IWGP World Heavyweight Title Match Set For NJPW New Japan Cup Show

Hirooki Goto put his IWGP World Heavyweight Title on the line against Yuji Nagata on NJPW’s New Japan Cup tour later this month. NJPW announced on Thursday that Nagata will have a title shot against Goto on the March 15th event on the tour.

The full announcement reads:

Nagata to challenge for IWGP World title March 15!
Title match added to Nagoya card
A massive championship match has been added to March 15’s New Japan Cup card in Dolphin’s Arena, Nagoya.

After Hirooki Goto captured the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship February 11 in Osaka, he nominated Hiroshi Tanahashi to face him for 53rd Anniversary. Immediately after that nomination, Yuji Nagata approached to offer his own challenge to the new champion. Nagata, inspired by the veteran Goto’s glory, requested his own shot, and his first at the top title in professional wrestling for 14 years.

That match happened in December of 2011, and in Dolphin’s Arena, a match where Hiroshi Tanahashi matched Nagata’s previously held defence record of V10 with the IWGP Heavyweight title. Nagata’s historic reign between 2002 and 2003 earned him the nickname of ‘Mr. IWGP’; now he looks to become a three time champion, and aged 56, surpass Genichiro Tenryu at 53 as the oldest IWGP Champion in history.

What happens in Nagoya? Catch the title action, as well as four New Japan Cup quarterfinals, all on March 15!