Wikipedia

IWA World Tag Team Championship (International Wrestling Enterprise)

For the title contested in the Puerto Rican International Wrestling Association, see IWA World Tag Team Championship.

The International Wrestling Alliance (IWA) World Tag Team Championship was a professional wrestling tag team championship contested in the Japanese professional wrestling promotion International Wrestling Enterprise (国際プロレス興行, Kokusai Puroresu Kogyō). The IWA World Tag Team Championship was created in 1969 (replacing the TWWA World Tag Team Championship) and abandoned in 1981 upon the closure of the promotion.

IWA World Tag Team Championship
Details
PromotionInternational Wrestling Enterprise
Date establishedMay 18, 1969
Date retiredAugust 9, 1981
Statistics
First champion(s)Strong Kobayashi and Toyonobori
Final champion(s)Ashura Hara and Mighty Inoue
Most reignsGreat Kusatsu (9)
Longest reignGreat Kusatsu and Rusher Kimura (716 days)
Shortest reignJohn Quinn and Kurt Von Hess (1 day)

History edit

International Wrestling Enterprise (IWE) was founded in October 1966 by Isao Yoshihara and Hiro Matsuda.[1] The Trans-World Wrestling Alliance (TWWA) was created as the governing body for IWE. In 1967, IWE created the TWWA World Tag Team Championship, with the Fabulous Kangaroos being named the inaugural champions. The TWWA World Tag Team Championship was abandoned in 1968.[2]

In 1968, Yoshihara formed the International Wrestling Alliance (IWA) with French promoter Roger Delaporte as a new governing body for IWE. In May 1969, IWE created the IWA World Tag Team Championship. IWE mainstays Strong Kobayashi and Toyonobori became the inaugural champions on May 18, 1969, defeating the Belgian wrestler Ivan Strogoff and the French wrestler Jean Ferré (substituting for Roger Delaporte) at an event staged in the Élysée Montmartre in Paris, France.[1]

The titles were contended until IWE folded on September 30, 1981.[3]

Title history edit

Key
No. Overall reign number
Reign Reign number for the specific team—reign numbers for the individuals are in parentheses, if different
Days Number of days held
Defenses Number of successful defenses
N/A Unknown information
No. Champion Championship change Reign statistics Notes Ref.
Date Event Location Reign Days Defenses
1 Strong Kobayashi and Toyonobori May 18, 1969 N/A Paris, France 1 236 3 Kobayashi and Toyonobori defeated Ivan Strogoff and Jean Ferré to become the inaugural champions. [3][4]
— Vacated January 9, 1970 — — — — — Vacated when Toyonobori retired.
2 Michael Nador and Monster Roussimoff January 18, 1970 New Year Challenge Series Fukuoka, Japan 1 16 0 Nador and Roussimoff defeated Great Kusatsu and Thunder Sugiyama. [3][5]
3 Great Kusatsu and Thunder Sugiyama February 3, 1970 AWA World Championship Series Hiroshima, Japan 1 289 8 Two-out-of-three falls match. [3][6]
4 Bob Windham and Larry Hennig November 19, 1970 Big Winter Series Ashikaga, Japan 1 23 3 Two-out-of-three falls match. [3][7]
5 Great Kusatsu (2) and Thunder Sugiyama (2) December 12, 1970 Big Winter Series Tokyo, Japan 2 199 4 Two-out-of-three falls match. [3][8]
— Vacated June 29, 1971 — — — — — Vacated when Kusatsu left for the United States. [3]
6 Bill Howard and Red Bastien September 7, 1971 Dynamite Series Tokyo, Japan 1 16 0 Bastien and Howard defeated Rusher Kimura and Thunder Sugiyama for the vacant Championship.
Two-out-of-three falls match. 		[3][9]
7 Rusher Kimura and Thunder Sugiyama (3) September 23, 1971 Dynamite Series Isahaya, Japan 1 N/A N/A Two-out-of-three falls match. [3][10]
— Vacated May 1972 — — — — — Vacated when Kimura left Japan to tour overseas. [3]
8 Great Kusatsu (3) and Strong Kobayashi (2) July 7, 1972 Big Summer Series Chiba, Japan 1 285 6 Kusatsu and Kobayashi defeated Baron Mikel Scicluna and Bill Miller for the vacant Championship.
Two-out-of-three falls match. 		[3][11]
9 Ivan Koloff and Mad Dog Vachon April 18, 1973 Dynamite Series Tsuchiura, Japan 1 26 1 Two-out-of-three falls match. [3][12]
10 Great Kusatsu (4) and Rusher Kimura (2) May 14, 1973 Dynamite Series Funabashi, Japan 1 716 11 Two-out-of-three falls match. [3][13]
— Vacated April 30, 1975 — — — — — Vacated when Rusher Kimura won the IWA World Heavyweight Championship. [3]
11 Great Kusatsu (5) and Mighty Inoue June 13, 1975 Big Challenge Series Morioka, Japan 1 143 2 Kusatsu and Inoue defeated Duke Savage and Killer Tor Kamata in the finals of a tournament for the vacant Championship.
Two-out-of-three falls match. 		[3][14]
12 Combat
(Mad Dog Martel and Pierre Martin) 		November 3, 1975 Big Winter Series Tokyo, Japan 1 29 1 Two-out-of-three falls match. [3][15]
13 Great Kusatsu (6) and Mighty Inoue (2) December 2, 1975 Big Winter Series Yokohama, Japan 2 188 5 Cage match. [3][16]
14 Eddie Sullivan and Rip Tyler June 7, 1976 Big Challenge Series Fukuyama, Japan 1 4 0 [3][17]
15 Great Kusatsu (7) and Mighty Inoue (3) June 11, 1976 Big Challenge Series Koga, Japan 3 207 7 Two-out-of-three falls match. [3][18]
— Vacated January 4, 1977 — — — — — Vacated to allow a tournament to take place. [3]
16 John Quinn and Kurt Von Hess March 25, 1977 Sixth IWA World Series Yokohama, Japan 1 1 0 Quinn and Von Hess defeated Animal Hamaguchi and Isamu Teranishi in the finals of a tournament for the vacant Championship. [3][19]
17 Animal Hamaguchi and Great Kusatsu (8) March 26, 1977 Sixth IWA World Series Tokyo, Japan 1 285 2 Two-out-of-three falls match. [3][20]
18 The Samoans
(Afa and Sika) 		January 5, 1978 New Year Pioneer Series Osaka, Japan 1 15 0 [3][21]
19 Animal Hamaguchi (2) and Great Kusatsu (9) January 20, 1978 New Year Pioneer Series Tokyo, Japan 2 366 4 [3][22]
20 Yamaha Brothers
(Kantaro Hoshino and Kotetsu Yamamoto) 		January 21, 1979 New Year Pioneer Series Tokyo, Japan 1 33 1 Two-out-of-three falls match. [3][23]
21 Animal Hamaguchi (3) and Mighty Inoue (4) February 23, 1979 Big Fight Series Chiba, Japan 1 415 9 Two-out-of-three falls match. This was a New Japan Pro Wrestling event. [3][24]
— Vacated April 13, 1980 — — — — — Vacated when Hamaguchi sustained an injury. [3]
22 Haruka Eigen and Strong Kobayashi (3) June 29, 1980 Big Summer Series Tokyo, Japan 1 16 0 Eigen and Kobayashi defeated Animal Hamaguchi and Mighty Inoue for the vacant Championship.
Two-out-of-three falls match. 		[3][25]
23 Animal Hamaguchi (4) and Mighty Inoue (5) July 15, 1980 Big Summer Series Fuji, Japan 2 277 5 Two-out-of-three falls match. [3][26]
— Vacated April 18, 1981 — — — — — Vacated when Hamaguchi was unable to wrestle because of liver problems. [3]
24 Paul Ellering and Terry Latham May 4, 1981 Big Challenge Series Sapporo, Japan 1 12 1 Ellering and Latham defeated Mighty Inoue and Rusher Kimura for the vacant Championship.
Two-out-of-three falls match. 		[3][27]
25 Ashura Hara and Mighty Inoue (6) May 16, 1981 Big Challenge Series Tokyo, Japan 1 85 2 [3][28]
— Deactivated September 30, 1981 — — — — — Deactivated when the promotion folded. [3]

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ a b Hébert, Bertrand; Laprade, Pat (2020). The Eighth Wonder of the World: The True Story of André the Giant. Toronto, Ontario, Canada: ECW Press. ISBN 978-1-77041-466-2.
  2. ^ "Trans-World Wrestling Alliance World Tag Team Title". Wrestling-Titles.com. Retrieved July 26, 2023.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag "International Wrestling Alliance World Tag Team Title". Wrestling-Titles.com. December 4, 2010. Retrieved July 24, 2023.
  4. ^ Kreikenbohm, Philip. "18.05.1969 - 09.01.1970: Strong Kobayashi & Toyonobori". Cagematch.net. Retrieved July 24, 2023.
  5. ^ Kreikenbohm, Philip. "18.01.1970 - 03.02.1970: Michael Nador & Monster Roussimoff". Cagematch.net. Retrieved July 24, 2023.
  6. ^ Kreikenbohm, Philip. "03.02.1970 - 19.11.1970: Great Kusatsu & Thunder Sugiyama". Cagematch.net. Retrieved July 24, 2023.
  7. ^ Kreikenbohm, Philip. "19.11.1970 - 12.12.1970: Bob Windham & Larry Hennig". Cagematch.net. Retrieved July 24, 2023.
  8. ^ Kreikenbohm, Philip. "12.12.1970 - 29.06.1971: Great Kusatsu & Thunder Sugiyama (2)". Cagematch.net. Retrieved July 24, 2023.
  9. ^ Kreikenbohm, Philip. "07.09.1971 - 23.09.1971: Bill Howard & Red Bastien". Cagematch.net. Retrieved July 24, 2023.
  10. ^ Kreikenbohm, Philip. "23.09.1971 - xx.05.1972: Rusher Kimura & Thunder Sugiyama". Cagematch.net. Retrieved July 24, 2023.
  11. ^ Kreikenbohm, Philip. "07.07.1972 - 18.04.1973: Great Kusatsu & Strong Kobayashi". Cagematch.net. Retrieved July 24, 2023.
  12. ^ Kreikenbohm, Philip. "18.04.1973 - 14.05.1973: Ivan Koloff & Mad Dog Vachon". Cagematch.net. Retrieved July 24, 2023.
  13. ^ Kreikenbohm, Philip. "14.05.1973 - 30.04.1975: Great Kusatsu & Rusher Kimura". Cagematch.net. Retrieved July 24, 2023.
  14. ^ Kreikenbohm, Philip. "13.06.1975 - 03.11.1975: Great Kusatsu & Mighty Inoue". Cagematch.net. Retrieved July 24, 2023.
  15. ^ Kreikenbohm, Philip. "03.11.1975 - 02.12.1975: Combat (Mad Dog Martel & Pierre Martin)". Cagematch.net. Retrieved July 24, 2023.
  16. ^ Kreikenbohm, Philip. "02.12.1975 - 07.06.1976: Great Kusatsu & Mighty Inoue (2)". Cagematch.net. Retrieved July 24, 2023.
  17. ^ Kreikenbohm, Philip. "07.06.1976 - 11.06.1976: Eddie Sullivan & Rip Tyler". Cagematch.net. Retrieved July 24, 2023.
  18. ^ Kreikenbohm, Philip. "11.06.1976 - 04.01.1977: Great Kusatsu & Mighty Inoue (3)". Cagematch.net. Retrieved July 24, 2023.
  19. ^ Kreikenbohm, Philip. "25.03.1977 - 26.03.1977: John Quinn & Kurt von Hess". Cagematch.net. Retrieved July 24, 2023.
  20. ^ Kreikenbohm, Philip. "26.03.1977 - 05.01.1978: Animal Hamaguchi & Great Kusatsu". Cagematch.net. Retrieved July 24, 2023.
  21. ^ Kreikenbohm, Philip. "05.01.1978 - 20.01.1978: The Samoans (Afa & Sika)". Cagematch.net. Retrieved July 24, 2023.
  22. ^ Kreikenbohm, Philip. "20.01.1978 - 21.01.1979: Animal Hamaguchi & Great Kusatsu (2)". Cagematch.net. Retrieved July 24, 2023.
  23. ^ Kreikenbohm, Philip. "21.01.1979 - 23.02.1979: Yamaha Brothers (Kantaro Hoshino & Kotetsu Yamamoto)". Cagematch.net. Retrieved July 24, 2023.
  24. ^ Kreikenbohm, Philip. "23.02.1979 - 13.04.1980: Animal Hamaguchi & Mighty Inoue". Cagematch.net. Retrieved July 24, 2023.
  25. ^ Kreikenbohm, Philip. "29.06.1980 - 15.07.1980: Haruka Eigen & Strong Kobayashi". Cagematch.net. Retrieved July 24, 2023.
  26. ^ Kreikenbohm, Philip. "15.07.1980 - 18.04.1981: Animal Hamaguchi & Mighty Inoue (2)". Cagematch.net. Retrieved July 24, 2023.
  27. ^ Kreikenbohm, Philip. "04.05.1981 - 16.05.1981: Paul Ellering & Terry Latham". Cagematch.net. Retrieved July 24, 2023.
  28. ^ Kreikenbohm, Philip. "16.05.1981 - 09.08.1981: Ashura Hara & Mighty Inoue". Cagematch.net. Retrieved July 24, 2023.

External links edit

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