World Junior Heavyweight Championship

The World Junior Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling title in Japanese promotion All Japan Pro Wrestling, contested exclusively among junior heavyweight (<100 kg) wrestlers. It was created on July 31, 1986 when Hiro Saito defeated Brad Armstrong in a tournament final. There have been a total of 30 recognized champions who have had a combined 42 official reigns.

History
On June 1986 Tiger Mask vacated the NWA International Junior Heavyweight Championship to graduate to the heavyweight division. Later on July 31, 1986 when Hiro Saito defeated Brad Armstrong All Japan Pro Wrestling assumed Saito was their first World Junior Heavyweight Championship. The NWA International Junior Heavyweight Championship has no relation with The NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship. Also the championship is not refered as the PWF World Junior Heavyweight Championship which Pacific Wrestling Federation (PWF) is another governing body of All Japan. The championship changed hands with varius japanese wrestler and gaijin's. On July 16, 2000 the World Junior Heavyweight Championship incluing the rest of the AJPW Champions were vacated due to Yoshinari Ogawa and several AJPW wrestler joinning Mitsuharu Misawa exodus to form Pro Wrestling NOAH. Eleven months later Kendo Kashin faced Masanobu Fuchi for the vancated championship which Kashin won. On February 12, 2004 the championship was vancated due to inactivity. Ten days later the Kaz Hayashi defeated Blue-K for the vancated championship. On January 10, 2005 at Kaientai Dojo the championship changed hands in another promotion for the first time when Taka Michinoku defeated Kaz Hayashi for the championship the title match was also for the Champion of Strongest-K. On February 17, 2007 October 18, 2007 after a title defense between Katsuhiko Nakajima and Silver King ended in a no contest, Nakajima remained the official champion. On October 25, 2008 the championship was first defended in another promotion the AJPW rival promotion Pro Wrestling NOAH when Naomichi Marufuji fought KENTA in a double title match also for the GHC Junior Heavyweight Championship, the match ended in a time limit draw. It was also an attempt to unify the titles. Due to the match ending in a time limit draw, both champions kept their titles in the hands of their respective holder, while gaining favorable reviews for their efforts by the media with some claiming it to be a Match of the Year. On November 30, 2015 while Kotaro Suzuki was the World Junior Heavyweight Championship he announced that he was going to leave AJPW to become a freelancer. Following the announcement, the World Junior Heavyweight Championship was vacated. Later the new championship was going to be decided in the 2016 Jr. Battle of Glory. On February 21, 2016, Atsushi Aoki defeated Hikaru Sato in the finals to win the 2016 Jr. Battle of Glory and the vacant World Junior Heavyweight Championship.