The GHC Heavyweight Championship (GHCヘビー級王座 GHC Hebī-kyū Ōza) is the top singles championship in the Pro Wrestling NOAH (NOAH) promotion. "GHC" is the acronym of NOAH's governing body, the Global Honored Crown. The title was created on April 15, 2001 when Mitsuharu Misawa defeated Yoshihiro Takayama in a 16-man tournament final. Though its name implies a particular weight class, it has been held by junior heavyweights in the past, including Yoshinari Ogawa and former GHC Junior Heavyweight Champion Naomichi Marufuji. All GHC Heavyweight Title matches and contract signings were overseen and introduced by GHC title commissioner Joe Higuchi until October 2010 when Higuchi died, at which time he was replaced by Harley Race.
Overview[]
History[]
Throughout the history of the championship, the title as vacant one, due to the reigning champion Jun Akiyama was forced to relinquish the title due to herniated discs in his back. Then it was held a decision match to determine the new champion.
Title changes happen at NOAH-promoted events or tours. Mitsuharu Misawa is the first and oldest champion in the title history, at 46 years old. Takashi Sugiura holds the record for most reigns, with 4 reigns. His first reign had the most title defenses during a single reign with 14 successful defenses. Over his 4 reigns, Sugiura successfully defended the title 23 times, the most of any champion. Sugiura, with a combined 4 reigns, holds the record for most days as champion at 1,067 days. At 735 days, Kenta Kobashi's reign is the longest reign in the title's history. Yoshihiro Takayama's reign holds the record for the shortest reign at 16 days. With zero successful title defenses, Takayama's only reign, Morishima's third reign and Marufuji's third reign are all tied for the least successful defenses. Go Shiozaki became the first freelancer to win the championship after defeating Takashi Sugiura on May 28, 2016.
Eddie Edwards became the first gaijin to hold the GHC Heavyweight Championship after defeating Katsuhiko Nakajima on August 26, 2017. On November 6, 2017, in Canada, Edwards made his second defense of the GHC Heavyweight Championship against El Hijo del Fantasma, being the first title defense made outside NOAH territory. On December 16, 2018, at Great Voyage in Yokohama vol.2, Kaito Kiyomiya became the youngest champion in the title's history at 22 years old.
In January 2019, LIDET Entertainment took over the ownership of Pro Wrestling Noah and as a plan to relaunch the promotion as the second largest promotion in Japan, Noah announced that the GHC Heavyweight Championship would be defended in the Ryōgoku Kokugikan, while also announcing the creation of the second version of the title to replace the first version, which was unveiled on September 20. On August 10 at NOAH The Chronicle Vol. 3, as part of Pro Wrestling Noah's 20th anniversary, Go Shiozaki faced Kenoh in a double title match for the GHC Heavyweight and National Championships, which ended in a 60-minute time limit draw.
On February 4, at Cross Over in Sendai, El Hijo de Dr. Wagner Jr. defeated Kenoh to win the GHC Heavyweight Championship, for the first time. With this victory, Wagner became the second gaijin wrestler (the other being Eddie Edwards), and the first Mexican to hold the title.
Inaugural Championship Tournament[]
NOAH held a 16-man tournament to crown the first champion, held over its month-long, 18-event Navigation for the Victory GHC tour. The tour was held from March 18 through April 15, 2001.
| First round | Second round | Semifinals | Final | ||||||||||||||||
| Mar. 18 | Mitsuharu Misawa | Pin | |||||||||||||||||
| Tokyo | Akitoshi Saito | 12:26 | |||||||||||||||||
| Apr. 4 | Mitsuharu Misawa | Pin | |||||||||||||||||
| Okayama | Yoshinari Ogawa | 19:44 | |||||||||||||||||
| Mar. 21 | Masao Inoue | Pin | |||||||||||||||||
| Sagamihara | Yoshinari Ogawa | 14:18 | |||||||||||||||||
| Apr. 11 | Mitsuharu Misawa | Pin | |||||||||||||||||
| Hiroshima | Jun Akiyama | 15:05† | |||||||||||||||||
| Apr. 1 | Jun Akiyama | Pin | |||||||||||||||||
| Fukuoka | Takao Omori | 22:49 | |||||||||||||||||
| Apr. 8 | Jun Akiyama | Pin | |||||||||||||||||
| Tokyo | Takeshi Rikio | 4:02 | |||||||||||||||||
| Apr. 2 | Takeshi Morishima | Pin | |||||||||||||||||
| Beppu | Takeshi Rikio | 14:33 | |||||||||||||||||
| Apr. 15 | Mitsuharu Misawa | Pin | |||||||||||||||||
| Tokyo | Yoshihiro Takayama | 21:12 | |||||||||||||||||
| Mar. 22 | Jun Izumida | Pin | |||||||||||||||||
| Tokyo | Yoshihiro Takayama | 8:22 | |||||||||||||||||
| Apr. 3 | Yoshihiro Takayama | Pin | |||||||||||||||||
| Uwajima | Kentaro Shiga | 7:16 | |||||||||||||||||
| Mar. 30 | Scorpio | Pin | |||||||||||||||||
| Kumamoto | Kentaro Shiga | 13:06 | |||||||||||||||||
| Apr. 12 | Yoshihiro Takayama | DQ | |||||||||||||||||
| Osaka | Vader | 9:24 | |||||||||||||||||
| Mar. 25 | Akira Taue | Pin | |||||||||||||||||
| Kyoto | Vader | 10:40 | |||||||||||||||||
| Apr. 6 | Vader | Pin | |||||||||||||||||
| Ishikawa | Daisuke Ikeda | 7:15 | |||||||||||||||||
| Mar. 29 | Tamon Honda | Pin | |||||||||||||||||
| Kagoshima | Daisuke Ikeda | 15:16 | |||||||||||||||||
† Akiyama and Misawa were both counted out, but the match was restarted.
Belt Design[]
The first version of the title was introduced in 2001, and its centerpiece featured a circular main plate in gold, adorned with intricate engravings, and crowned by a large "GHC" inscription at the top. Below it, the words "Heavyweight Champion" were prominently displayed, encased in a banner-like design, andn the middle, there’s an earth-shaped globe, symbolizing NOAH's governing body, the Global Honored Crown. The main plate is flanked by two side plates on either side, each carrying additional details, including NOAH's emblematic logo.
The second version was introduced in 2019, with the centerpiece of this version being broad, gold-plated main plate. At the top of the plate, bold "GHC" initials are engraved in a prominent and embossed style. Just top and bottom, “Heavyweight and Champion” were displayed in a subtle yet bold font, framing the title's gravity with elegance. The globe at the center was an enhanced feature, rendered with a three-dimensional effect that highlights the continents. The side plates, two on each side of the main plate, contribute further to the belt’s distinguished look.
Title History[]
| # | Wrestler | Reign | Date | Location | Length | Defenses | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mitsuharu Misawa | 1 | April 15, 2001 | Tokyo | 103 Days | 1 | Defeated Yoshihiro Takayama in a tournament final to become the first champion. |
| 2 | Jun Akiyama | 1 | July 27, 2001 | Tokyo | 254 Days | 3 | |
| 3 | Yoshinari Ogawa | 1 | April 7, 2002 | Tokyo | 153 Days | 2 | |
| 4 | Yoshihiro Takayama | 1 | September 7, 2002 | Osaka | 16 Days | 0 | |
| 5 | Mitsuharu Misawa | 2 | September 23, 2002 | Tokyo | 159 Days | 1 | |
| 6 | Kenta Kobashi | 1 | March 1, 2003 | Tokyo | 735 Days | 13 | |
| 7 | Takeshi Rikio | 1 | March 5, 2005 | Tokyo | 245 Days | 3 | |
| 8 | Akira Taue | 1 | November 5, 2005 | Tokyo | 78 Days | 1 | |
| 9 | Jun Akiyama | 2 | January 22, 2006 | Tokyo | 230 Days | 2 | |
| 10 | Naomichi Marufuji | 1 | September 9, 2006 | Tokyo | 92 Days | 2 | |
| 11 | Mitsuharu Misawa | 3 | December 10, 2006 | Tokyo | 448 Days | 7 | |
| 12 | Takeshi Morishima | 1 | March 2, 2008 | Tokyo | 188 Days | 2 | |
| 13 | Kensuke Sasaki | 1 | September 6, 2008 | Tokyo | 176 Days | 2 | |
| 14 | Jun Akiyama | 3 | March 1, 2009 | Tokyo | 105 Days | 1 | |
| — | Vacated | — | June 14, 2009 | — | — | — | Vacated the title due to herniated discs in his back. |
| 15 | Go Shiozaki | 1 | June 14, 2009 | Fukuoka | 175 Days | 1 | Defeated Takeshi Rikio for the vacant title. |
| 16 | Takashi Sugiura | 1 | December 6, 2009 | Tokyo | 581 Days | 14 | |
| 17 | Go Shiozaki | 2 | July 10, 2011 | Tokyo | 196 Days | 3 | |
| 18 | Takeshi Morishima | 2 | January 22, 2012 | Osaka | 371 Days | 8 | |
| 19 | KENTA | 1 | January 27, 2013 | Osaka | 343 Days | 9 | |
| 20 | Takeshi Morishima | 3 | January 5, 2014 | Tokyo | 34 Days | 0 | |
| 21 | Yuji Nagata | 1 | February 8, 2014 | Tokyo | 147 Days | 4 | |
| 22 | Naomichi Marufuji | 2 | July 5, 2014 | Tokyo | 253 Days | 6 | |
| 23 | Minoru Suzuki | 1 | March 15, 2015 | Tokyo | 283 Days | 4¹ | On August 9, 2015, Suzuki successfully defended the title against Mio Shirai at a Pro Wrestling Wave event. The defense was not recognized by NOAH, so officially, Suzuki successfully defended the title 4 times instead of 5. |
| 24 | Naomichi Marufuji | 3 | December 23, 2015 | Tokyo | 39 Days | 0 | |
| 25 | Takashi Sugiura | 2 | January 31, 2016 | Yokohama | 118 Days | 1 | |
| 26 | Go Shiozaki | 3 | May 28, 2016 | Osaka | 63 Days | 1 | |
| 27 | Takashi Sugiura | 3 | July 30, 2016 | Tokyo | 85 Days | 2 | This was a lumberjack match. |
| 28 | Katsuhiko Nakajima | 1 | October 23, 2016 | Yokohama | 307 Days | 7 | |
| 29 | Eddie Edwards | 1 | August 26, 2017 | Tokyo | 118 Days | 2 | |
| 30 | Kenoh | 1 | December 22, 2017 | Tokyo | 79 Days | 3 | |
| 31 | Takashi Sugiura | 4 | March 11, 2018 | Yokohama | 280 Days | 6 | |
| 32 | Kaito Kiyomiya | 1 | December 16, 2018 | Yokohama | 384 Days | 6 | |
| 33 | Go Shiozaki | 4 | January 4, 2020 | Tokyo | 405 Days | 6 | |
| 34 | Keiji Mutoh | 1 | February 12, 2021 | Tokyo | 114 Days | 2 | |
| 35 | Naomichi Marufuji | 4 | June 6, 2021 | Saitama | 126 Days | 2 | |
| 36 | Katsuhiko Nakajima | 2 | October 10, 2021 | Osaka | 136 Days | 4 | |
| 37 | Kazuyuki Fujita | 1 | February 23, 2022 | Nagoya | 63 Days | 1 | |
| — | Vacated | — | April 27, 2022 | — | — | — | Vacated the title after testing positive for the COVID-19. |
| 38 | Go Shiozaki | 5 | April 30, 2022 | Tokyo | 43 Days | 0 | Defeated Kaito Kiyomiya in a decision match to win the vacant title. |
| 39 | Satoshi Kojima | 1 | June 12, 2022 | Saitama | 34 Days | 0 | |
| 40 | Kenoh | 2 | July 16, 2022 | Tokyo | 71 Days | 0 | |
| 41 | Kaito Kiyomiya | 2 | September 25, 2022 | Nagoya | 175 Days | 4 | |
| 42 | Jake Lee | 1 | March 19, 2023 | Yokohama | 223 Days | 4 | |
| 43 | Kenoh | 3 | October 28, 2023 | Fukuoka | 99 Days | 2 | |
| 44 | El Hijo de Dr. Wagner Jr. | 1 | February 4, 2024 | Sendai | 90 Days | 1 | |
| 45 | Kaito Kiyomiya | 3 | May 4, 2024 | Tokyo | 242 | 7 | |
| 46 | OZAWA | 1 | January 1, 2025 | Tokyo | 112+ | 3 |
Combined Reigns[]
As of April 23, 2025.
| † | Indicates the current champion |
| Rank | Wrestler | No. of reigns |
Combined defenses |
Combined days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Takashi Sugiura | 4 | 23 | 1,064 |
| 2 | Go Shiozaki | 5 | 11 | 882 |
| 3 | Kaito Kiyomiya | 3 | 17 | 801 |
| 4 | Kenta Kobashi | 1 | 13 | 735 |
| 5 | Mitsuharu Misawa | 3 | 9 | 710 |
| 6 | Takeshi Morishima | 10 | 593 | |
| 7 | Jun Akiyama | 6 | 589 | |
| 8 | Naomichi Marufuji | 4 | 10 | 510 |
| 9 | Katsuhiko Nakajima | 2 | 11 | 443 |
| 10 | KENTA | 1 | 9 | 343 |
| 11 | Minoru Suzuki | 4 | 283 | |
| 12 | Kenoh | 3 | 5 | 249 |
| 13 | Takeshi Rikio | 1 | 3 | 245 |
| 14 | Jake Lee | 4 | 223 | |
| 15 | Kensuke Sasaki | 2 | 176 | |
| 16 | Yoshinari Ogawa | 153 | ||
| 17 | Yuji Nagata | 4 | 147 | |
| 18 | Eddie Edwards | 2 | 118 | |
| 19 | Keiji Mutoh | 114 | ||
| 20 | OZAWA † | 3 | 112+ | |
| 21 | El Hijo de Dr. Wagner Jr. | 1 | 100 | |
| 22 | Akira Taue | 78 | ||
| 23 | Kazuyuki Fujita | 63 | ||
| 24 | Satoshi Kojima | 0 | 35 | |
| 25 | Yoshihiro Takayama | 16 |
Gallery[]
