Inoki Genome Federation - IWGP Heavyweight Championship (IGF Version)

IWGP Heavyweight Championship (IGF Version)

The IWGP Heavyweight Championship was IGF's first sanctioned championship. Though it is officially not the same title recognized by New Japan Pro Wrestling, the Inoki Genome Federation referred to this title as the IWGP Heavyweight Championship (and was recognized as such also by TNA). IGF claims that the IWGP Heavyweight Championship was never held up despite Brock Lesnar being stripped of the title by NJPW on July 15, 2006. This is due to Antonio Inoki believing that Lesnar was being treated unfairly by NJPW. As Inoki was the one who had originally established the IWGP title, he still viewed Lesnar as the rightful champion. As such there were two separate belts and titles that were billed as the IWGP Heavyweight Championship. IGF's version used the third physical incarnation of the belt, while NJPW reverted to the second once it lost possession of the third belt. The IGF championship was defended for the first time by Lesnar in a losing effort against Kurt Angle in the main event of the debut IGF card on June 29, 2007.

Angle made his first successful title defense against Samoa Joe on August 12, 2007 in Orlando, Florida at TNA Hard Justice in a match where, in addition to the IWGP title, Angle's TNA World Heavyweight, and Joe's TNA World Tag Team and TNA X Division Championships were on the line.

On December 20, 2007 Angle successfully defended the title against Kendo Kashin and again against Yuji Nagata at the New Japan Pro Wrestling Wrestle Kingdom II in Tokyo Dome supershow on January 4, 2008.

Angle ultimately lost the title in his fourth defense, against NJPW-recognized IWGP Heavyweight Champion Shinsuke Nakamura, in a title unification match, on February 17, 2008; this unified both versions of the IWGP Heavyweight Championship. As a result, the IGF went over three years without sanctioning any championships.