Real World Championship

New Japan Pro-Wrestling championship (1972)

Not to be confused with "Real World Championship".

World Heavyweight Championship

Details
Promotion| New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW)
Date established| 1972
| Statistics

First champion| Karl Gotch
Final champion| Karl Gotch
Most reigns| Karl Gotch
(2 reigns)
Shortest reign| Antonio Inoki
(6 days)

The World Heavyweight Championship (世界ヘビー級王座, sekai hebī-kyū ōza), also referred to as the Real World Championship was a championship established and promoted by New Japan Pro-Wrestling.[1] Karl Gotch was billed as a first champion by New Japan Pro-Wrestling. It used the belt (or belt replica) of American Wrestling Alliance (Ohio)'s AWA World Heavyweight Championship,[a] which was held by Karl Gotch from September 11, 1962 to September 7, 1964.[2] The title was successfully defended only once, by Antonio Inoki against Red Pimpernel on day 12 of New Golden Series on October 9, 1972.[3] Karl Gotch was the final champion in his second reign,[4] winning the title from Antonio Inoki on October 10, 1972.[5]

## Title history

[edit]

Over the championship's one-year history, there were only two reigns between two champions. Karl Gotch was the inaugural champion with most reigns, at two times. Gotch was also the final champion.

Key  No.  | Overall reign number

|

Reign  | Reign number for the specific champion
Days  | Number of days held
Defences  | Number of successful defences
N/A  | Unknown information
(NET) | Championship change took place "no earlier than" the date listed
No. | Champion  | Championship change  | Reign statistics  | Notes  | Ref.

|
|
|
|
|

Date  | Event  | Location  | Reign  | Days | Defences
| New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW)
1  | Karl Gotch | January 13, 1972
(NET) | N/A  | N/A  | 1  | N/A | 0  | Recognized as a champion by NJPW using the belt (or its replica) of AWA World Heavyweight Championship.  |
2  | Antonio Inoki | October 4, 1972 | New Golden Series  | Tokyo, Japan | 1  | 6 | 1  | Won the title via count-out. Lou Thesz was the special guest referee.  | [6][7]
3  | Karl Gotch | October 10, 1972 | New Golden Series  | Osaka, Japan | 2  | N/A | 0  |  | [5]
—  | Deactivated  | October 10, 1972
(NET) | —  | —  | —  | — | —  | The championship was abandoned without any formal announcement.  |

## See also

[edit]

* NWF Heavyweight Championship, the championship that succeeded the Real World Championship as the top title in NJPW

## Notes

[edit]

1. ^ Not to be confused with the AWA World Heavyweight Championship promoted by the Verne Gagne's American Wrestling Alliance.

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "チャンピオン・ベルト・ギャラリー 新日本プロレス". www.showapuroresu.com (in Japanese). Retrieved 2020-12-12.
2. ^ "AWA World Heavyweight Title (Indiana / Ohio / Colorado)". Wrestling-Titles.com. Retrieved 2020-03-26.
3. ^ "NJPW New Golden Series - Tag 12 « Events Database « CAGEMATCH - The Internet Wrestling Database". www.cagematch.net. Retrieved 2020-08-11.
4. ^ "PWTorch.com - SPECIALIST: List of Deceased Wrestlers for 2007 with Details (Updated as needed)". www.pwtorch.com. Retrieved 2020-03-26.
5. ^ a b "NJPW New Golden Series - Tag 13 « Events Database « CAGEMATCH - The Internet Wrestling Database". www.cagematch.net. Retrieved 2020-03-26.
6. ^ "NJPW New Golden Series - Tag 10 « Events Database « CAGEMATCH - The Internet Wrestling Database". www.cagematch.net. Retrieved 2020-06-11.
7. ^ "NJPW Sumo Hall Show (Oct '72) at Old Sumo Hall - Kuramae Kokugikan wrestling results - Internet Wrestling Database". www.profightdb.com. Retrieved 2020-06-11.

Sporting positions

Preceded by

First

|  New Japan Pro-Wrestling's top heavyweight championship
1972  | Succeeded by

NWF Heavyweight Championship

* v
* t
* e

New Japan Pro-Wrestling

Championships|

| Active|

| Heavyweight|

* IWGP World Heavyweight (reigns)
* IWGP Global Heavyweight (reigns)
* IWGP Tag Team (reigns)

|

Junior heavyweight|

* IWGP Junior Heavyweight (reigns)
* IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team (reigns)

Openweight|

* NJPW World Television (reigns)
* NEVER Openweight (reigns)
* NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team (reigns)
* Strong Openweight (reigns)
* Strong Openweight Tag Team (reigns)

Women's|

* IWGP Women's Championship (reigns)
* Strong Women's Championship (reigns)

Former|

* Asia Heavyweight (reigns)
* Asia Tag Team (reigns)
* Greatest 18 Club (reigns)
* IWGP Heavyweight (reigns)
* IWGP Heavyweight (original version) (reigns)
* IWGP Intercontinental (reigns)
* IWGP Third Belt (reigns)
* IWGP U-30 Openweight (reigns)
* IWGP United States (reigns)
* KOPW (reigns)
* J-Crown (reigns)
* British Commonwealth Junior Heavyweight
* NWA World Junior Heavyweight
* NWA World Welterweight
* UWA World Junior Light Heavyweight
* WAR International Junior Heavyweight
* WWA World Junior Light Heavyweight
* WWF Light Heavyweight
* NWA International Junior Heavyweight (reigns)
* NWA North American Tag Team (Los Angeles/Japan version) (reigns)
* NWA World Heavyweight (reigns)
* NWA World Tag Team (reigns)
* NWF Heavyweight (reigns)
* NWF North American (reigns)
* Real World (reigns)
* WCW International World Heavyweight (reigns)
* WWF International Heavyweight (reigns)
* WWF International Tag Team (reigns)
* WWF Junior Heavyweight (reigns)
* WWF North American Heavyweight (reigns)
* WWF World Heavyweight (reigns)
* WWF World Martial Arts (reigns)

Tournaments|

| Active|

* G1 Climax (winners)
* New Japan Cup (winners)
* Best of the Super Juniors (winners)
* World Tag League (winners)
* Super Junior Tag League (winners)
* Super J-Cup (winners)
* Young Lion Cup (winners)

|

Video games|

* Wrestle Kingdom
* Wrestle Kingdom 2
* Fire Pro Wrestling World

Partnerships|

| Current|

* All Elite Wrestling
* All Japan Pro Wrestling
* Big Japan Pro Wrestling
* Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre
* DDT Pro-Wrestling
* Dragongate
* Ganbare☆Pro-Wrestling
* Kyushu Pro-Wrestling
* Major League Wrestling
* Pro Wrestling Noah
* Revolution Pro Wrestling
* Ring of Honor
* Tokyo Joshi Pro-Wrestling
* World Woman Pro-Wrestling Diana

|

Former|

* American Wrestling Association
* Border City Wrestling
* Catch Wrestling Association
* Full Impact Pro
* Game Changer Wrestling
* Global Force Wrestling
* International Wrestling Enterprise
* Jersey All Pro Wrestling
* K-1
* National Wrestling Alliance
* National Wrestling Federation
* Pride Fighting Championships
* Pro Wrestling Zero1
* The Crash Lucha Libre
* Toryumon Mexico
* Total Nonstop Action Wrestling
* UWF International
* Universal Wrestling Association
* United Wrestling Network
* Championship Wrestling from Hollywood
* WAR
* Westside Xtreme Wrestling
* World Championship Wrestling
* World Class Championship Wrestling
* World Wrestling Association
* World Wrestling Federation

Related companies|

| Owners|

* Amuse Inc. (5%)
* Bushiroad (85%)
* TV Asahi (10%)

|

Subsidiaries|

* World Wonder Ring Stardom

Personnel|

| Current|

* List of New Japan Pro-Wrestling personnel

|

Former|

* List of former New Japan Pro-Wrestling personnel

Miscellaneous|

* All In
* Asia-Pacific Federation of Wrestling
* Lion's Gate Project
* New Japan Pro-Wrestling World
* Major events
* List of NJoA events
* NJPW Strong
* List of episodes
* Special episodes
* Tiger Mask W
* United Japan Pro-Wrestling

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