NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 18 will usher in a new era for the IWGP United States Championship. Introduced in 2017, New Japan’s star-spangled title was the Far East’s latest midcard prize, initially held by Kenny Omega. Omega’s reign and high-profile defenses, including a critically-acclaimed bout against Chris Jericho, immediately put the IWGP United States Championship in a level of prestige that most midcard titles fight years to achieve. Top names like Cody Rhodes and Jon Moxley capturing the crimson strap kept that momentum strong, and current champion Will Ospreay has made it his mission to take the title to even higher heights.
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Part of that mission included rebranding the championship to become the IWGP United Kingdom Title. This change was not officially recognized by New Japan Pro Wrestling and has since been woven into storylines. With upcoming challenger David Finlay destroying both the IWGP US and UK versions of the title, NJPW announced that the championship as a whole would be rebranded. When Ospreay defends it against Finlay and Jon Moxley at NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 18, the winner will leave the Tokyo Dome as the IWGP Global Heavyweight Champion.
This change has polarized the wrestling world, with some praising the shift while others question if it takes away from NJPW’s biggest prize, the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship.
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