Strong Openweight Championship

The **Strong Openweight Championship** (STRONG無差別級王座, *STRONG Musabetsu-kyū Ōza*) is the top singles championship in the New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) promotion's American brand division New Japan Pro-Wrestling of America (NJoA) in the United States.

Named after the NJoA's flagship program *NJPW Strong*, the title was announced on April 3, 2021, with the inaugural champion crowned on April 23, at the finals of the 2021 New Japan Cup USA. The title is meant to be defended exclusively in the *NJPW Strong* television series and is the third openweight championship in the promotion, along with the NEVER Openweight Championship and the NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Championship. The title's openweight nature means that both heavyweight and junior heavyweight wrestlers are eligible to challenge for it.

## Overview

### Background

On April 3, 2021, during the *Road to New Japan Cup USA 2021* tour, NJPW's sub-brand New Japan Pro-Wrestling of America announced the creation of the Strong Openweight Championship. The first champion would be crowned in a tournament on April 23 at the finals of the 2021 New Japan Cup USA. The title is part of an American expansion plan, which NJPW had made public in the years before the announcement. Plans had been made to run extended tours in the United States with California as the base, starting in 2018, as well the creation of the IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship.

The championship is named after the NJoA's flagship program *NJPW Strong*, with the title being set to become the brand's exclusive and primary championship. The title's openweight nature means that both heavyweight and junior heavyweight wrestlers are eligible to challenge for it.

### Inaugural tournament

On February 28, NJPW announced the the second edition of the tournament. In March, NJPW held various qualifying matches On February 28, NJPW announced the second edition of the tournament. In March, NJPW held various qualifying matches to determine the participants for the tournament, with the bracket being revealed on March 28. The tournament itself took part in April. The tournament matches were contested through NJPW's weekly television show, *NJPW Strong* series.

### Establishment

Since its creation, the Strong Openweight Championship has been positioned as top championship of NJPW's American sub-brand New Japan Pro-Wrestling of America with the first title defense taking place on May 28, 2021. Two years later, the title was defended in Japan in NJPW for the first time on May 3, 2023 at Wrestling Dontaku, with KENTA losing the title to Hikuleo, marking the first time the title had changed hands outside of United States. On the August 31 episode of *AEW Dynamite*, Eddie Kingston made his first successful title against Wheeler Yuta, marking the first time that title was defended outside of NJPW.

On November 11, 2023, the NJPW's American partner promotion AEW announced a tournament called the Continental Classic, with the winner becoming the first AEW Continental Champion. Eddie Kingston, who held the Strong Championship and the ROH World Championship, announced that he would be putting his championships on the line during the tournament and that the tournament's winner would be the AEW Continental Crown Champion. As part of the Triple Crown Championship, the Strong Openweight Championship is recognized by NJPW, AEW, and ROH, and is defended in all three promotions. Subsequently, the Strong Openweight Champion at the time of the next Continental Classic will automatically be entered into the tournament. At AEW's Worlds End event, Kingston defeated Jon Moxley in the Continental Classic final, retaining the Strong Openweight Championship and becoming the first Continental Crown Champion

## Combined reigns

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## Gallery

* Gallery
* Champions

NJPW unvieling the beltStrong Openweight Championship alongside New Japan Cup USA trophy

Tom LawlorFred RosserKENTAHikuleoEddie Kingston