Following the name of the champion(s): Indicates the number of times the wrestler has held that title at that point.
[...]
Indicates a gap in the listing where title changes are not known.
*
If used next to the names of the wrestlers, they may, in fact, not have held the title in the period indicated. If used next to the dates or places, either they are possibly wrong or the title changes are fictitious.
<
Title was held or changed hands no later than this. In these cases, it is known that a wrestler held the title at a certain time but not when he/she won it.
+
Broadcast date; the actual recording date is unknown.
@
Order uncertain. Different titleholders may be known for the same year, for example, but it is not known who held the title before whom.
#
Unofficial or disputable claims. These are usually matches that certainly took place, but where there is doubt that the wrestler shown should be recognized as a true title holder. These listings are also italicized in HTML files
INTERNATIONAL WRESTLING GRAND PRIX
CHAMPIONSHIP TOURNAMENT
"IWGP" was an annual tournament between 1983 and 1987. The tournament winner would face the winner of the previous year, of the "defending champion". It became "IWGP Heavyweight Title", a regular title after the 1987 tournament.
Defeats Antonio Inoki in final of 10-man round-robin tournament on 83-06-02 in Tōkyō; participants of the tournament include Antonio Inoki (last
NWF Heavyweight champion), Killer Khan, Big John Studd, Andre the Giant, Rusher Kimura (last IWA World Heavyweight champion, replacement for Dino Bravo),
Canek (UWA World champion), Enrique Vera, Otto Wanz (CWA World champion), and Maeda Akira (European Heavyweight champion).
Gives up the status as the defending champion from the previous year in order to compete in the annual tournament; defeats Dick Murdoch in the final on 86-06-19 in Tōkyō.
Defeats tournament winner Masa Saitō on 87-06-12 in Tōkyō; the championship becomes a regular title with Inoki recognized as the first
IWGP Heavyweight champion.
