Callum Newman Sets Record By Winning IWGP Heavyweight Championship at NJPW Sakura Genesis

The Global Heavyweight belt was retired following Tsuji's win over The Alpha, and the IWGP World Heavweight Championship belt also reverted back to the previous title before Tetsuya Naito beat IWGP Intercontinental champion EVIL in the summer of 2020.

It now rests around the waist of Newman, making him the latest young superstar to ever carry the on the legacy of this historic championship.

Who is Callum Newman?

For those who aren't aware of who Callum Newman is, he is one of the fastest-rising young stars in the pro wrestling business. Newman will be turning just 24-years-old on August 31 this year and he is already leading one of the most storied pro wrestling promotions in history.

Newman is also a member of the United Empire faction. Along with Newman, the groups consists of Will Ospreay, Great-O-Khan, Henare, Jake Lee, Francesco Akira, Jakob Austin Young, and Zane Jay. The entire faction accompanied Newman down to the ring and watched him reach the achieve the historic feat.

Newman sets a NJPW record

This win also makes Newman the youngest IWGP Heavyweight champion in history. Before Newman, NJPW legend Kazuchika Okada was the youngest world champion in the company's history. Okada was 24-years-old when he became champion in 2012. If history is any indicator of success, Newman is set for glory. This also means he has large shoes to fill and expectations to live up to.

Following the victory, Will Ospreay wrapped the belt around Newman and Shingo Takagi came down to the ring to make his intentions known. Takagi became the first person to challenge Newman after winning. Ospreay and the rest of the United Empire secured a win earlier in the card when they beat Yuya Uemura, Taichi, and El Desperado in six-man tag action.

Newman actually used Ospreay's "Hidden Blade" finisher to get the job done against Tsuji. Tsuji's reign with the IWGP Heavyweight championship came to an end at 90 days. Newman won the opportunity to face Tsuji after beating Yuya Uremura in the finals of the NJPW Cup, which is a single-elimination tournament for a world championship opportunity.