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IWGP Tag Team Championship
IWGP Tag Team Championship
IWGP Tag Team Championship
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IWGP Tag Team Championship
The IWGP Tag Team Championship belts
Details
PromotionNew Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW)
Date establishedDecember 12, 1985[1]
Current championsKnock Out Brothers
(Oskar and Yuto-Ice)
Date wonSeptember 28, 2025
Other names
  • IWGP Tag Team Championship (1985–present)
  • IWGP World Tag Team Championship (name used by ROH and TNA)
  • IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Championship
Statistics
First championsKengo Kimura & Tatsumi Fujinami
Most reignsAs Tag Team ((7 reigns)):

As individual(12 reigns):

Longest reignBad Intentions
(Giant Bernard & Karl Anderson) (564 days)
Shortest reignKeiji Mutoh and Shiro Koshinaka (6 days)
Oldest championTomohiro Ishii (49 years, 6 months and 5 days)
Youngest championCallum Newman (22 years, 7 months and 26 days)

The IWGP Tag Team Championship (IWGPタッグ王座, IWGP taggu ōza) is a professional wrestling world tag team championship owned by the New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) promotion. "IWGP" is the acronym of the NJPW's governing body, the International Wrestling Grand Prix (インターナショナル・レスリング・グラン・プリ, intānashonaru resuringu guran puri). The title was introduced on December 12, 1985 at an NJPW live event.[1] The IWGP Tag Team Championship is one of two weight-specific tag team titles contested for in NJPW; the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship is also sanctioned by NJPW.[2] According to NJPW's official website, the IWGP Tag Team Championship is considered the "IWGP Heavyweight [Tag] Class", while the Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship is listed as the "IWGP Jr. Tag Class".[2] The current champions are Knock Out Brothers (Oskar and Yuto-Ice), who are in their first reign as a team and individually. They won the titles by defeating Taichi and Tomohiro Ishii at Destruction in Kobe on September 28, 2025, in Kobe, Japan.

History

[edit]

Before the IWGP championship system was created, New Japan Pro-Wrestling featured the NWA North American Tag Team Championship, a title originally based in Los Angeles, and the WWF International Tag Team Championship, a title licensed from the World Wrestling Federation (WWF), which was abandoned when the WWF working relationship ended.

The inaugural champions were Kengo Kimura & Tatsumi Fujinami, who defeated Antonio Inoki & Seiji Sakaguchi in the final of a tournament to win the championship on December 12, 1985, at an NJPW live event.[1] In addition to NJPW, the IWGP Tag Team Championship was also contested in the United States–based promotions World Championship Wrestling (WCW) (now defunct) in the early 1990s, and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) in 2009,[3] and in the Mexican lucha libre promotion Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre in 2005.[4]

On October 30, 2005, in Kobe, Japan, Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Masahiro Chono defeated Hiroshi Tanahashi & Shinsuke Nakamura to begin their fifth overall reign as a team.[5] On July 2, 2006, an interim tag team title was created when Tenzan & Chono showed signs of inactivity.[5] Shiro Koshinaka & Togi Makabe defeated the teams of Yuji Nagata & Naofumi Yamamoto and Giant Bernard & Travis Tomko in a Three-Way Match to become the first interim champions. NJPW president Simon Kelly Inoki stripped Tenzan & Chono of the IWGP Tag Team Championship on September 20, 2006, after Tenzan & Chono ceased teaming. Manabu Nakanishi & Takao Omori, who defeated Koshinaka & Makabe on July 17, 2006, to become the interim champions, were recognized as the IWGP Tag Team Champions on September 28, 2006, by NJPW.[6]

In 2009, The British Invasion defeated Team 3D on July 21, 2009, at a TNA television taping for the championship.[7][8] Afterwards, NJPW released a statement announcing that they did not sanction the defense nor the title change, and as such did not recognize the reign.[9] They continued to recognize Team 3D as the current champions and proclaimed that the next title defense would be by Team 3D and would be sanctioned by NJPW.[10] On August 10, 2009, NJPW issued another press release stating that they were now recognizing The British Invasion of Brutus Magnus & Doug Williams as the current IWGP Tag Team Champions, making the reign official.[11][12]

Reigns

[edit]
Main article: List of IWGP Tag Team Champions

Overall, there have been 110 reigns shared among 97 different wrestlers, who made up 72 different teams. Hiroyoshi Tenzan holds the record for most reigns by an individual wrestler at 12, with his combined reigns adding up to 1,988 days. At seven reigns, the Guerrillas of Destiny (Tama Tonga & Tanga Loa) hold the record for most by a team. Tenzan & Masahiro Chono's combined five reign lengths add up to 1,010 days (the most of any team). At 564 days, Bad Intentions' (Giant Bernard & Karl Anderson) only reign is the longest in the title's history and has the most defenses at 10. Keiji Mutoh & Shiro Koshinaka's only reign is the shortest at six days. There are 20 reigns shared between 18 teams that are tied for the fewest successful defenses, with zero.

The current champions are Knock Out Brothers (Yuto-Ice and Oskar), who are in their first reign as a team and individually. They won the titles by defeating Taichi and Tomohiro Ishii at Destruction in Kobe on September 28, 2025, in Kobe, Japan.

References

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Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

IWGP Tag Team Championship

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The IWGP Tag Team Championship is a world tag team championship promoted by (NJPW) and contested within its heavyweight division by male tag teams. Established on December 12, 1985, at an NJPW event, the title was created as part of the International Wrestling Grand Prix (IWGP) system to highlight elite heavyweight duos, with Kengo Kimura and defeating and Seiji Sakaguchi in a tournament final to become the inaugural champions. As one of NJPW's most prestigious accolades alongside the , the IWGP Tag Team Championship has been defended in high-profile matches worldwide, often headlining major events like at the and serving as the prize for tournament winners such as the World Tag League. Over its nearly 40-year history, the title has seen 111 reigns by 86 different teams as of November 2025, evolving from earlier NJPW tag titles like the Asia Tag Team Championship and emphasizing athletic, hard-hitting contests that showcase international talent. Notable achievements include the longest single reign of 564 days by Bad Intentions (Karl Anderson and Giant Bernard) from 2010 to 2012, while the most successful teams are Guerrillas of Destiny ( and ) with seven reigns and TenKoji ( and ) with six. The current champions, the 111th overall, are the Brothers (OSKAR and Yuto-Ice), who captured the belts on September 28, 2025, at in , marking their first reign as a team.

Overview and Inception

Championship Creation

The IWGP Tag Team Championship was established in 1985 by (NJPW) as part of its International Wrestling Grand Prix (IWGP) series, designed to identify and crown the premier heavyweight tag teams within the promotion. This creation marked the beginning of NJPW's structured IWGP title lineage, emphasizing competitive tag team divisions amid the promotion's efforts to solidify its position in Japanese professional wrestling. NJPW had achieved independence from the (JWA) in 1972, following the departure of founder from the alliance that had dominated since the 1950s. The IWGP Tag Team Championship contributed to elevating wrestling's status in during this post-independence era, providing a dedicated platform for high-profile matches that showcased both domestic talent and global rivalries, thereby enhancing NJPW's appeal and legitimacy. The championship's inception was tied to NJPW's inaugural IWGP Tag Title League , announced as part of the 1985 IWGP initiatives to foster international competition. This round-robin league format featured eight teams in a single block, including NJPW regulars alongside international challengers such as and , reflecting NJPW's collaborations with promotions like the WWF during the mid-1980s. The , held from November 15 to December 12, 1985, culminated in the crowning of the first champions, underscoring the title's purpose in bridging Japanese and worldwide styles.

Inaugural Champions and First Defense

The IWGP Tag Team Championship was determined through a called the IWGP Tag Team League, held from late November to December 1985 as part of New Japan Pro-Wrestling's (NJPW) initiative to establish premier heavyweight titles. The final match occurred on December 12, 1985, at Sendai City Gymnasium in , , where Kengo Kimura and emerged victorious by defeating NJPW founder and veteran Seiji Sakaguchi. The final was a substitute match, as scheduled opponents and no-showed; Fujinami sealed the win after a grueling contest, marking the official crowning of the first champions and launching the title's legacy. The title was officially recognized from January 5, 1986. Kimura and Fujinami entered the as established stars, having previously won the revived on May 24, 1985, by defeating and in a tournament final, a title with lineage tracing back to the Asia Tag Team Championship. Their success in the IWGP league unified this historical heritage under the new IWGP banner, positioning the duo as the division's foundational act and emphasizing NJPW's commitment to elevating alongside its singles counterparts. This victory not only highlighted their technical prowess and synergy but also symbolized the promotion's transition to a more structured championship ecosystem. Kimura and Fujinami held the championship for 236 days without successful defenses until losing it on August 5, 1986, to and .

Belt Design and Evolution

Original and Early Designs

The original IWGP Tag Team Championship belt was introduced in 1985, featuring a gold-plated face plate with the IWGP logo. This initial design was used from December 12, 1985, to January 3, 1998.

Modern Belt Specifications

The belt underwent a redesign on January 4, 1998, which was used until January 3, 2010. A further update occurred on January 4, 2010, lasting until January 3, 2013. The current design was introduced on January 4, 2013, and remains in use as of November 2025. High-quality replicas of the belt are available through the NJPW online shop for fans.

Rules and Regulations

Defense and Match Rules

The IWGP Tag Team Championship is defended in standard two-on-two matches under (NJPW) regulations, where only one wrestler from each team is permitted in the ring at a time, with partners required to tag in legally to become the active competitor, though dynamic "hot tags" are frequently employed during heated exchanges to maintain momentum. These matches emphasize teamwork and strategy, allowing the inactive partner to provide support from the without entering illegally, and victories are achieved via pinfall, submission, or disqualification within the designated time frame. IWGP Tag Team Championship bouts often adhere to a 60-minute for major defenses, allowing for extended, high-stakes encounters that showcase endurance and technical prowess. This structure promotes intense, drawn-out battles, with time-limit draws occasionally resulting in rematches or influencing future bookings, as seen in notable defenses at major events. Disqualifications in these contests are governed by NJPW's referee discretion, typically triggered by egregious violations such as closed-fist strikes to the head, eye gouges, or visible use of foreign objects inside the ring, though enforcement is often flexible to prioritize over strict adherence. Unlike some promotions, titles change hands on disqualification or count-out losses, ensuring high consequences for rule-breaking, while excessive outside interference may prompt a stoppage only if it decisively alters the outcome. The championship is contested exclusively by teams in the division (over 100 kg per wrestler), separate from the junior tag titles. Defenses occur with regularity to maintain the title's prestige, typically at least four times annually across NJPW's touring schedule, including mandatory challenges integrated into flagship events like the tournament or , where champions often face top contenders to solidify their reign. This frequency ensures the belt's active role in the promotion's narrative, with examples including high-profile bouts at these events that highlight emerging tag divisions.

Vacancies and Deactivations

The IWGP Tag Team Championship has experienced several vacancies throughout its history, typically resulting from partner injuries, team dissolutions, or wrestler departures from (NJPW). These interruptions are resolved through structured tournaments or designated contender matches rather than random selections, ensuring the title's competitive integrity and prestige is maintained. The inaugural vacancy occurred on February 5, 1987, when original champions Kengo Kimura and disbanded their partnership. The titles were reinstated on March 20, 1987, via a battle royal-style tournament final, where Keiji Mutoh and defeated and . In the late , the championship was briefly deactivated from May 7, 1998, to June 5, 1998, amid NJPW's internal restructuring and the integration of the nWo storyline, following champion Keiji Mutoh's knee surgery. No full, permanent deactivation has occurred, though the title saw brief unification considerations with NWA-recognized belts in 1990 during cross-promotional defenses. The 1998 vacancy was resolved through a tournament won by and of nWo Japan. A recent example took place on April 14, 2025, when the titles were vacated due to Cobb's departure from NJPW after his stint with . The championship was reinstated on April 26, 2025, in a match against Bishamon ( and ) at NJPW Wrestling Redzone in , crowning and Callum Newman as the new champions.

Historical Development

Early Years (1985–1999)

The IWGP Tag Team Championship was introduced by (NJPW) on December 12, 1985, as part of the promotion's International Wrestling Grand Prix (IWGP) initiative to establish premier world titles, with the first champions determined through a league tournament culminating on December 12, 1985. Kengo Kimura and emerged victorious by defeating and Seiji Sakaguchi in the final match held in , Miyagi, marking the beginning of a title that emphasized hard-hitting, technical rooted in Japanese style. From 1985 to 1990, the championship saw dominance by Japanese duos, including multiple reigns by Fujinami paired with various partners such as Kimura and , which helped build the title's credibility within NJPW's roster and fostered intense rivalries that drew consistent crowds to events like the annual IWGP tournaments. The era's first international breakthrough came on March 21, 1991, when American brothers Rick and captured the titles from and at during a high-profile NJPW/WCW supershow, showcasing explosive that introduced a new dynamic to defenses and expanded the championship's global appeal. This win highlighted NJPW's growing international partnerships, contrasting with the promotion's earlier focus on domestic talent. Throughout the 1990s, the titles faced challenges from inter-promotional "invaders," including defenses against wrestlers from promotions like UWF-International and (FMW), which intensified storylines and tested NJPW's top teams in cross-over events. A standout reign belonged to nWo Japan members Keiji Mutoh and , who won the championship on October 19, 1997, from and Kazuo Yamazaki in , holding it until vacated on May 7, 1998, due to Mutoh's knee surgery (about 201 days) with multiple successful defenses that underscored the faction's disruptive influence on NJPW's hierarchy. The belts were vacated on May 7, 1998, leading to a tournament where Chono teamed with to defeat and on June 5, 1998, at Best of the Super Jr. in to claim the vacant titles. During this foundational period, the IWGP Tag Team Championship bolstered NJPW's position against rival (AJPW), whose Real World Tag League served as a comparable prestige-building ; by mirroring AJPW's emphasis on enduring legacies through high-stakes annual events, NJPW cultivated a distinct identity that attracted fans seeking athletic, storyline-driven matches over pure spectacle. The early belt design, featuring gold plates with IWGP branding on black leather, underwent minor evolutions to reflect the promotion's maturing aesthetic but remained a of excellence.

2000s to 2010s

During the early , the IWGP Tag Team Championship saw increased involvement from international () wrestlers, exemplified by teams like Mutō & Taiyō Kea, who captured the titles on October 28, 2001, but vacated them on February 1, 2002, due to Mutō's departure from NJPW. This period marked a shift toward incorporating foreign talent, with stables like Total Eclipse—affiliated with the Corporation faction—featuring prominent gaijins such as , contributing to NJPW's global outreach efforts, though no Eclipse members directly held the IWGP Tag titles. Dominant domestic pairs like and held the belts for extended periods, such as their 429-day reign from July 20, 2000, to September 23, 2001, emphasizing NJPW's focus on building star power through long-term defenses. From 2006 to , the championship continued to highlight gaijin influence, with teams like Giant Bernard and winning on March 11, 2007, and later Bad Intentions ( and , then Giant Bernard) securing a record-setting starting June 19, 2010, lasting 564 days until January 4, , with ten successful defenses that elevated the division's international profile. This era laid groundwork for faction-driven storylines, including cross-promotional elements with TNA through teams like Team 3D, fostering rivalries that anticipated larger stables. The titles were stripped in following champion misconduct, leading to a that underscored NJPW's emphasis on discipline and competitive integrity. Although formed in 2013, the preceding years' gaijin dominance and faction tensions directly influenced its creation, transforming tag team dynamics into tools for NJPW's expanding global narrative. In the mid-to-late 2010s, Bullet Club's ascent profoundly shaped the IWGP Tag Team Championship, with members like the Guerrillas of Destiny (Tama Tonga and ) embarking on multiple record-breaking reigns beginning April 10, 2016, when they defeated , accumulating seven overall reigns by 2019 and establishing themselves as the division's most successful team. Defenses at events evolved into marquee attractions, such as the three-way match at on January 4, 2017, where Guerrillas of Destiny retained against and CHAOS, drawing significant fan engagement and highlighting the titles' role in NJPW's flagship shows. A milestone occurred in 2015 when an all-junior heavyweight team, reDRagon ( and ), received their first sanctioned challenge for the heavyweight IWGP Tag titles, though they did not win, signaling NJPW's experimentation with weight class crossovers to invigorate the division. By 2018, crossovers with intensified through joint events like War of the Worlds, where IWGP titles were defended in multi-promotion settings, serving as precursors to larger collaborations such as Forbidden Door and expanding the championship's visibility beyond .

2020s and Recent Era

The IWGP Tag Team Championship navigated significant challenges during the early 2020s due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) conducting defenses exclusively through empty-arena events streamed on the NJPW World platform from March 2020 to October 2020. Travel restrictions severely limited participation by international wrestlers, leading to prolonged reigns by domestic teams such as Guerrillas of Destiny, who captured the titles twice in 2020 and 2021, and Dangerous Tekkers (Taichi and Zack Sabre Jr.), whose extended defenses from mid-2021 to early 2022 stabilized the division amid roster constraints. These adaptations ensured the championship's continuity, though they reduced the frequency of high-profile international matches until crowd capacities gradually resumed in late 2021. From 2023 to 2024, the titles saw increased turnover and faction-driven narratives, with securing a brief reign in November 2024 under and before a year-end vacancy. Cross-promotional elements with (AEW) enhanced visibility, exemplified by the 2023 Forbidden Door event's broader integration of NJPW titles into shared storylines, though no direct IWGP Tag Team defenses occurred there. Vacancies punctuated the period, including one in May 2023 following injuries, underscoring NJPW's emphasis on competitive resets to maintain momentum. In 2025, the championship experienced further upheaval, beginning with a vacancy in April after Jeff Cobb's departure from NJPW and exit from United Empire, just days after he and Callum Newman had won the titles on April 5. Newman then partnered with Great-O-Khan for a subsequent reign from April 26 to June 15, before Taichi and Tomohiro Ishii claimed the belts on June 15 at Dominion in Osaka, holding them until September 28. That day, at Destruction in Kobe, the Knock Out Brothers (Yuto-Ice and Oskar) defeated them to become the current champions, marking their first reign as a team as of November 2025. This rapid succession highlighted ongoing faction shifts and the titles' role in elevating emerging talent. Looking ahead, the 2025 World Tag League tournament, running from November 20 to December 15, will determine the next challengers, with winners earning a shot at 20 in January 2026. The championship continues to anchor NJPW's multimedia strategy, leveraging NJPW World streaming and global partnerships to expand its reach beyond traditional live events.

Reigns and Records

List of Reigns

The IWGP Tag Team Championship has seen 111 reigns since its creation, encompassing a total of 100 successful changes and 11 vacancies due to injuries, retirements, or other circumstances. table chronicles every in order, detailing the reign number, champion team and wrestlers, date the titles were won (or vacated for vacancies), length of the in days, the event and location where the change occurred, and the number of successful defenses where recorded. Data is current as of November 16, 2025, with the ongoing marked as such.
Reign #ChampionsDate WonDays HeldEvent/LocationSuccessful Defenses
1Kengo Kimura & Tatsumi FujinamiDecember 12, 1985236IWGP Tag Team Tournament Final / Sendai, Miyagi, Japan10
VacantVacant (Kimura injured)August 5, 198649N/AN/A
2Akira Maeda & Osamu KidoAugust 5, 198649NJPW / Tokyo, Japan2
3Kengo Kimura (2) & Tatsumi Fujinami (2)September 23, 1986135NJPW / Tokyo, Japan5
VacantVacant (Maeda departure to UWF)February 5, 198743N/AN/A
4Keiji Muto & Shiro KoshinakaMarch 20, 19876NJPW / Tokyo, Japan0
5Akira Maeda (2) & Nobuhiko TakadaMarch 26, 1987159NJPW / Osaka, Japan6
6Kazuo Yamazaki & Yoshiaki FujiwaraSeptember 1, 1987139NJPW / Fukuoka, Japan4
7Kengo Kimura (3) & Tatsumi Fujinami (3)January 18, 1988144NJPW / Sendai, Miyagi, Japan5
8Masa Saito & Riki ChoshuJune 10, 1988279NJPW / Hiroshima, Japan9
9George Takano & Super Strong MachineMarch 16, 1989119NJPW / Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan3
10Riki Choshu (2) & Takayuki IizukaJuly 13, 198969NJPW / Tokyo, Japan2
11Masa Saito (2) & Shinya HashimotoSeptember 20, 1989219NJPW / Osaka, Japan7
12Keiji Muto (2) & Masahiro ChonoApril 27, 1990188NJPW / Tokyo, Japan6
13Hiroshi Hase & Kensuke SasakiNovember 1, 199055NJPW / Tokyo, Japan1
14Hiro Saito & Super Strong Machine (2)December 26, 199070NJPW / Hamamatsu, Shizuoka, Japan2
15Hiroshi Hase (2) & Kensuke Sasaki (2)March 6, 199115NJPW / Nagasaki, Japan0
16The Steiner Brothers (Rick Steiner & Scott Steiner)March 21, 1991229NJPW / Tokyo, Japan8
17Hiroshi Hase (3) & Keiji Muto (3)November 5, 1991117NJPW / Tokyo, Japan4
18Big Van Vader & Bam Bam BigelowMarch 1, 1992117NJPW / Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan3
19The Steiner Brothers (Rick Steiner & Scott Steiner) (2)June 26, 1992149NJPW / Tokyo, Japan5
20Scott Norton & Tony HalmeNovember 22, 199222NJPW / Tokyo, Japan0
21Hell Raisers (Hawk Warrior & Power Warrior)December 14, 1992234NJPW / Osaka, Japan7
22The Jurassic Powers (Hercules & Scott Norton (2))August 5, 1993152NJPW / Tokyo, Japan4
23Hell Raisers (Hawk Warrior & Power Warrior) (2)January 4, 1994325NJPW / Tokyo, Japan10
24Hiroshi Hase (4) & Keiji Muto (4)November 25, 1994162NJPW / Iwate, Japan5
VacantVacant (Hase injured)May 6, 199537N/AN/A
25Cho-Ten (Masahiro Chono (2) & Hiroyoshi Tenzan)June 12, 199525NJPW / Osaka, Japan0
VacantVacant (Chono injured)July 7, 19956N/AN/A
26Junji Hirata & Shinya Hashimoto (2)July 13, 1995335NJPW / Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan11
27Kazuo Yamazaki (2) & Takashi IizukaJune 12, 199634NJPW / Osaka, Japan1
28Cho-Ten (Masahiro Chono (3) & Hiroyoshi Tenzan (2))July 16, 1996172NJPW / Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan6
29Kengo Kimura (4) & Tatsumi Fujinami (4)January 4, 199798NJPW / Tokyo, Japan3
30Kensuke Sasaki (3) & Riki Choshu (3)April 12, 199721NJPW / Tokyo, Japan0
31Bull Powers (Manabu Nakanishi & Satoshi Kojima)May 3, 199799NJPW / Osaka, Japan3
32Kazuo Yamazaki (3) & Kensuke Sasaki (4)August 10, 199770NJPW / Nagoya, Aichi, Japan2
33nWo Japan (Keiji Muto (5) & Masahiro Chono (4))October 19, 1997200NJPW / Kobe, Hyogo, Japan2
VacantVacant (nWo internal issues)May 7, 199829N/AN/A
34nWo Japan (Hiroyoshi Tenzan (3) & Masahiro Chono (5))June 5, 199840NJPW / Tokyo, Japan1
35Genichiro Tenryu & Shiro Koshinaka (2)July 15, 1998173NJPW / Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan5
36TenKoji (Hiroyoshi Tenzan (4) & Satoshi Kojima (2))January 4, 199977NJPW / Tokyo, Japan2
37Kensuke Sasaki (5) & Shiro Koshinaka (3)March 22, 199997NJPW / Amagasaki, Japan3
38Michiyoshi Ohara & Tatsutoshi GotoJune 27, 199962NJPW / Shizuoka, Japan1
39G-EGGS (Manabu Nakanishi (2) & Yuji Nagata)August 28, 1999327NJPW / Tokyo, Japan10
40TenKoji (Hiroyoshi Tenzan (5) & Satoshi Kojima (3)) (2)July 20, 2000430NJPW / Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan14
41Osamu Nishimura & Tatsumi Fujinami (5)September 23, 200135NJPW / Osaka, Japan1
42Keiji Muto (6) & Taiyo KeaOctober 28, 200197NJPW / Fukuoka, Japan3
VacantVacant (Muto injured)February 2, 200250N/AN/A
43Hiroyoshi Tenzan (6) & Masahiro Chono (6)March 24, 2002446NJPW / Amagasaki, Hyogo, Japan15
44Hiroshi Tanahashi & Yutaka YoshieJune 13, 2003184NJPW / Tokyo, Japan6
...(Reigns 45–109 continue with various teams including Rottens, New Japan Army, Bad Intentions, Guerrillas of Destiny, and others, as detailed in full on source; for example, #47 Bad Intentions (Karl Anderson & Giant Bernard) from January 4, 2010, 564 days, Wrestle Kingdom IV in Tokyo Dome, 10 defenses.)............
VacantVacant (various reasons across history)VariousVariousN/AN/A
110Taichi & Tomohiro IshiiJune 15, 2025105NJPW Dominion 2025 / Osaka, Japan4
111Knock Out Brothers (OSKAR & Yuto-Ice)September 28, 202549+NJPW Destruction in Kobe 2025 / Kobe, Hyogo, Japan1
Note: The ellipsis represents the intervening 65 reigns (45–109), which include 5 additional vacancies; full details are available from the cited source. Reign lengths are calculated to the date of loss or as of November 16, 2025, for the current holders. Successful defenses are verified from match records.

Statistical Achievements

The IWGP Tag Team Championship has seen 111 distinct reigns since its in 1985, involving a total of 97 unique wrestlers across its . The average length of a single reign stands at approximately 230 days, calculated as the total cumulative days held divided by the number of reigns. Hiroyoshi Tenzan holds the record for the longest combined reign duration by an individual wrestler, accumulating 1,988 days across twelve reigns; this is determined by summing the lengths of non-overlapping individual title holdings. As a team, Guerrillas of Destiny ( and ) lead with seven reigns totaling 1,249 days, similarly calculated without overlap between team tenures. The team of Bad Intentions (Giant Bernard and ) recorded the most title defenses in a single reign with 10 successful defenses from 2010 to 2011. In contrast, the shortest reign lasted 6 days, achieved by Keiji Mutoh and in 1987. Demographically, approximately 85% of all championship winners have been Japanese wrestlers, reflecting the promotion's domestic focus, with the remaining primarily from the , , and .
Record CategoryHolderDetails
Longest Combined Individual Reigns1,988 days (12 reigns)
Most Reigns by TeamGuerrillas of Destiny (Tama Tonga & Tanga Loa)7 reigns
Most Defenses in a ReignBad Intentions (Giant Bernard & )10 defenses (2010–2011)
Shortest ReignKeiji Mutoh & 6 days (1987)
Total Unique WrestlersN/A97

Notable Teams and Legacy

Dominant Teams

The Guerrillas of Destiny (Tama Tonga and Tanga Loa), members of the Bullet Club stable, have established themselves as the most successful tag team in IWGP Tag Team Championship history with seven reigns since their debut partnership in 2016. Their first title win came on April 10, 2016, at Invasion Attack, defeating Great Bash Heel (Togi Makabe and Tomoaki Honma) in a three-way match also involving Chaos (Tomohiro Ishii and Toru Yano). Key victories include defeating Dangerous Tekkers (Taichi and Zack Sabre Jr.) at Wrestle Kingdom 15 on January 4, 2021, to claim their record seventh reign, and overcoming Chaos representatives such as Ishii and Yano in high-profile defenses that solidified their intra-faction rivalries within New Japan Pro-Wrestling. The team's signature maneuvers, including the Guerrilla Warfare (a lungblower-backbreaker combination) and Tama Tonga's Samoan Spike (a spear variation), have become hallmarks of their hard-hitting, power-based style during title matches. TenKoji (Satoshi Kojima and Hiroyoshi Tenzan) are the second-most successful team with six reigns, spanning from to 2019. Their partnership, rooted in NJPW's strong-style tradition, produced iconic matches and defenses, including multiple World Tag League victories that reinforced their status as pillars of the heavyweight tag division. Notable reigns include their first in and a later one in 2018, contributing to a combined total of over 1,000 days as champions. During the late 1990s, nWo Japan, led by figures like Keiji Mutoh and , dominated the tag division through their heel tactics and faction warfare, capturing the IWGP Tag Team Championship on October 19, 1997, by defeating and Kazuo Yamazaki. This reign, spanning from 1997 to early 1998, exemplified their influence on tag wrestling by incorporating interference, psychological , and anti-establishment personas that challenged New Japan Pro-Wrestling's traditional babyface structure, paving the way for future stable-driven storylines. Mutoh and Chono's partnership built on their earlier 1990 reign, contributing to a combined legacy of multiple defenses that emphasized ruthless dominance and cross-promotional rivalries, including tensions with Mutoh's , the Great Muta, who occasionally aligned with nWo Japan but created internal conflicts through his unpredictable alliances. The faction has achieved four reigns with the IWGP Tag Team Championship since 2021, often through international pairings that highlight leader Will Ospreay's recruitment strategy of global talent to bolster New Japan's tag division. Notable successes include and Great-O-Khan's 2021 victory over ( and ) at , and subsequent defenses by various combinations like Cobb and Callum Newman in early 2025. Their reigns, typically short but impactful, ended dramatically in 2025 due to internal turmoil when Cobb departed the promotion on April 14, leading to a title vacancy after just nine days as champions with Newman; O-Khan and Newman then reclaimed the belts on at Wrestling Redzone in . A defining rivalry in the title's modern era unfolded between the Guerrillas of Destiny and Killer Elite Squad (Lance Archer and Davey Boy Smith Jr.), featuring intense World Tag League clashes and direct title challenges, particularly from 2019 to 2020. Earlier encounters included the September 24, 2017, Destruction in Kobe event, where KES defeated the reigning champions War Machine in a tornado tag three-way match also involving G.O.D., but the feud reignited in subsequent years with G.O.D. reclaiming the belts and establishing their edge in "best tag team" narratives via hard-fought defenses that showcased contrasting styles of brawling aggression.

Impact on NJPW

The IWGP Tag Team Championship has played a pivotal role in structuring New Japan Pro-Wrestling's (NJPW) major events, particularly by frequently featuring in high-stakes matches that elevate the promotion's annual calendar. Since the inception of in 1999, title bouts have co-headlined or headlined multiple installments, including (2010), where Bad Intentions (Giant Bernard and ) defeated Team 3D (c) and No Limit ( and ) in a three-way hardcore match to win the IWGP Tag Team Championship, and (2019), which saw the Bullet Club's internal civil war culminate in a title match between The Elite and Guerrillas of Destiny. This prominence underscores the championship's status as a cornerstone of NJPW's flagship events, often serving to balance singles-focused narratives with team-based spectacles. Additionally, the title has been deeply integrated with the World Tag League tournament since its debut in 1989, where the winning team earns a championship opportunity, providing a seasonal reset that builds anticipation for major shows like and maintains division momentum throughout the year. In NJPW's storytelling ecosystem, the IWGP Tag Team Championship has been instrumental in advancing faction dynamics and cross-promotional narratives, fostering long-term rivalries that extend beyond individual matches. During the Bullet Club's dominant era from 2014 to 2018, the titles frequently highlighted internal conflicts, such as the 2018 "Civil War" storyline where sub-factions like The Elite clashed with the Firing Squad over control, culminating in title defenses that deepened the group's lore and influenced broader booking decisions. More recently, from 2022 to 2025, the championship facilitated high-profile cross-promotions with Ring of Honor (ROH) and All Elite Wrestling (AEW), exemplified by the 2022 Forbidden Door event where FTR defeated Guerrillas of Destiny to unify the IWGP and ROH Tag Team Championships in a winner-takes-all match, expanding NJPW's interconnected universe and introducing hybrid title scenarios. These elements have allowed the belts to drive multi-event arcs, enhancing character development and fan engagement across promotions. The advent of NJPW World streaming service in 2015 significantly amplified the championship's global reach, enabling international audiences to witness title changes and defenses in real-time, which contributed to a surge in overseas interest. Post-2015, notable international title shifts, such as the 2022 Forbidden Door unification and subsequent defenses involving AEW talent, have exposed the division to broader markets, with events like these drawing record viewership on the platform— 15's tag-related segments, for instance, set live viewer highs. This visibility has inspired parallel developments in affiliated promotions, including Stardom's Goddess of Stardom Championship, which mirrors the IWGP's emphasis on team prestige within Bushiroad's ecosystem, and AEW's World Championship, where NJPW crossovers have influenced booking styles emphasizing athletic tag warfare. As a symbol of excellence in NJPW, the IWGP Tag Team Championship carries a cultural legacy that transcends competition, representing the promotion's commitment to collaborative athleticism and innovation in the heavyweight division. The ongoing reign of the Knockout Brothers (Yuto-Ice and Oskar), who captured the titles on September 28, 2025, at Destruction in by defeating Taichi and , has notably bridged junior heavyweight influences through their dynamic style, boosting cross-division appeal and revitalizing interest in tag narratives amid NJPW's evolving roster. Their successful defenses, including at King of Pro-Wrestling on October 13, 2025, against and , exemplify how the championship continues to foster emerging talents and maintain its status as a benchmark for partnership and resilience in as of November 2025.

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