The IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship is a singles title in New Japan Pro Wrestling exclusively for wrestlers under 100 kg/220 pounds. It was first awarded in February 1986 when Shiro Koshinaka won a tournament to become the first champion.
As of 7/5/2024 there have been 97 IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champions. They are listed in order of reign, which reign it was (some held it multiple times), length of reign and number of successful defenses.
1-Shiro Koshinaka. 1st reign. Length: 2/6/1986-5/19/1986. Successful defenses: 1.
2-Nobuhiko Takeda. 1st reign. Length: 5/19/1986-9/19/1986. Successful defenses: 6.
3-Shiro Koshinaka. 2nd reign. Length: 9/19/1986-8/2/1987. Successful defenses: 2. Vacated title on 8/2/1987 due to injury.
4-Kuniaki Kobayashi. 1st reign. Length: 8/20/1987-12/27/1987. Successful defenses: 1.
5-Hiroshi Hase. 1st reign. Length: 12/27/1987-5/27/1988. Successful defenses: 3.
6-Owen Hart. 1st reign. Length: 5/27/1988-6/24/1988. Successful defenses: 1.
7-Shiro Koshinaka. 3rd reign. Length: 6/24/1988-3/16/1989. Successful defenses: 6.
8-Hiroshi Hase. 2nd reign. Length: 3/16/1989-5/25/1989. Successful defenses: None.
9-Jushin Liger. 1st reign. Length: 5/25/1989-8/10/1989. Successful defenses: 2.
10-Naoki Sano. 1st reign. Length: 8/10/1989-1/31/1990. Successful defenses: 2.
11-Jushin Liger. 2nd reign. Length: 1/31/1990-8/19/1990. Successful defenses: 1.
12-Wild Pegasus (Pegasus Kid). 1st reign. Length: 8/19/1990-11/1/1990. Successful defenses: None.
13-Jushin Liger. 3rd reign. Length: 11/1:1990-4-15/1991. Successful defenses: 2. Vacated title on 4:15/1991 so it could be competed for in the 1991 Best Of The Super Junior Tournament.
14-Norio Honaga. 1st reign. Length: 4/30/1991-6/12/1991. Successful defenses: 2.
15-Jushin Liger. 4th reign. Length: 6/12/1991-8/9/1991. Successful defenses: None.
16-Akira Nogami. 1st reign. Length: 8/5/1991-11/5/1991. Successful defenses: 1.
17-Norio Honaga. 2nd reign. Length: 11/5/1991-2/8/1992. Successful defenses: 1.
18-Jushin Liger. 5th reign. Length: 2/8/1992-6/26/1992. Successful defenses: 3.
19-El Samurai. 1st reign. Length: 6/26/1992-11/22/1992. Successful defenses: 3.
20-Ultimo Dragon. 1st reign. Length: 11/22/1992-1/4/1993. Successful defenses: 1.
21-Jushin Liger. 6th reign. Length: 1/4/1993-9/24/1994. Successful defenses: 5. Vacated title on 9/24/1994 due to injury.
22-Norio Honaga. 3rd reign. Length: 9/27/1994/2-2/19/1995. Successful defenses: 6.
23-Koji Kanemoto. 1st reign. Length: 2/19/1995-5/3/1995. Successful defenses: 2.
24-Sabu. 1st reign. Length: 5/3/1995-6/14-1995. Successful defenses: 1.
25-Koji Kanemoto. 2nd reign. Length: 6/14/1995-1/4/1996. Successful defenses: 2.
26-Jushin Liger. 7th reign. Length: 1/4/1996-4/29/1996. Successful defenses: 2.
27-The Great Sasuke. 1st reign. Length: 4/29/1996-10/11/1996. Successful defenses: 5.
28-Ultimo Dragon. 2nd reign. Length: 10/11/1996-1/4/1997. Successful defenses: 7.
29-Jushin Liger. 8th reign. Length: 1/4/1997-7/6/1997. Successful defenses: 4.
30-El Samurai. 2nd reign. Length: 7/6/1997-8/10/1997. Successful defenses: None.
31-Shinjiro Otani. 1st reign. Length: 8/10/1997-2/7/1998. Successful defenses: 5.
32-Jushin Liger. 9th reign. Length: 2/7/1998-3/17/1999. Successful defenses: 8.
33-Koji Kanemoto. 3rd reign. Length: 3/17/1999-8/28/1999. Successful defenses: 3.
34-Kendo Ka Shin. 1st reign. Length: 8/28/1999-10/11/1999. Successful defenses: 1.
35-Jushin Liger. 10th reign. Length: 10/11/1999-11/29/1999. Successful defenses: 1.
36-Juventud Guerera. 1st reign. Length: 11/29/1999-12/6/1999. Successful defenses: None.
37-Jushin Liger. 11th reign. Length: 12/6/1999-7/20/2000. Successful defenses: 3. Beat Psicosis, who replaced an injured Juventud Guerrera in title match, to win title.
38-Tatsuhito Takaiwa. 1st reign. Length: 7/20/2000-10/29/2000. Successful defenses: 2.
39-Minoru Tanaka. 1st reign. Length: 10/29/2000-7/20/2001. Successful defenses: 2.
40-Masayuki Naruse. 1st reign. Length: 6/20/2001-10/8/2001. Successful defenses: 1.
41-Kendo Ka Shin. 2nd reign. Length: 10/8/2001-2/1/2002. Successful defenses: 2. Won title as Tokimitsu Ishizawa but defended as Kendo Ka Shin. Vacated title on 2/1/2002 due to leaving New Japan.
42-Minoru Tanaka. 2nd reign. Length: 2/16/2002-7/19/2002. Successful defenses: 3.
43-Koji Kanemoto. 4th reign. Length: 7/19/2002-4/23/2003. Successful defenses: 6.
44-Tiger Mask 4. 1st reign. Length: 4/23/2003-9/23/2003. Successful defenses: 4. Vacated title on 9/23/2003 so it could be contested for in a battle royal.
45-Jado. 1st reign. Length: 10/13/2003-12/14/2003. Successful defenses: 1.
46-Heat (Minoru Tanaka). 2nd reign. Length: 12/14/2003-1/4/2005. Successful defenses: 11.
47-Tiger Mask 4. 2nd reign. Length: 1/4/2005-10/8/2005. Successful defenses: 2.
48-Black Tiger. 1st reign. Length: 10/8/2005-2/9/2006. Successful defenses: 1.
49-Tiger Mask 4. 3rd reign. Length: 2/9/2006-5/3/2006. Successful defenses: 1.
50-Koji Kanemoto. 5th reign.Length: 5/3/2006-12/24/2006. Successful defenses: 1.
51-Minoru (Minoru Tanaka). 3rd reign. Length: 12/24/2006-7/6/2007. Successful defenses: 4.
52-Ryusuke Taguchi. 1st reign. Length: 7/6/2007-12/8/2007. Successful defenses: 4.
53-Wataru Inoue. 1st reign. Length: 12/8/2007-6/16/2008. Successful defenses: 3. Vacated title on 6/16/2008 due to moving up to Heavyweight.
54-Tiger Mask 4. 4th reign. Length: 7/8/2008-9/21/2008. Successful defenses: None.
55-Low Ki. 1st reign. Length: 9/21/008-1/4/2009. Successful defenses: 1.
56-Tiger Mask 4. 5th reign. Length: 1/4/2009-8/15/2009. Successful defenses: 4.
57-Mistico. 1st reign. Length: 8/15/2009-11/8/2009. Successful defenses: 2.
58-Tiger Mask 4. 6th reign. Length: 11/8/2009-1/4/2010. Successful defenses: None.
59-Naomichi Marufuji. 1st reign. Length: 1/4/2010-6/9/2010. Succesful defenses: 5.
60-Prince Devitt. 1st reign. Length: 6/9/2010-6/18/2011. Successful defenses: 7.
61-Kota Ibushi. 1st reign. Length: 6/18/2021-9/12/2011. Successful defenses: 2. Vacated title on 9/12/2011 due to injury.
62-Prince Devitt. 2nd reign. Length: 9/19:2011-5/3/2012. Successful defenses: 4.
63-Low Ki. 2nd reign. Length: 5/3/2012-7/29/2012. Successful defenses: 1.
64-Kota Ibushi. 2nd reign. Length: 7/29/2012-10/8/2012. Successful defenses: 2.
65-Low Ki. 3rd reign. Length: 10/9/2012-11/11/2012. Successful defenses: None.
66-Prince Devitt. 3rd reign. Length: 11/11/212-1/4/2014. Successful defenses: 4.
67-Kota Ibushi. 3rd reign. Length: 1/4/2014-7/4/2014. Successful defenses: 4.
68-KUSHIDA. 1st reign. Length: 7/4/2014-9/21/2014. Successful defenses: None.
69-Ryusuke Taguchi. 2nd reign. Length: 9/21/2014-1/4/2015. Successful defenses: 2.
70-Kenny Omega. 1st reign. Length: 1/4/215-7/5/2015. Successful defenses: 3.
71-KUSHIDA. 2nd reign. Length: 7/5/2015-9/3/2015. Successful defenses: 1.
72-Kenny Omega. 2nd reign. Length: 9/3/2015-1/4/2016. Successful defenses: 1.
73-KUSHIDA. 3rd reign. Length: 1/4/2016-9/17/2016. Successful defenses: 5.
74-BUSHI. 1st reign. Length: 9/17/2016-11/5/2016. Successful defenses: None.
75-KUSHIDA. 4th reign. Length: 11/5/2016-1/4/2017. Successful defenses: None.
76-Hiromu Takahashi. 1st reign. Length: 1:4/2017-6/11/2017. Successful defenses: 4.
77-KUSHIDA. 5th reign. Length: 6/11/2016-10/9/2017. Successful defenses: 2.
78-Will Ospreay. 1st reign. Length: 10/9/2017-11/5/2017. Successful defenses: None.
79-Marty Scurll. 1st reign. Length: 11/5/2017-1/4/2018. Successful defenses: None.
80-Will Ospreay. 2nd reign. Length: 1/4/2018-6/9/2018. Successful defenses: 3. Won title in 4-way match.
81-Hiromu Takahashi. 2nd reign. Length: 6/9/2018-8/20/2018. Successful defenses: 2. Vacated title on 8/20/2018 due to injury.
82-KUSHIDA. 6th reign. Length: 10/8/2018-1/4/2019. Successful defenses: None.
83-Taiji Ishimori. 1st reign. Length: 1/4/2019-4/7/2019. Successful defenses: 2.
84-Dragon Lee. 1st reign. Length: 4/7/2019-6/9/2019. Successful defenses: 1. Won title in 3-way match.
85-Will Ospreay. 3rd reign. Length: 6/9/2019-1/4/2020. Successful defenses: 3.
86-Hiromu Takahashi. 3rd reign. Length: 1/4/2020-8/29/2020. Successful defenses: 1.
87-Taiji Ishimori. 2nd reign. Length: 8/29/2020-1/5/2021. Successful defenses: None.
88-Hiromu Takahashi. 4th reign. Length: 1/5/2021-2/25/2021. Successful defenses: 1. Vacated title on 2/25/2021 due to injury.
89-El Desperado. 1st reign. Length: 2/28/2021-7/25/2021. Successful defenses: 2. Won title in 3-way match.
90-Robbie Eagles. 1st reign. Length: 7/25/2021-11/6/2021. Successful defenses: 1.
91-El Desperado. 2nd reign. Length: 11/6/2021-5/1/2022. Successful defenses: 3.
92-Taiji Ishimori. 3rd reign. Length: 5/1/2022-1/4/2023. Successful defenses: 1.
93-Hiromu Takahashi. 5th reign. Length: 1/4/2023-1/4/2024. Successful defenses: 7. Won title in 4-way match.
94-El Desperado. 3rd reign. Length: 1/4/2024-2/23/2024. Successful defenses: 1.
95-Sho. 1st reign. Length: 2/23/2024-6/16/2024. Successful defenses: 2. Won title by countout.
96-El Desperado. 4th reign. Length: 6/16/2024-7/5/2024. Successful defenses: None.
97-DOUKI. 1st reign. Length: 7/5/2024-Present (Current Champion). Successful defenses: 4. Next defense: 1/4/2025 vs. El Desperado.
