Inoki Genome Federation

History

Antonio Inoki founded the Inoki Genome Federation (IGF) after selling New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), a promotion he founded in 1972. The first IGF show was held on June 29, 2007 at the Sumo Hall in Tokyo, Japan. The show's main event was a match between Kurt Angle and Brock Lesnar, where they competed for Lesnar's IWGP Heavyweight Championship.

From 2007 to 2008, the IGF served as the Japanese territory of the National Wrestling Alliance.

On December 31, 2010, Shinichi Suzukawa was scheduled to face Bob Sapp in an IGF special Super Heavyweight bout at K-1 Dynamite!! 2010. The fight was to be held under modified MMA rules, with the fighters being barred from wearing gloves, closed-fist strikes being illegal, and palm strikes being permitted. The fight was planned to air on HDNet in North America. However, the fight was canceled due to a last-minute contract dispute with Sapp; the Japanese audience in attendance were told by the K-1 promoters involved in the dispute that Sapp “had lost his will to fight.”

In 2011, the promotion presented a gift to Kim Jong Il, the-then leader of North Korea as part of a diplomatic effort. In August 2014, IGF held two shows in Pyongyang, North Korea.

On December 29, 2014, IGF announced a deal with PPTV to bring its programming to Chinese audiences. In 2015, Durango Kid and Laberinto, two of Inoki's former students, along with karateka Alfredo Perez, established an IGF off-shoot promotion in the United States called Inoki Sports Management, also known as Lucha Wrestling Puroresu. The three men would also re-establish the Inoki Dojo in Los Angeles.

In 2017, Antonio Inoki began distancing himself from the IGF and created a new promotion called ISM. After the creation of ISM, Antonio's son-in-law Simon Inoki gained more influence within the promotion and created a new brand under the IGF banner called Next Exciting Wrestling (NEW). The IGF's inaugural NEW show was held on April 20, 2017. On March 23, 2018, Antonio Inoki sold his part of the promotion and left the IGF. In April 2018, Nosawa Rongai, along with IGF wrestlers Kendo Kashin and Kazuyuki Fujita, created an IGF off-shoot promotion known as Hagure IGF International. A new brand featuring IGF's Chinese wrestlers called Eastern Heroes was later founded by Simon Inoki. On June 26, Eastern Heroes wrestlers participated on night 8 of Pro Wrestling Noah's Navigation with Emerald Spirits tour. The IGF closed on January 9, 2019. After the IGF's closure, Assist Co., Ltd., the promotion's parent company, opened a chain of bakeries, leading to both Kendo Kashin and Simon Inoki to humorously state "IGF has become a bakery".

In August 2022, Antonio Inoki revived the IGF, now standing for the Inoki Genki Factory, to serve as his official management company. On October 1, at age 79, Inoki died from systemic transthyretin amyloidosis. On December 28, the Inoki Genki Factory held their first show, Inoki Bom-Ba-Ye x Ganryujima, a memorial event honoring Inoki organized in collaboration with Samurai Warriors Ganryujima and NJPW. On December 14, 2024, IGF participated in the Antonio Inoki Memorial Show organized in Shanghai, China by NJPW and various Asia-Pacific Federation of Wrestling promotions.

Roster

Roster at time of closing

• Atsushi Sawada
• Black Tiger V
• Crusher Kawaguchi
• Daichi Hashimoto
• Erik Hammer
• Kazuyuki Fujita
• Keisuke Okuda
• Kendo Kashin
• Kevin Kross
• Knux
• Mason Williams
• Minowaman
• Mitsuyoshi Nakai
• Montanha Silva
• Naoya Ogawa
• Oli Thompson
• Shinichi Suzukawa
• Shinya Aoki
• Shogun Okamoto
• Vito Rea

Notable alumni

• Alexander Kozlov
• Bobby Lashley
• Brock Lesnar
• Daijiro Matsui
• Erik Paulson
• Harry Smith
• Hideki Suzuki
• Hikaru Sato
• Jerome Le Banner
• Jienotsu (Yuichiro Nagashima)
• Kurt Angle
• Mirko Cro Cop
• Peter Aerts
• Shodai Tiger Mask
• Raj Singh
• Tatsumi Fujinami
• Wang Bin
• Yoshiaki Fujiwara
• Necro Butcher
• X (Durango Kid) ;Guests
• Abdullah the Butcher
• The Destroyer
• Dory Funk, Jr.
• Stan Hansen
• Tiger Jeet Singh ;Supervisor
• Billy Robinson

Championships

IWGP Heavyweight Championship

Main article: IWGP Heavyweight Championship (IGF)

IGF Championship

In February 2011, IGF started a tournament to determine the first ever IGF Champion, which eventually led to a final match between Jérôme Le Banner and Josh Barnett. However, just days prior to the final match taking place, IGF announced on August 19 that Barnett would not be able to attend the event. On August 22, IGF declared Le Banner the first champion. The title was founded as a professional wrestling championship, but has since December 31, 2013, been contested in legitimate mixed martial arts fights.

Title history

1. def. Satoshi Ishii at Inoki Bom-Ba-Ye 2014 on December 31, 2014

Tournaments

IGF Championship Tournament

(Genome14, Genome15, and Genome16) (Genome15 and Genome16) N/A | RD1-team1 = Josh Barnett | RD1-score1 = Win | RD1-team2 = Montanha Silva | RD1-score2 = | RD1-team3 = Bobby Lashley | RD1-score3 = Win | RD1-team4 = Keith Hanson | RD1-score4 = | RD1-team5 = Shinichi Suzukawa | RD1-score5 = Win | RD1-team6 = Bob Sapp | RD1-score6 = | RD1-team7 = Jerome Le Banner | RD1-score7 = Win | RD1-team8 = Shinichi Suzukawa | RD1-score8 = | RD2-team1 = Josh Barnett | RD2-score1 = Win | RD2-team2 = Bobby Lashley | RD2-score2 = | RD2-team3 = Jerome Le Banner | RD2-score3 = Win | RD2-team4 =Erik Hammer* | RD2-score4 = | RD3-team1 = Jerome Le Banner | RD3-score1 = Forfeit | RD3-team2 = Josh Barnett | RD3-score2 =

• Erik Hammer replaced Shinichi Suzukawa in the tournament after defeating Ray Sefo.

World Bantamweight Grand Prix

• This tournament was co-promoted with DREAM and M-1 Global. (DREAM 17) (Fight For Japan: Genki Desu Ka Omisoka 2011) (Fight For Japan: Genki Desu Ka Omisoka 2011) ||JPN Masakazu Imanari|W|USA Abel Cullum |SUB| |JPN Hideo Tokoro |DEC|USA Antonio Banuelos|W ||BRA Bibiano Fernandes |W|JPN Takafumi Otsuka |SUB| |RUS Yusup Saadulaev |DEC|BRA Rodolfo Marques |W ||JPN Masakazu Imanari |DEC|USA Antonio Banuelos|W ||BRA Bibiano Fernandes |W|BRA Rodolfo Marques|DEC ||USA Antonio Banuelos|TKO|BRA Bibiano Fernandes |W |||||

Inoki Genome Tournament 2012

• This tournament took place entirely on the Genome20 event. | RD1-seed1 = | RD1-seed2 = | RD1-seed3 = | RD1-seed4 = | RD2-seed1 = | RD2-seed2 = | RD1-team1 = Shinichi Suzukawa | RD1-team2 = Yusuke Kawaguchi | RD1-score1 = Win | RD1-score2 = | RD1-team3 = Atsushi Sawada | RD1-team4 = Hideki Suzuki | RD1-score3 = Win | RD1-score4 = | RD2-team1 = Atsushi Sawada | RD2-team2 = Shinichi Suzukawa | RD2-score1 = Win | RD2-score2 =

Inoki Genome Tournament 2013

• This tournament took place entirely on the Genome26 event. |team-width= |score-width= |RD1-seed1=|RD1-seed2=|RD1-seed3=|RD1-seed4=|RD3-seed1= |RD1-team1=Hideki Suzuki |RD1-score1=Win |RD1-team2=Akira Jo |RD1-score2= |RD1-team3=Atsushi Sawada |RD1-score3=Win |RD1-team4=Shogun Okamoto |RD1-score4= |RD2-team1=Atsushi Sawada |RD2-score1=Double Countout |RD2-team2=Shinichi Suzukawa* |RD2-score2= |RD3-team1=Hideki Suzuki* |RD3-score1=Win |RD3-team2=Atsushi Sawada* |RD3-score2=
• Shinichi Suzukawa received a bye to the semi-finals. Hideki Suzuki received a bye to the final after defeating Crusher Kawaguchi in a match. Atsushi Sawada advanced to the final despite his match against Shinichi Suzukawa ending in a double countout.

Road to Inoki Bom-Ba-Ye Challenge Tournament

• This tournament took place entirely on the Inoki Bom-Ba-Ye 2014 event. | RD1-seed1 = | RD1-seed2 = | RD1-seed3 = | RD1-seed4 = | RD2-seed1 = | RD2-seed2 = | RD1-team1 = Yusuke Masuda | RD1-team2 = Takaaki "C-Boy" Oban | RD1-score1 = W | RD1-score2 = DEC | RD1-team3 = Ryo Sakai | RD1-team4 = Tsuyoshi Kurihara | RD1-score3 = W | RD1-score4 = DEC | RD2-team1 = Yusuke Masuda | RD2-team2 = Ryo Sakai | RD2-score1 = W | RD2-score2 = DEC

IGF World GP

• Quarterfinals took place on April 11, 2015 at Inoki Genome Fight 3.
• Semi-finals took place on August 29, 2015 at Inoki Genome Fight 4.
• The final took place on December 31, 2015 at Inoki Bom-Ba-Ye 2015. | RD1-team1 = SWE Yosef Ali Mohammad | RD1-team2 = NED Dion Staring | RD1-score1 = TKO | RD1-score2 = Rd 1 | RD1-team3 = BRA Fernando Rodrigues Jr. | RD1-team4 =FRA Antony Rea | RD1-score3 = TKO | RD1-score4 = Rd 1 | RD1-team5 = USA Chris Barnett | RD1-team6 = BUL Emil Zahariev | RD1-score5 = TKO | RD1-score6 = Rd 2 | RD1-team7 = ENG Oli Thompson | RD1-team8 = JPN Ikuhisa Minowa | RD1-score7 = DEC | RD1-score8 = Rd 2 | RD2-team1 =SWE Yosef Ali Mohammad | RD2-team2 =BRA Fernando Rodrigues Jr. | RD2-score1 = TKO | RD2-score2 = Rd 1 | RD2-team3 =USA Chris Barnett | RD2-team4 =ENG Oli Thompson | RD2-score3 = DEC | RD2-score4 = Rd 2 | RD3-team1 =BRA Fernando Rodrigues Jr. | RD3-team2 =ENG Oli Thompson | RD3-score1 = TKO | RD3-score2 = Rd 1

Genome-1: Osaka

• This tournament took place entirely on the Genome33 event. | RD1-seed1 = | RD1-seed2 = | RD1-seed3 = | RD1-seed4 = | RD2-seed1 = | RD2-seed2 = | RD1-team1 = Naoya Ogawa | RD1-team2 = Minowaman | RD1-score1 = Win | RD1-score2 = | RD1-team3 = Atsushi Sawada | RD1-team4 = Montanha Silva | RD1-score3 = Win | RD1-score4 = | RD2-team1 = Atsushi Sawada | RD2-team2 = Minowaman | RD2-score1 = Win | RD2-score2 =

Genome-1: Nagoya

• This tournament took place entirely on the Genome34 event. | RD1-seed1 = | RD1-seed2 = | RD1-seed3 = | RD1-seed4 = | RD2-seed1 = | RD2-seed2 = | RD1-team1 = Hideki Suzuki | RD1-team2 = Wang Bin | RD1-score1 = Win | RD1-score2 = | RD1-team3 = Daichi Hashimoto | RD1-team4 = Raj Singh | RD1-score3 = Win | RD1-score4 = | RD2-team1 = Hideki Suzuki | RD2-team2 = Daichi Hashimoto | RD2-score1 = Win | RD2-score2 =

Lucha Libre World Cup 2017

• This tournament took place entirely on night 2 of the Lucha Libre World Cup 2017 event and was co-promoted with Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide and Lucha Underground. | RD1-team1 =MEXTeam Mexico AAA (Pagano and Psycho Clown) | RD1-team2 =USATeam USA Noah (Cody Hall and Quiet Storm) | RD1-score1 =Pin | RD1-score2 = | RD1-team3 =JPNTeam Japan IGF (Kendo Kashin and Nosawa) | RD1-team4 =Earth_Day_Flag.pngTeam Rest of the World (Mil Muertes and Vampiro) | RD1-score3 =DQ | RD1-score4 = | RD1-team5 =JPNTeam Noah Japan (Hi69 and Taiji Ishimori) | RD1-team6 =USATeam USA Lucha Underground (Marty Martinez and Son of Havoc) | RD1-score5 =Pin | RD1-score6 = | RD1-team7 =USATeam USA Impact (Andrew Everett and DJZ) | RD1-team8 =MEXTeam Mexico Lucha Underground (Aero Star and Drago) | RD1-score7 =Pin | RD1-score8 = | RD2-team1 =MEXTeam Mexico AAA (Pagano and Psycho Clown) | RD2-team2 =JPNTeam Japan IGF (Kendo Kashin and Nosawa) | RD2-score1 =Pin | RD2-score2 = | RD2-team3 =JPNTeam Noah Japan (Hi69 and Taiji Ishimori) | RD2-team4 =USATeam USA Impact (Andrew Everett and DJZ) | RD2-score3 =Pin | RD2-score4 = | RD3-team1 =MEXTeam Mexico AAA (Pagano and Psycho Clown) | RD3-team2 =JPNTeam Noah Japan (Hi69 and Taiji Ishimori) | RD3-score1 =Pin | RD3-score2 =

IGF events

References

References

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