishita (Queen's Quest).[7] The representatives either picked themselves or appointed another unit member to furtherly compete for the title.

Inaugural tournament
Round 1
Royal Quest II
(October 2)
IWGP Women's Championship First Round
(October 22)[8] 		Semifinals
Goddesses of Stardom Tag League 2022 Night 1
(October 23) 		Finals
Historic X-Over
(November 20)
         
Mayu Iwatani Pin
Momo Watanabe 12:32[9]
Mayu Iwatani Pin
October 22
Utami Hayashishita 14:51[10]
Utami Hayashishita Pin
Himeka 11:41[11]
Mayu Iwatani 25:28[12]
Kairi Pin
Jazzy Gabert Pin
Ava White 10:34[13]
Jazzy Gabert 12:24[10]
October 2
Kairi Pin
Kairi Bye
–

Reigns

As of April 7, 2023, there have been two reigns between two champions. Kairi was the inaugural champion. She is also the oldest champion at 34 while Mercedes Moné is the youngest at 31.

Mercedes Moné is the current champion in her first reign. She won the title by defeating Kairi at Battle in the Valley on February 18, 2023 in San Jose, California.

Key
No. Overall reign number
Reign Reign number for the specific champion
Days Number of days held
Defenses Number of successful defenses
+ Current reign is changing daily
No. Champion Championship change Reign statistics Notes Ref.
Date Event Location Reign DaysDefenses
1 Kairi November 20, 2022 Historic X-Over Tokyo, Japan 1 901 Defeated Mayu Iwatani in the finals of a seven-woman single-elimination tournament to become the inaugural champion. [2]
2 Mercedes Moné February 18, 2023 Battle in the Valley San Jose, CA 1 48+0 [1]

References
  1. Lambert, Jeremy (February 18, 2023). "NJPW Battle In The Valley Results (2/18): Mercedes Mone vs. KAIRI, Tanahashi vs. Okada, Loser Leaves NJPW". Fightful. Retrieved February 18, 2023.
  2. Rose, Bryan (November 20, 2022). "First IWGP Women's Champion crowned at NJPW/Stardom Historic X-Over". Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Retrieved November 20, 2022.
  3. Edwards, Scott (July 29, 2022). "STARDOM, NJPW Announce IWGP Women's Championship". fightful.com. Retrieved July 29, 2022.
  4. Renner, Ethan (July 29, 2022). "NJPW & STARDOM creating IWGP Women's Championship The title will primarily be defended on NJPW events". f4wonline.com. Retrieved July 29, 2022.
  5. Tokyo Sports (July 29, 2022). 【スターダム】「ＩＷＧＰ女子王座」新設し１１月２０日に初代王者決定戦　海外でも防衛戦を. tokyo-sports.co.jp (in Japanese). Retrieved July 29, 2022.
  6. World Wonder Ring Stardom (August 23, 2022). 【8/23(火)14:00～】11・20『Historic X-over』有明アリーナ大会 記者会見 #STARDOM. youtube.com (in Japanese). Retrieved August 23, 2022.
  7. Tokyo Sports (August 27, 2022). 【スターダム】ＩＷＧＰ女子出場ユニットがくじ引きで決定　ＣＡとゴッズアイ落選. tokyo-sports.co.jp (in Japanese). Retrieved August 27, 2022.
  8. New Japan Pro Wrestling (August 23, 2022). IWGP女子王座の設立が正式決定！ 11.20有明アリーナで棚橋＆林下vs後藤＆舞華！ローラー＆朱里vsザック＆ジュリア！ タイチ＆金丸＆たむ＆なつぽいvsデスペラード＆DOUKI＆スターライトキッド＆桃！. njpw.co.jp (in Japanese). Retrieved August 23, 2022.
  9. Kreikenbohm, Philip (October 22, 2022). "Stardom First IWGP Women's Champion Decision Battle First Round". cagematch.net. Retrieved October 23, 2022.
  10. Kreikenbohm, Philip (October 23, 2022). "Stardom Goddesses Of Stardom Tag League 2022 - Tag 1". cagematch.net. Retrieved October 23, 2022.
  11. Kreikenbohm, Philip (October 22, 2022). "Stardom First IWGP Women's Champion Decision Battle First Round". cagematch.net. Retrieved October 23, 2022.
  12. Kreikenbohm, Philip (November 20, 2022). "NJPW/Stardom Historic X-over". cagematch.net. Retrieved November 20, 2022.
  13. Kreikenbohm, Philip (October 2, 2022). "NJPW Royal Quest II - Tag 2". cagematch.net. Retrieved October 3, 2022.
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