“I’m Better Than You, And You Know It”

"Every Man Has A Price For The Million Dollar Man"

"The Best There Is, The Best There Was, And The Best There Ever Will Be"

"Whatcha Gonna Do, When Hulkamania Runs Wild On You"

"And That's The Bottom Line Because Stone Cold Said So"


<p>The IWGP Heavyweight and Intercontinental Championships are to be unified to create one new championship in New Japan Pro Wrestling.</p>



<p>During a press conference in Japan, NJPW officially announced that the two titles currently held by Kota Ibushi, are to be unified to create a new championship the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">IWGP World Heavyweight Championship to be created: first title match to take place April 4 at Sakura Genesis<br><br>Press conference report:<a href="https://t.co/FvQeKRCVfG">https://t.co/FvQeKRCVfG</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/njpw?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#njpw</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/njpw49th?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#njpw49th</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/njcup?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#njcup</a> <a href="https://t.co/ZkHbj4ghbD">pic.twitter.com/ZkHbj4ghbD</a></p>&mdash; NJPW Global (@njpwglobal) <a href="https://twitter.com/njpwglobal/status/1366290331038195718?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 1, 2021</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div></figure>



<p>Ibushi won both championships during Wrestle Kingdom 15 and has been lobbying to have them unified. &nbsp;</p>



<p>Ibushi’s first title defense of the newly unified titles had initially been scheduled for the Sakura Genesis event, against the winner of the New Japan Cup.</p>



<p>However, during the press conference, Ibushi expressed his desire to defend the title earlier against the new IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion El Phantasmo.</p>



<p>Ibushi and Phantasmo had both been in action during Sunday’s Castle Attack event. El Desperado, who had just won his championship, came out to confront Ibushi and challenge him for both his titles.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">The match is made!<br><br>El Desperado will face Kota Ibushi at Anniversary this Thursday!<br><br>Watch the challenge issued from last night, and the fallout backstage!<a href="https://t.co/hs0SLwlxcM">https://t.co/hs0SLwlxcM</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/njpw?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#njpw</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/njcattack?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#njcattack</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/njpw49th?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#njpw49th</a> <a href="https://t.co/OWPgXPdiR3">pic.twitter.com/OWPgXPdiR3</a></p>&mdash; NJPW Global (@njpwglobal) <a href="https://twitter.com/njpwglobal/status/1366285200196440064?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 1, 2021</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div></figure>



<p>Now, Ibushi and El Phantasmo will meet in a match on March 4 during NJPW’s 49<sup>th</sup> Anniversary Event at Budokan Hall. The match will be the final time that both the IWGP Intercontinental and Heavyweight Championships will be defended.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">BREAKING<br><br>Kota Ibushi vs El Desperado at Anniversary March 4 will indeed be for the IWGP Heavyweight and Intercontinental Championships!<a href="https://t.co/We7khqENLG">https://t.co/We7khqENLG</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/njpw?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#njpw</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/njpw49th?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#njpw49th</a> <a href="https://t.co/ksvmt1IYpC">pic.twitter.com/ksvmt1IYpC</a></p>&mdash; NJPW Global (@njpwglobal) <a href="https://twitter.com/njpwglobal/status/1366314423577579521?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 1, 2021</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">THURSDAY!<br><br>Celebrate 49 years of the King of Sports!<br><br>It&#39;s NJPW Anniversary in Nippon Budokan with LIVE English coverage!<br><br>El Desperado vs Kota Ibushi for double IWGP gold! <br><br>New Japan Cup first round action and much more besides!<a href="https://t.co/FvQeKRCVfG">https://t.co/FvQeKRCVfG</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/njpw49th?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#njpw49th</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/njcup?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#njcup</a> <a href="https://t.co/NVh1hJAqRR">pic.twitter.com/NVh1hJAqRR</a></p>&mdash; NJPW Global (@njpwglobal) <a href="https://twitter.com/njpwglobal/status/1366342455688224768?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 1, 2021</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div></figure>



<p>The winner of the match will officially be the first-ever IWGP World Heavyweight Champion and will be the one to defend the title against the winner of this year’s New Japan Cup tournament.</p>



<p>The New Japan Cup tournament will also begin on March 9 and will end on March 21. The match for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship will happen during the Sakura Genesis 2021 event on April 4 at the Ryogoku Sumo Hall.</p>



<p>The full lineup for this year’s New Japan Cup can be seen in the Tweet below.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">With first round byes for NEVER Champion Hiroshi Tanahashi and 2020 winner EVIL, this is your official New Japan Cup bracket!<br><br>Who do you have? The action kicks off LIVE and in English Thursday on <a href="https://twitter.com/njpwworld?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@njpwworld</a>!<a href="https://t.co/2AmxlTn0ES">https://t.co/2AmxlTn0ES</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/njpw?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#njpw</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/njcup?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#njcup</a> <a href="https://t.co/2t4CXnhLTK">pic.twitter.com/2t4CXnhLTK</a></p>&mdash; NJPW Global (@njpwglobal) <a href="https://twitter.com/njpwglobal/status/1366270890778877954?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 1, 2021</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div></figure>


IWGP Heavyweight and Intercontinental Championships to Be Merged, Defended Separately for Last Time This Thursday

Related Posts

Related Posts