The IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Title, created in 1986, is as high as it gets in junior heavyweight wrestling. With a legacy set by many great matches, the title's value is immensely high. Click each wrestler's name to get a list of title defenses during his reign (if there is no link for a wrestler, it means that he had no successful title defenses).
1. (2/6/86 @ Tokyo Ryogoku Kokugikan) Shiro Koshinaka beat The Cobra (15:22) with a German suplex hold (tournament final).
2. (5/19/86 @ Tokyo Korakuen Hall) Nobuhiko Takada beat Shiro Koshinaka (13:32) by pinfall.
3. (9/19/86 @ Fukuoka Sports Center) Shiro Koshinaka (2) beat Nobuhiko Takada (18:31) with a Japanese leg roll clutch hold.
-- Koshinaka vacates on 8/2/87 due to a leg injury.
4. (8/20/87 @ Tokyo Ryogoku Kokugikan) Kuniaki Kobayashi beat Nobuhiko Takada (15:45) by pinfall (decision match).
5. (12/27/87 @ Tokyo Ryogoku Kokugikan) Hiroshi Hase beat Kuniaki Kobayashi (17:03) with a Northern Light suplex hold.
6. (5/27/88 @ Miyagi Sports Center) Owen Hart beat Hiroshi Hase (13:07) with a high-angle reverse cradle.
7. (6/24/88 @ Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium) Shiro Koshinaka (3) beat Owen Hart (14:07) with a figure-four leglock.
8. (3/16/89 @ Yokohama Bunka Gymnasium) Hiroshi Hase (2) beat Shiro Koshinaka (14:56) with a Northern Light suplex hold.
9. (5/25/89 @ Osaka Castle Hall) Jushin Liger beat Hiroshi Hase (8:39) with a Liger suplex hold.
10. (8/10/89 @ Tokyo Ryogoku Kokugikan) Naoki Sano beat Jushin Liger (15:38) with an avalanche-style backdrop suplex.
11. (1/31/90 @ Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium) Jushin Thunder Liger (2) beat Naoki Sano (20:00) with a Shooting Star press.
12. (8/19/90 @ Tokyo Ryogoku Kokugikan) Pegasus Kid beat Jushin Thunder Liger (15:02) with a diving guillotine drop.
13. (11/1/90 @ Tokyo Nippon Budokan) Jushin Thunder Liger (3) beat Pegasus Kid (12:32) with a Shooting Star press.
-- Liger vacates on 4/15/91 for the 1991 Top of the Super Jr.
14. (4/30/91 @ Tokyo Ryogoku Kokugikan) Norio Honaga beat Jushin Thunder Liger (21:54) with a Tiger suplex hold (tournament final).
15. (6/12/91 @ Tokyo Nippon Budokan) Jushin Thunder Liger (4) beat Norio Honaga (13:42) with an avalanche-style DDT.
16. (8/9/91 @ Tokyo Ryogoku Kokugikan) Akira Nogami beat Jushin Thunder Liger (17:16) with a Ningen Fuusha suplex hold.
17. (11/5/91 @ Tokyo Nippon Budokan) Norio Honaga (2) beat Akira Nogami (18:39) with a Tiger suplex hold.
18. (2/8/92 @ Nakajima Sports Center) Jushin Thunder Liger (5) beat Norio Honaga (17:30) with an avalanche-style Frankensteiner.
19. (6/26/92 @ Tokyo Nippon Budokan) El Samurai beat Jushin Thunder Liger (13:01) with a sliding foothold cradle.
20. (11/22/92 @ Tokyo Ryogoku Kokugikan) Ultimo Dragon beat El Samurai (20:45) with a cross-arm suplex hold.
21. (1/4/93 @ Tokyo Dome) Jushin Thunder Liger (6) beat Ultimo Dragon (20:09) with an avalanche-style Frankensteiner.
-- Liger vacates on 9/24/94 due to a broken left leg.
22. (9/27/94 @ Osaka Castle Hall) Norio Honaga (3) beat Wild Pegasus (12:34) with a la magistral (tournament final).
23. (2/19/95 @ Tokyo Ryogoku Kokugikan) Koji Kanemoto beat Norio Honaga (10:43) with a Tiger suplex hold.
24. (5/3/95 @ Fukuoka Dome) Sabu beat Koji Kanemoto (16:39) with an Arabian press.
25. (6/14/95 @ Tokyo Nippon Budokan) Koji Kanemoto (2) beat Sabu (19:04) with a moonsault press.
26. (1/4/96 @ Tokyo Dome) Jushin Thunder Liger (7) beat Koji Kanemoto (18:59) with a Stardust press.
27. (4/29/96 @ Tokyo Dome) Great Sasuke beat Jushin Thunder Liger (19:27) with a Tiger suplex hold.
28. (10/11/96 @ Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium) Ultimo Dragon (2) beat Great Sasuke (13:42) with a Liger bomb.
29. (1/4/97 @ Tokyo Dome) Jushin Thunder Liger (8) beat Ultimo Dragon (18:21) with a Steiner Screwdriver.
30. (7/6/97 @ Sapporo Ice Arena) El Samurai (2) beat Jushin Thunder Liger (19:40) with an avalanche-style reverse DDT.
31. (8/10/97 @ Nagoya Dome) Shinjiro Otani beat El Samurai (18:15) with a Dragon suplex hold.
32. (2/7/98 @ Nakajima Sports Center) Jushin Thunder Liger (9) beat Shinjiro Otani (23:08) with a brainbuster.
33. (3/17/99 @ Hiroshima Sun Plaza) Koji Kanemoto (3) beat Jushin Thunder Liger (31:38) with a moonsault press.
34. (8/28/99 @ Jingu Stadium) Kendo Kashin beat Koji Kanemoto (14:45) with a cross armbreaker.
35. (10/11/99 @ Tokyo Dome) Jushin Thunder Liger (10) beat Kendo Kashin (16:08) with an avalanche-style brainbuster.
36. (11/29/99 @ Denver Pepsi Arena, USA) Juventud Guerrera beat Jushin Thunder Liger (5:31) with a bottle attack.
37. (12/6/99 @ Milwaukee Arena, USA) Jushin Thunder Liger (11) beat Psicosis (7:05) with a la magistral.
-- Psicosis substituted for the injured Juventud Guerrera.
38. (7/20/00 @ Hokkaido Sports Center) Tatsuhito Takaiwa beat Jushin Thunder Liger (16:32) with a lariat.
39. (10/29/00 @ Kobe World Hall) Minoru Tanaka beat Tatsuhito Takaiwa (14:07) with a cross kneelock.
40. (7/20/01 @ Sapporo Dome) Masayuki Naruse beat Minoru Tanaka (11:27) with a backhand blow.
41. (10/9/01 @ Tokyo Dome) Kendo Kashin (2) beat Masayuki Naruse (0:26) with a cross armbreaker.
-- Kashin vacates on 2/1/02 when he leaves the company.
42. (2/16/02 @ Tokyo Ryogoku Kokugikan) Minoru Tanaka (2) beat Masahito Kakihara (11:01) with a backslide (decision match).
43. (7/19/02 @ Hokkaido Sports Center) Koji Kanemoto (4) beat Minoru Tanaka (22:02) with a heel hold.
44. (4/23/03 @ Hiroshima Sun Plaza) Tiger Mask beat Koji Kanemoto (14:46) with a Tiger suplex hold.
-- Tiger Mask vacates on 9/23/03 to put it on the line at the Tokyo Dome.
45. (10/13/03 @ Tokyo Dome) Jado won an 11 Man Super Jr. New Japan Rumble (22:47) when he used the Crossface of JADO on Koji Kanemoto. Order of elimination: Masayuki Naruse, Masahito Kakihara, El Samurai, Heat, Gedo, Jushin Thunder Liger, Katsushi Takemura, Dick Togo, Tiger Mask & Koji Kanemoto.
46. (12/14/03 @ Nagoya Rainbow Hall) Heat (Minoru Tanaka) (3) beat Jado (7:45) with the Minoru Special.
47. (1/4/05 @ Tokyo Dome) Tiger Mask (2) beat Heat (14:17) with a Tiger suplex hold.
48. (10/8/05 @ Tokyo Dome) Black Tiger beat Tiger Mask (12:01) with a tombstone piledriver.
49. (2/19/06 @ Tokyo Ryogoku Kokugikan) Tiger Mask (3) beat Black Tiger (14:57) with a Tiger suplex hold.
50. (5/3/06 @ Fukuoka International Center) Koji Kanemoto (5) beat Tiger Mask (19:27) with a Falcon Arrow.
51. (12/24/06 @ Tokyo Korakuen Hall) Minoru (4) beat Koji Kanemoto (33:51) with the Minoru Special.
52. (7/6/07 @ Tokyo Korakuen Hall) Ryusuke Taguchi beat Minoru (18:47) with the Dodon.
53. (12/8/07 @ Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium #2) Wataru Inoue beat Ryusuke Taguchi (25:28) with a modified Triangle Lancer.
-- Inoue vacates on 6/16/08 after announcing he is graduating to the heavyweight division.
54. (7/8/08 @ Tokyo Korakuen Hall) Tiger Mask (4) beat Prince Devitt (12:07) with a Tiger suplex hold (tournament finale).
