{{Short description|Professional wrestling tag team championship}} {{Infobox pro wrestling championship |name = IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship |image = IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship.PNG |image_size = |alt = |caption = The IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship belts |currentholder = [[El Desperado (wrestler)|El Desperado]] and [[Místico]] |won = May 4, 2026 |aired = |promotion = [[New Japan Pro-Wrestling]] (NJPW) |created = August 8, 1998 |mostreigns = As tag team:<br>[[The Young Bucks]] (Matt Jackson and Nick Jackson) (7 reigns)<br>As individual:<br>[[Rocky Romero]] (8 reigns) |firstchamp = [[Shinjiro Otani]] and [[Tatsuhito Takaiwa]] |longestreign = [[Shinjiro Otani]] and [[Tatsuhito Takaiwa]] (second reign, 348 days) |shortestreign = [[TMDK#Sub-groups|Ichiban Sweet Boys]] ([[Robbie Eagles]] and [[Kosei Fujita]]) (third reign, 9 days) |oldest = [[Tiger Mask IV]]<br>({{age in years months and days|October 20, 1970|October 26, 2021}}) |youngest = [[Kosei Fujita]]<br>({{age in years months and days|July 14, 2002|January 4, 2025}}) |heaviest = |lightest = |pastnames = *'''IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship''' (1998–present) *IWGP Junior Tag Team Championship *IWGP Jr. Tag Team Championship }} The '''{{Nihongo|IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship|IWGPジュニアタッグ王座|IWGP juniataggu ōza}}''' is a [[professional wrestling]] [[tag team]] [[Championship (professional wrestling)|championship]] owned by the [[New Japan Pro-Wrestling]] (NJPW) [[Professional wrestling promotion|promotion]]. "IWGP" is the acronym of NJPW's governing body, the {{Nihongo|International Wrestling Grand Prix|インターナショナル・レスリング・グラン・プリ|intānashonaru resuringu guran puri}}. The title was introduced on August 8, 1998, at an NJPW [[House show|live event]].<ref name="reign1">{{cite web|url=http://www.njpw.co.jp/histry/jr_tag_main01.html#001|title=IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship history: Reign 1|work=[[New Japan Pro-Wrestling]]|publisher=NJPW.co.jp|language=ja|access-date=September 27, 2009|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090921212830/http://www.njpw.co.jp/histry/jr_tag_main01.html|archive-date=September 21, 2009}}</ref> The IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship is one of two tag team titles contested for in NJPW; the [[IWGP Tag Team Championship]] is also sanctioned by NJPW.<ref name="tag"/> According to NJPW's official website, the Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship is listed as the "IWGP Jr. Tag Class", while the IWGP Tag Team Championship is considered the "IWGP Heavyweight Class".<ref name="tag">{{cite web|url=http://www.njpw.co.jp/histry/tag.html|title=IWGP Tag Team Championship history|work=[[New Japan Pro-Wrestling]]|publisher=NJPW.co.jp|language=ja|access-date=September 27, 2009|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090927211656/http://www.njpw.co.jp/histry/tag.html|archive-date=September 27, 2009}}</ref> The title is contested for by junior heavyweight wrestlers; the weight-limit for the title is {{convert|100|kg|lb|abbr=on}} per partner.<ref name="weightlimit">{{cite web|url=http://www.njpw.co.jp/news/article.php?nwid=9954|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090421042119/http://www.njpw.co.jp/news/article.php?nwid=9954|title=No Limit、またしてもIWGP Jr.タッグ奪還ならず！/4月19日TNA「Lock Down」試合結果(1)|archive-date=April 21, 2009|date=April 20, 2009|work=[[New Japan Pro-Wrestling]]|publisher=NJPW.co.jp|language=ja|access-date=December 8, 2009|quote=Translated version shows that it was questioned if [[Shawn Hernandez|Hernandez]] weighed more than 100kg, the weight-limit.}}</ref> The current champions are [[El Desperado (wrestler)|El Desperado]] and [[Místico]], who are in their first reign as a team, but fifth for Desperado and first for Místico individually. They won the titles by defeating [[The Mighty Don't Kneel#Sub-groups|Ichiban Sweet Boys]] ([[Robbie Eagles]] and [[Kosei Fujita]]) at Night 2 of [[Wrestling Dontaku 2026|Wrestling Dontaku]] in [[Fukuoka, Japan]] on May 4, 2026.
==History== Title changes happen mostly at NJPW-promoted events. [[The Motor City Machine Guns]] ([[Alex Shelley]] and [[Chris Sabin]]), a [[Total Nonstop Action Wrestling]] (TNA) tag team, defeated then-champions [[No Limit (professional wrestling)|No Limit]] ([[Tetsuya Naito]] and [[Yujiro Takahashi|Yujiro]]) on January 4, 2009, at [[January 4 Dome Show#Wrestle Kingdom III in Tokyo Dome|Wrestle Kingdom III]]. Their reign lasted until July 5, 2009, when they were defeated by [[Apollo 55]] ([[Finn Balor|Prince Devitt]] and [[Ryusuke Taguchi]]) at a live event. During that time, they had three successful defenses; two were held by TNA due to a pre-existing relationship and an agreement with NJPW.<ref name="agreement">{{cite web|url=http://www.wrestleview.com/news2009/1232054145.php|title="Global Impact 2" and New Japan and TNA relations|last=Martin|first=Adam|date=January 15, 2009|work=Wrestleview|access-date=December 8, 2009}}</ref> Their first defense in TNA, a rematch against No Limit, occurred on March 31, 2009, at the tapings of their weekly television program ''[[TNA Impact!]]''.<ref name="defense1">{{cite web|url=http://www.wrestleview.com/news2009/1238650426.php|title=Spoilers: Impact tapings for 4/9-16|last=Martin|first=Adam|date=2009-04-02|work=Wrestleview|access-date=December 8, 2009|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120914164322/http://www.wrestleview.com/news2009/1238650426.php|archive-date=September 14, 2012}}</ref> On April 19, 2009, they made their second, and last, defense in TNA at the [[Lockdown (2009)|Lockdown]] [[pay-per-view]] event in a [[Professional wrestling match types#Basic non-elimination matches|Three Way]] [[Professional wrestling tag team match types#Tornado tag team match|Tornado Tag Team]] [[Professional wrestling match types#Cages|Six Sides of Steel cage match]] against No Limit and [[The Latin American Xchange]] ([[Shawn Hernandez|Hernandez]] and [[Homicide (wrestler)|Homicide]]).<ref name="Lockdown09">{{cite web|url=http://pwtorch.com/artman2/publish/PPV_Reports_5/article_31502.shtml|title=Caldwell's TNA Lockdown PPV report 4/19: Ongoing "virtual time" coverage of all-cage PPV - Sting vs. Foley|last=Caldwell|first=James|date=April 19, 2009|publisher=Pro Wrestling Torch|access-date=December 8, 2009}}</ref>
==Reigns== {{Main|List of IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champions}} {{Multiple images |image1 = El Desperado 2017.jpg |image2 = Místico, 2016 (cropped).jpg |footer = Current champions [[El Desperado (wrestler)|El Desperado]] and [[Místico]] |total_width = 350px }} Overall, there have been 82 reigns shared among 58 different wrestlers, who made up 46 different teams. The inaugural champions were [[Shinjiro Otani]] and [[Tatsuhito Takaiwa]], who defeated [[Dr. Wagner Jr.]] and [[Koji Kanemoto]] on August 8, 1998, in the final of a tournament.
[[Rocky Romero]] holds the record for most reigns by an individual wrestler at eight. [[The Young Bucks]] (Matt Jackson and Nick Jackson) hold the record for the most by a team at seven. [[Keiji Takayama|Gedo]] [[The World Class Tag Team|and]] [[Shoji Akiyoshi|Jado]]'s combined four reigns add up to the most of any team at 960 days, and also hold the record for most total defenses at 15. [[Ryusuke Taguchi]] holds the records for most combined days and most total defenses by an individual wrestler, with 990 days and 17 defenses respectively across his seven reigns with four different partners. [[Apollo 55]] ([[Prince Devitt]] and Ryusuke Taguchi) hold the record for most defenses during a single reign at seven. Otani and Takaiwa's second reign is the longest in the title's history. [[Minoru Tanaka (wrestler)|Minoru]] at 348 days, and Prince Devitt's first reign is the shortest at 21 days.
[[El Desperado (wrestler)|El Desperado]] and [[Místico]] are the current champions in their first reign as a team, but fifth for Desperado and first for Místico individually. They won the titles by defeating [[The Mighty Don't Kneel#Sub-groups|Ichiban Sweet Boys]] ([[Robbie Eagles]] and [[Kosei Fujita]]) at Night 2 of [[Wrestling Dontaku 2026|Wrestling Dontaku]] in [[Fukuoka, Japan]] on May 4, 2026.<ref name="DesperadoMistico">{{cite web|last=Thompson|first=Andrew|title=Místico & El Desperado Capture IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Titles At NJPW Wrestling Dontaku 2026|url=https://www.fightful.com/wrestling/mistico-el-desperado-capture-iwgp-junior-heavyweight-tag-team-titles-at-njpw-wrestling-dontaku-2026/|work=Fightful|date=May 4, 2026|access-date=May 4, 2026}}</ref>
==References== ;General *{{cite web|url=http://solie.org/titlehistories/jhttiwgp.html|title=IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Title History |access-date=September 27, 2009}} *{{cite web|url=http://www.njpw.co.jp/champions/iwgp-jr-2tag|title=IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship history|work=[[New Japan Pro-Wrestling]]|publisher=NJPW.co.jp|language=ja|access-date=November 10, 2016}}
;Specific {{Reflist}}
==External links== *[http://www.njpw.co.jp/ NJPW.co.jp]
{{IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship}} {{New Japan Pro Wrestling}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Iwgp Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship}} [[Category:New Japan Pro-Wrestling championships]] [[Category:Tag team wrestling championships]] [[Category:Junior heavyweight wrestling championships]] [[Category:1998 establishments in Japan]]