The International Wrestling Alliance World Heavyweight Championship was a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship of the Japanese professional wrestling promotion known as International Wrestling Enterprise (Kokusai Puroresu). It was the first Japanese heavyweight title to be billed as a World title, and in the 1970s and early 1980s it was one of the most important titles in Japan. The title died with the promotion in 1981 but was later revived by Goro Tsurumi for his independent Kokusai Promotion.
| Wrestler: | Times: | Date: | Place: |
| Billy Robinson1 | 1 | December 12, 1968 | Okayama, Okayama |
| Thunder Sugiyama | 1 | May 19, 1969 | Sendai, Miyagi |
| Dr. Bill Miller | 1 | March 4, 1971 | Kokura, Fukuoka |
| Strong Kobayashi | 1 | June 19, 1971 | Duluth, MN |
| Wahoo McDaniel | 1 | November 9, 1973 | Wakayama,Nachikatsuura |
| Strong Kobayashi | 2 | November 30, 1973 | Tokyo |
| The title was vacated on February 13, 1974 when Kobayashi jumped to New Japan Pro Wrestling to challenge Antonio Inoki. | |||
| Billy Robinson2 | 2 | June 3, 1974 | Korakuen Hall, Tokyo |
| Superstar Billy Graham | 1 | August 16, 1974 | Denver, CO |
| Mighty Inoue | 1 | October 7, 1974 | Koshigaya, Saitama |
| Mad Dog Vachon | 1 | April 10, 1975 | Tokyo,Adachi |
| Rusher Kimura | 1 | April 19, 1975 | Sapporo, Hokkaido |
| Kimura vacates the title after being unsatisfied with a match (indecisive conclusion) against The Undertaker (Hans Schroeder) on April 13, 1976 in Sapporo, Hokkaido. | |||
| Rusher Kimura3 | 2 | April 22, 1976 | Sendai, Miyagi |
| Umanosuke Ueda | 1 | June 11, 1976 | Koga, Ibaraki |
| The title was held up after a match against Rusher Kimura on July 28, 1976. | |||
| Rusher Kimura4 | 3 | July 31, 1976 | Koshigaya, Saitama |
| Alexis Smirnoff | 1 | July 21, 1979 | Niigata,Murakami |
| Rusher Kimura | 4 | July 25, 1979 | Mishima, Shizuoka |
| Verne Gagne | 1 | November 13, 1979 | Niigata,Sanjō |
| Rusher Kimura | 5 | November 16, 1979 | Wakayama, Wakayama |
| The IWE promotion closes on September 30, 1981; the title is abandoned. | |||
1Billy Robinson defeated Toyonobori in the final of an 11-man round-robin tournament to become the first IWA World champion.
2Robinson defeated Great Kusatsu in a tournament final.
3Rusher Kimura defeated The Undertaker (Hans Schroeder) in a rematch for the held-up title.
4Kimura defeated Super Assassin, who had replaced the injured Umanosuke Ueda in the rematch for the held-up title.
Famous quotes containing the words world and/or pro:
“In this world a man must either be anvil or hammer.”
—Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807–1882)
“It is sweet and honourable to die for one’s country.
[Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori.]”
—Horace [Quintus Horatius Flaccus] (65–8 B.C.)