The is a
professional wrestling championship
A championship or title in professional wrestling is a recognition promoted by professional wrestling organizations.
Championship reigns are determined by professional wrestling matches, in which competitors are involved in predetermined rivalr ...
contested for in the
Japanese professional wrestling promotion
Promotion may refer to:
Marketing
* Promotion (marketing), one of the four marketing mix elements, comprising any type of marketing communication used to inform or persuade target audiences of the relative merits of a product, service, brand or i ...
Tenryu Project
is an independent Japanese professional wrestling promotion. The promotion was founded by and is owned by puroresu legend Genichiro Tenryu, who has owned and operated it since its creation in 2010. The Tenryu project is the successor to Tenryu's ...
. The title was established in 1995 in
Wrestle Association R
Wrestle Association R (formerly known as Wrestle and Romance and abbreviated as WAR) was a Japanese professional wrestling promotion founded and run by Genichiro Tenryu as the successor to Super World of Sports, and which lasted from 1992 to 200 ...
(WAR).
There have been a total of 24 reigns shared between 17 different champions and two
vacancies. The current champion is
Hikaru Sato
is a Japanese professional wrestler and mixed martial artist, better known by the ring name . Sato started his MMA career in February 2000, fighting for Pancrase Hybrid Wrestling. During the next eight years, Sato fought, on average, five time ...
who is in his first reign.
Title history
Inaugural championship tournament
On March 26, 1995, an eight-man
single elimination tournament
A single-elimination, knockout, or sudden death tournament is a type of elimination tournament where the loser of each match-up is immediately eliminated from the tournament. Each winner will play another in the next round, until the final matc ...
was held on the second day of the
Wrestle Association R
Wrestle Association R (formerly known as Wrestle and Romance and abbreviated as WAR) was a Japanese professional wrestling promotion founded and run by Genichiro Tenryu as the successor to Super World of Sports, and which lasted from 1992 to 200 ...
(WAR) event Battle Angel. The tournament saw
Gedo
Gedo ( so, Gedo, Maay Maay, Maay: ''Gethy'', ar, جيذو, it, Ghedo or ''Ghedu'') is an administrative region (''States and regions of Somalia, gobol'') in Jubaland, southern Somalia. Its regional capital is Garbahaarreey. It was created in ...
defeat
Lionheart in the finals to become the inaugural champion.
The title was part of
New Japan Pro-Wrestling
(NJPW) is a Japanese professional wrestling promotion based in Nakano, Tokyo. Founded on January 13, 1972, by Antonio Inoki, the promotion was sold to Yuke's, who later sold it to Bushiroad in 2012. TV Asahi and Amuse, Inc. own minority shares ...
's short-lived
J-Crown Championship in 1996 and 1997. In late 2006, the title briefly moved to
Dragon Gate where
Masaaki Mochizuki
is a Japanese professional wrestler, currently working for Dragon Gate and Pro Wrestling Noah. Mochizuki is a former FIP World Champion and three-time Open the Dream Gate Champion.
Professional wrestling career
Early years
A former karatek ...
beat Gedo in a decision match on January 26, 2007 to determine the final champion, and then retired the title.
Revivals
The title was revived in April 2010, for
Genichiro Tenryu's
Tenryu Project
is an independent Japanese professional wrestling promotion. The promotion was founded by and is owned by puroresu legend Genichiro Tenryu, who has owned and operated it since its creation in 2010. The Tenryu project is the successor to Tenryu's ...
promotion until being again retired in 2013 after the closure of the promotion. The championship was once again reactivated after Tenryu Project reopened in 2020.
On May 25 and June 6, an eight-man single elimination tournament was held to crown a new champion. The tournament saw Hub defeat Kengo in the finals.
Reigns
Combined reigns
References
External links
Wrestling-Titles.com
{{Wrestle Association R
Junior heavyweight wrestling championships
WAR (wrestling promotion) championships
Dragon Gate (wrestling) championships
Tenryu Project championships