IWGP Tag Team Championship

History

Before the IWGP championship system was created, New Japan Pro-Wrestling featured the NWA North American Tag Team Championship, a title originally based in Los Angeles, and the WWF International Tag Team Championship, a title licensed from the World Wrestling Federation (WWF), which was abandoned when the WWF working relationship ended.

The inaugural champions were Kengo Kimura & Tatsumi Fujinami, who defeated Antonio Inoki & Seiji Sakaguchi in the final of a tournament to win the championship on December 12, 1985, at an NJPW live event. In addition to NJPW, the IWGP Tag Team Championship was also contested in the United States–based promotions World Championship Wrestling (WCW) (now defunct) in the early 1990s, and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) in 2009, and in the Mexican lucha libre promotion Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre in 2005.

On October 30, 2005, in Kobe, Japan, Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Masahiro Chono defeated Hiroshi Tanahashi & Shinsuke Nakamura to begin their fifth overall reign as a team. On July 2, 2006, an interim tag team title was created when Tenzan & Chono showed signs of inactivity. Shiro Koshinaka & Togi Makabe defeated the teams of Yuji Nagata & Naofumi Yamamoto and Giant Bernard & Travis Tomko in a Three-Way Match to become the first interim champions. NJPW president Simon Kelly Inoki stripped Tenzan & Chono of the IWGP Tag Team Championship on September 20, 2006, after Tenzan & Chono ceased teaming. Manabu Nakanishi & Takao Omori, who defeated Koshinaka & Makabe on July 17, 2006, to become the interim champions, were recognized as the IWGP Tag Team Champions on September 28, 2006, by NJPW.

In 2009, The British Invasion defeated Team 3D on July 21, 2009, at a TNA television taping for the championship. Afterwards, NJPW released a statement announcing that they did not sanction the defense nor the title change, and as such did not recognize the reign. They continued to recognize Team 3D as the current champions and proclaimed that the next title defense would be by Team 3D and would be sanctioned by NJPW. On August 10, 2009, NJPW issued another press release stating that they were now recognizing The British Invasion of Brutus Magnus & Doug Williams as the current IWGP Tag Team Champions, making the reign official.

Reigns

Main article: List of IWGP Tag Team Champions

Overall, there have been 110 reigns shared among 97 different wrestlers, who made up 72 different teams. Hiroyoshi Tenzan holds the record for most reigns by an individual wrestler at 12, with his combined reigns adding up to 1,988 days. At seven reigns, the Guerrillas of Destiny (Tama Tonga & Tanga Loa) hold the record for most by a team. Tenzan & Masahiro Chono's combined five reign lengths add up to 1,010 days (the most of any team). At days, Bad Intentions' (Giant Bernard & Karl Anderson) only reign is the longest in the title's history and has the most defenses at 10. Keiji Muto & Shiro Koshinaka's only reign is the shortest at six days. There are 20 reigns shared between 18 teams that are tied for the fewest successful defenses, with zero.

The current champions are Knock Out Brothers (Yuto-Ice and Oskar), who are in their first reign as a team and individually. They won the titles by defeating Taichi and Tomohiro Ishii at Destruction in Kobe on September 28, 2025, in Kobe, Japan.

References

;General

;Specific

References

1. "IWGP Tag Team Championship history: Reign 1". NJPW.co.
2. "IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship history". NJPW.co.
3. Martin, Adam. (2009-04-19). "Lockdown PPV results - 4/19/09". Wrestleview.
4. [[Súper Luchas]]staff. (2006-01-03). "2005 Lo Mejor de la Lucha Mexicana". [[Súper Luchas]].
5. "IWGP Tag Team Championship history: Reign 48". NJPW.co.
6. "IWGP Tag Team Championship history: Reign 49". NJPW.co.
7. Martin, Adam. (2009-07-22). "Spoilers: 7/21 TNA Impact TV tapings". Wrestleview.
8. Sokol, Chris. (2009-07-31). "Impact: Two titles changes on 200th episode". [[Canadian Online Explorer]].
9. (2009-08-06). "Slam! Wrestling News/Rumours". [[Canadian Online Explorer]].
10. Martin, Adam. (2009-08-05). "New Japan on title change in TNA". Wrestleview.
11. Martin, Adam. (2009-08-12). "More on TNA and New Japan issues". Wrestleview.
12. Martin, Adam. (2009-08-10). "New Japan changes stance on tag titles". Wrestleview.