NJPW crowns first IWGP Global Champion at Wrestle Kingdom 18

NJPW crowned the inaugural IWGP Global Heavyweight Champion on Thursday at Wrestle Kingdom 18. 

David Finlay won a three-way match also involving AEW’s Jon Moxley & Will Ospreay to win the title and the distinction of first-ever IWGP Global Champion. 

Finlay pinned Ospreay in 22:17 in a wild brawl that included interference from Finlay’s Bullet Club War Dogs stablemates Alex Coughlin & Gabe Kidd. 

As they revealed at the pre-Wrestle Kingdom press conference, Ospreay & Moxley agreed to a truce for the first five minutes of the contest and doubled up on Finlay. Tables & chairs were used liberally throughout the no-DQ contest, and Moxley bled.

After the victory, Finlay jawed with Nic Nemeth (Dolph Ziggler) at ringside, leading to a fight around the ringside area between the two. The debuting Nemeth looks to be the first title program for the new Global Champion. 

Finlay’s destruction of Ospreay’s IWGP UK and US title belts in November was the impetus for the creation of the new Global title, as he interrupted a faceoff between Moxley & Ospreay at Power Struggle, inserting himself into the new title picture.