NJPW IWGP World Heavyweight Championship to Be Defended in April and May Shows in the U.S.

NJPW will make its highly anticipated return to the United States this April and May with the company’s top title on the line.

The IWGP World Heavyweight Championship will be defended at both Windy City Riot (Friday, April 11) and Resurgence 2025 (Friday, May 9). Currently holding the title is Hirooki Goto, who recently claimed the championship after defeating Zack Sabre Jr. earlier this week. However, NJPW has yet to announce the challengers for either of these events.

Goto, a seasoned member of the NJPW roster for over two decades, has finally achieved the pinnacle of the company with his victory. He will make his first title defense against Hiroshi Tanahashi at NJPW's 53rd Anniversary show on March 6. The winner of that match will then face the winner of the New Japan Cup tournament at Sakura Genesis on April 5, just days before Windy City Riot.

Windy City Riot will take place at Wintrust Arena in Chicago, while Resurgence is set for Toyota Arena in Ontario, California. Tickets for Resurgence will be available to the public beginning Friday, February 14. Windy City Riot tickets are already on sale.

Last year, both Windy City Riot and Resurgence also featured IWGP World Championship matches. In Chicago, Jon Moxley won the title from Tetsuya Naito, then successfully defended it against Shota Umino at Resurgence. Moxley, Naito, Sabre, and Goto are the most recent champions.

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— Ben Kerin Feb 12, 2025 01:32PM