With the IWGP U-30 Openweight Title vacated by Shinsuke Nakamura in May, 2005, the belt was put up for grabs in a tournament featuring the founding champion, Hiroshi Tanahashi, and many young stars hungry for glory. It would be Tanahashi who stormed through the tournament to take back the title he founded.
IWGP U-30 Openweight Title League (5/29/05 to 6/18/05)
1. Hiroshi Tanahashi [10]
2. Toru Yano [8]
3. Blue Wolf [6]
4. Harry Smith [4]
5. Naofumi Yamamoto [2]
6. Hiroshi Nagao [0]
5/29/05 @ Tokyo Korakuen Hall
1. Naofumi Yamamoto [2] beat Hiroshi Nagao [0] (8:10) with a backdrop suplex.
2. Toru Yano [2] beat Blue Wolf [0] (10:22) with a lariat return.
6/4/05 @ Milan Mazda Palace
1. Hiroshi Tanahashi [2] beat Toru Yano [2] (10:21) with the Sling Blade.
6/10/05 @ Akashi Municipal Industrial Exchange Center
1. Toru Yano [4] beat Hiroshi Nagao [0] (5:22) with the Oni Koroshi.
6/11/05 @ Sanyo Heights Gymnasium
1. Harry Smith [2] beat Naofumi Yamamoto [2] (4:55) with a Liger bomb.
2. Blue Wolf [2] beat Hiroshi Nagao [0] (1:42) with a lariat.
6/13/05 @ Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium #2
1. Hiroshi Tanahashi [4] beat Harry Smith [2] (9:38) with the Sling Blade.
6/15/05 @ Tsuyama City Gymnasium
1. Harry Smith [4] beat Hiroshi Nagao [0] (6:05) with a Liger bomb.
2. Blue Wolf [4] beat Naofumi Yamamoto [2] (4:17) with a lariat.
6/16/05 @ Anan Sports Center
1. Blue Wolf [6] beat Harry Smith [4] (8:46) with a lariat.
2. Hiroshi Tanahashi [6] beat Naofumi Yamamoto [2] (5:06) with a German suplex hold.
6/17/05 @ Takamatsu City Gymnasium
1. Toru Yano [6] beat Naofumi Yamamoto [2] (0:25) with the Oni Koroshi.
2. Hiroshi Tanahashi [8] beat Hiroshi Nagao [0] (3:24) with a Dragon sleeper.
6/18/05 @ Kyoto City Gymnasium
1. Toru Yano [8] beat Harry Smith [4] (6:05) with an inside cradle.
2. Hiroshi Tanahashi [10] beat Blue Wolf [6] (8:23) with a modified Dragon sleeper.
3. Final: Hiroshi Tanahashi beat Toru Yano (9:15) with the Sling Blade.
