Ryusuke Taguchi is a Japanese professional wrestler, trained by and currently performing for New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). He is a former two-time IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion, seven-time IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champion and three-time NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Champion. He was also the winner of the 2012 Best of the Super Juniors.
Taguchi in March 2018
Taguchi in June 2011
Taguchi in November 2015
Taguchi Japan in February 2017
IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship
The IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling world junior heavyweight championship owned by the New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) promotion. "IWGP" is the acronym of NJPW's governing body, the International Wrestling Grand Prix . Only wrestlers under the junior heavyweight weight-limit may hold the championship. NJPW currently controls two junior heavyweight championships: the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship and the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship. The weight-limit for the title is 100 kg (220 lb). The current champion is Sho, who is in his first reign. He won the title by defeating El Desperado at The New Beginning in Sapporo on February 23, 2024.
Inaugural and three-time champion Shiro Koshinaka
Current champion, Sho.
Record eleven-time champion Jushin Thunder Liger also holds the records for longest reign at 628 days, longest combined reign at 2,245 days, and most combined defenses at 31.
Four-time champion Minoru Tanaka, as Heat, holds the record for most defenses in one reign at 11