The GHC Harcore Championship (GHCハードコア王座 GHC Hādokoa ōza) is a professional wrestling championship owned and promoted by the Pro Wrestling NOAH (NOAH) promotion. GHC is the acronym of NOAH's governing body, the Global Honored Crown.
The title was announced on October 9, 2023, when Nosawa Rongai announced that he was bringing back the GHC Hardcore Championship, with the inaugural champion being crowned on the October 23 episode of Monday Magic.
The title is distinct from NOAH's previous GHC Openweight Hardcore Championship that was contested from 2004 until 2010 when it was abandoned. Although the two titles share the same name, they do not have a direct lineage. The title became Noah's sixth active championship.
History[]
Background[]
On March 13, 2004, Pro Wrestling NOAH wrestler Jun Akiyama proposed the idea for the Global Hardcore Crown (GHC), a unique "Hardcore" championship with unconventional rules. The title was openweight, meaning wrestlers from any weight class within NOAH could challenge for it, but unlike traditional titles, a challenger could win the belt not only by pinfall but also if they lasted 15 minutes in the ring against a larger champion. NOAH's president, Mitsuharu Misawa, supported the idea and funded the title, personally overseeing its creation. The belt's design, based on Akiyama's vision, stood out with a white strap and a silver crest, earning it the nickname "The White GHC".
Despite early interest, the belt's sporadic defenses and waning fan support saw its relevance diminish. By the late 2000s, NOAH’s interest in the title faded, and amid the promotion's financial difficulties in the 2010s, NOAH chose to retire the title, concluding its short-lived and failed experimental history.
Establishment[]
On October 9, 2023, Nosawa Rongai announced that he was bringing back the GHC Hardcore Championship, but he was changing a rule, the title could be challenged by anyone outside of Noah and a separate lineage. Shortly after, it was announced that Ninja Mack would face a mysterious opponent on the October 23 episode of Monday Magic. At the event, the mysterious opponent was revealed to be Masato Tanaka, who defeated Ninja Mack to become the new champion. Afterwards, the title began being defended exclusively at Monday Magic events.
Championship Belt Design[]
The GHC Hardcore Championship as a plain white leather strap, which was unusual among Pro Wrestling NOAH's belts. The main plate was silver, featuring the GHC logo in the center. The centerpiece of the belt features a wide, silver main plate engraved with sharp, edgy details, with ornate finishes seen on other GHC titles with a silver crest. The side plates are also silver, with simple engravings that matched the main plate’s style. Unlike other GHC belts, this championship did not have elaborate decorations, emphasizing a more functional and clean look.
Title History[]
| # | Wrestler | Reign | Date | Location | Length | Defenses | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Masato Tanaka | 1 | October 23, 2023 | Tokyo | 36 Days | 0 | Defeated Ninja Mack to win the reactivated title. |
| 2 | Ninja Mack | 1 | November 28, 2023 | Tokyo | 158 Days | 1[note 1] | This was a three-way match also involving Super Crazy. |
| 3 | Shuji Ishikawa | 1 | May 4, 2024 | Tokyo | 416+ | 1 | This was a Hardcore Match. |
Notes[]
- ↑ On December 16, 2023, Mack successfully defended the title against Matt Locke at an independent wrestling event. The defense was not recognized by NOAH, so officially, Mack successfully defended the title 1 time instead of 2.
Gallery[]
