View source for IWGP U-30 Openweight Championship

{{Infobox pro wrestling championship
|championshipname=U-30 Championship
|image=IWGPU-30.png
|image_size=
|caption=
current holder: [[David Bryant]]
|won= June 29’ 2025
|aired=
|promotion=[[New Japan Pro-Wrestling]]
|created=April 23, 2003
|retired=
|mostreigns=Hiroshi Tanahashi ([[IWGP U-30 Openweight Championship#Title history|2 reigns]])
|firstchamp=[[Hiroshi Tanahashi]] 
|longestreign=[[Hiroshi Tanahashi]] ([[IWGP U-30 Openweight Championship#Title history|First reign, {{age in days nts|2003|04|23|2005|01|04}} days]])
|shortestreign=[[Shinsuke Nakamura]] ([[IWGP U-30 Openweight Championship#Title history|{{age in days nts|2005|01|04|2005|05|01}} days]]) 
|oldest=[[Hiroshi Tanahashi]] ({{Age in years, months and days|1976|11|13|2005|07|18}})
|youngest=[[Shinsuke Nakamura]] ({{Age in years, months and days|1980|02|24|2005|01|04}})
|heaviest=
|lightest=
|finalchamp=[[Hiroshi Tanahashi]]
|pastnames=*U-30 Openweight Championship<br />(2003&ndash;2004)
|titleretired=June 7, 2006
|pastlookimages=
}}
The {{nihongo|'''IWGP U-30 Openweight Championship'''|IWGP U-30無差別級王座|IWGP Andā Sātī Musabetsu-kyū Ōza}} was a [[professional wrestling]] [[openweight]] [[Championship (professional wrestling)|championship]] in [[New Japan Pro-Wrestling]] for younger wrestlers who were under the age of 30. It was proposed as part of a tournament called the '''G2 U-30 Climax''' by [[Hiroshi Tanahashi]], who ended up winning the tournament in April 2003. The U-30 Openweight Championship became officially recognized as an [[International Wrestling Grand Prix|IWGP]] title in November 2004.

Only two champions between three reigns were ever crowned over its three year existence, the inaugural and two-time champion Hiroshi Tanahashi, and [[Shinsuke Nakamura]].

As his 30th birthday began to approach (which would then make him ineligible to be the champion), Tanahashi vacated the title on June 7, 2006, to focus on the [[IWGP Heavyweight Championship]], and soon afterwards the U-30 Openweight Championship was de-emphasized and soon deactivated.

==Title history==
{{Professional wrestling title history top|defenses=yes}}
{{PWtitlereign
|sort number = 0.5
|type = promotion
|name = [[New Japan Pro Wrestling]] (NJPW)
}}
{{PWtitlereign
|number   = 1
|champion = [[Hiroshi Tanahashi]]
|reign    = 1
|date     = {{dts|2003|04|23}}
|days     = {{age in days nts|2003|04|23|2005|01|04}}
|location = [[Hiroshima, Japan]]
|event    = Strong Energy 2003
|defenses = 11
|notes    = Defeated [[Shinya Makabe]] (who ironically was already 30 years old) in the finals of the G2 U-30 Climax tournament to become inaugural champion at the age of 26.
|ref      = <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cagematch.net/?id=1&nr=864|title=NJPW Strong Energy 2003 - Tag 5 - TV-Show @ Sun Plaza in Hiroshima, Japan|first=Philip|last=Kreikenbohm|publisher=Cagematch - The Internet Wrestling Database|date=April 23, 2003|access-date=February 27, 2021}}</ref>
}}{{PWtitlereign
|number   = 2
|champion = [[Shinsuke Nakamura]]
|reign    = 1
|date     = {{dts|2005|01|04}}
|days     = {{age in days nts|2005|01|04|2005|05|01}}
|location = [[Tokyo, Japan]]
|event    = [[Toukon Festival: Wrestling World 2005]]
|defenses = 0
|notes    = Defeated the champion Hiroshi Tanahashi in the main event of the Tokyo Dome Show to win the championship at the age of 24.
|ref      = <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cagematch.net/?id=1&nr=904|title=NJPW Toukon Festival - Wrestling World 2005 - TV-Show @ Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan|first=Philip|last=Kreikenbohm|publisher=Cagematch - The Internet Wrestling Database|date=January 4, 2005|access-date=February 27, 2021}}</ref>
}}{{PWtitlereign
|sort number = 2.5
|type     = vacated
|date     = {{dts|2005|05|01}}
|defenses = yes
|notes    = Nakamura vacated the championship by company request due to not defending it.
}}{{PWtitlereign
|number   = 3
|champion = [[Hiroshi Tanahashi]]
|reign    = 2
|date     = {{dts|2005|06|18}}
|days     = {{age in days nts|2005|06|18|2006|06|07}}
|location = [[Kyoto, Japan]]
|event    = [[Best of the Super Juniors|Best of the Super Jr. XII]]
|defenses = 2
|notes    = Defeated [[Toru Yano]] in the finals of a six-man round-robin tournament for the vacated title at the age of 28.
|ref      = <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cagematch.net/?id=1&nr=3312|title=NJPW Best Of The Super Junior XII - Tag 12 - TV-Show @ Kyoto City Gymnasium in Kyoto, Japan|first=Philip|last=Kreikenbohm|publisher=Cagematch - The Internet Wrestling Database|date=June 18, 2005|access-date=February 27, 2021}}</ref>
}}{{PWtitlereign
|sort number = 3.5
|type     = deactivated
|date     = {{dts|2006|06|07}}
|defenses = yes
|notes    = Vacated by Tanahashi at the age of 29 to focus on the [[IWGP Heavyweight Championship]].
}}
{{BundleEnd}}

==Combined reigns==
[[File:Hiroshi tanahashi NJPW.JPG|thumb|upright|[[Hiroshi Tanahashi]] held the IWGP U-30 Openweight Championship twice|alt=Hiroshi Tanahashi posing with the IWGP Heavyweight Championship belt in front of a crowd.]]
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center;"
!Rank
!Wrestler
!No. of<br />reigns
!Combined<br />defenses
!Combined<br />days
|-
!{{sort|01|1}}
|{{sortname|Hiroshi|Tanahashi}}
|{{sort|02|2}}
|{{sort|13|13}}
|{{sort|976|976}}
|-
!{{sort|02|2}}
|{{sortname|Shinsuke|Nakamura}}
|{{sort|01|1}}
|{{sort|00|0}}
|{{sort|117|117}}
|}

==See also==
*[[NEVER Openweight Championship]]
*[[O-40 Championship]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.njpw.co.jp/data/list_category.php?cat=5 New Japan Pro-Wrestling: IWGP U-30 Open Weight Championship]
*[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/japan/newjapan/u30.html Wrestling-Titles.com: IWGP U-30 Open-weight Title]
*[https://www.cagematch.net/?id=5&nr=392 IWGP U-30 Openweight Championship]
{{New Japan Pro Wrestling}}

[[Category:New Japan Pro-Wrestling championships]]
[[Category:Openweight wrestling championships]]