IPW New Zealand Heavyweight Championship is the top professional wrestling championship title in the New Zealand promotion Impact Pro Wrestling. It was the original heavyweight title of the Mania Pro Wrestling promotion, later used in IPW as its primary singles title. It was introduced as the MPW Heavyweight Championship on 9 April 2002. When a new promotion was founded by a core group of MPW wrestlers in 2003, the title was established as its new heavyweight championship. The current champion is Horus who is in his second reign.
The championship is regularly defended throughout New Zealand, most often in central Auckland, at monthly live shows. It has formerly been defended at live events such as the Armageddon Expo and on weekly series IPW Ignited.[2] In 2007, the title made its debut in the Northland Region, with the promotion's IPW Collision event in Whangārei. The title match featured Jon E. King facing off against the Samoan Silverback Alexander.[3] It has also been defended at several interpromotional events both in New Zealand and Australia. IPW Heavyweight Champion Jon E. King competed at the 2006 NZPWI Invitational with KPW Heavyweight Champion H-Flame where both men made it to the semi-finals and where King was eliminated by "Heartless" Alfred Valentine. The 2007 NZPWI Invitational saw the first ever "champion vs. champion" match when returning champions Jon E. King and H-Flame faced each other in a non-title match in the opening rounds. King went on to win the tournament.
The championship is contested in professional wrestling matches. The inaugural champion was The Machine, who defeated Jon E. King in Māngere, Auckland on 9 April 2002 to become the first MPW Heavyweight Champion; King had won a Royal Rumble-type match, eliminating "Superstar" Troy Daniels to earn a place in the championship decider. IPW recognised both MPW Heavyweight Championship reigns when the promotion became Impact Pro Wrestling in 2003. King and Davey Deluxeo hold the record for most reigns, with three each.[1] At 515 days, Deluxeo's first reign was the longest in the title's history. Vinny Dunn's second reign, which lasted mere minutes, was the shortest in the history of the title. Overall, there have been 21 reigns shared between 11 wrestlers, with one vacancy.
The promotion has often been represented by the reigning IPW Champion in the national media. In May 2005, TVNZ's Hadyn Jones conducted an interview with The Machine and then IPW Champion The Economist at their Auckland gym.[4] On 2 February 2006, Jon E. King was a guest on Ngati Hine FM where he was interviewed by disc jockey Darcy Edwards[5] and with fellow IPW wrestler Alfred Valentine on the TV One's morning talk show Breakfast by Kay Gregory that summer.[6][7] Jordan Invincible was among the wrestlers featured on 10 October 2008 edition Television New Zealand's IAM TV and where Invincible wrestled the host in a mock battle at their IPW facility in Auckland.[8] IPW New Zealand Champion Dal Knox was interviewed at the 2008 Armageddon Expo, along with IPW colour commentator Dion McCracken, as part of an upcoming documentary on professional wrestling in New Zealand, A Kiwi Century On The Mat, in April 2009.[9] Knox was also profiled by 20/20 in a special report on professional wrestling in New Zealand,[10] as well as on the Māori Television sports show Hyundai Code.[11]
The Economist won the vacant championship in tournament final by defeating Joey Kinkade, Jon E. King and The Machine in a fatal four-way elimination match.
A Nightmare Championship Series was used to determine the winner of the vacant championship. The series involved Brook Duncan, Curt Chaos, Dal Knox, Johnny Idol, Liger, No Face and Shane Sinclair. Shaw defeated Idol in a Fans Bring the Weapons match to win the vacant championship.
This was The Ultimate match; A 30 minute Iron man match in which the first 20 minutes of the match contested under traditional rules, before the final ten minutes switches to no disqualification.
Spartan cashed in his Eliminator Contract at Misery Business for a match at Nightmare Before Xmas. This was a 'Winner Take All' match with the Kinkade Cup also on the line.
This was a four-way Ultimate Match; a 30 minute iron man match where the final 10 minutes were 'no disqualification'. This match also featured James Shaw and Jake Shehaan. The match went to sudden death overtime after 30 minutes had elapsed and nobody had scored a fall. Horus won by pinning Spartan.
^ abRawhiti-Forbes, Troy (26 October 2007). "Auckland pro wrestlers battle it out for hero status". The New Zealand Herald. APN Holdings NZ Limited. Retrieved 2 August 2010.
^McCracken, Dion. "IPW brings New Zealand pro-wrestling back to television!". Fight Times. Fight Times Magazine. Retrieved 2 August 2010.
^Eves, Tim (5 February 2007). "WRESTLING - Wrestling returns to Whangārei". The Northern Advocate. APN News & Media Ltd. Retrieved 2 August 2010.
^Hadyn Jones (Interviewer) (5 May 2005). Close Up: Kiwi Wrestlers Aim High (Television production). Auckland: Television New Zealand.
^Edwards, Darcy (Interviewer) (2 February 2006). Ngati Hine FM interviews Jon E. King (Radio interview). Whangārei: Ngati Hine FM. Archived from the original on 20 May 2010. Retrieved 30 July 2010.
^Alvarez, Bryan (8 August 2006). "Tuesday news: Drug testing, ECW tonight, Mexico, Tito vs. Ken rematch set, Tank to fight again, more". Wrestling Observer/Figure Four Online. F4Wonline.com. Retrieved 8 July 2010.
^"IPW New Zealand Stars on TVNZ's IAM TV". IAM TV. Auckland. 10 October 2008. Television New Zealand. TV2.
^Hutchings, Mark (4 April 2009). "Shooting this weekend at Armageddon". KiwiWrestling.com. Retrieved 8 July 2010.
^Sonia Wilson (Interview) (20 July 2009). "20/20: The Wrestler". 20/20. 13:12 minutes in. Television New Zealand.
^"Impact Pro Wrestling". Hyundai Code. 6 August 2009. Māori Television.
^"Lyte Playa captures IPW Championship at Genesis". Stories. NZPWI.co.nz. 16 May 2004. Retrieved 16 January 2018.
^McCraken, Dion (16 August 2004). "Lyte Playa cheated out of IPW Championship by WCWA, XS at Rival Turf". Stories. NZPWI.co.nz. Retrieved 8 May 2020.
^"Machine regains IPW Championship at Nightmare 2!". Stories. NZPWI.co.nz. 19 December 2004. Retrieved 8 July 2010.
^McCracken, Dion (20 April 2005). "IPW Championship vacated, new Champ to be crowned at Collision!". Stories. NZPWI.co.nz. Retrieved 8 July 2010.
^"The Economist becomes new champion at IPW Collision!". Stories. NZPWI.co.nz. 23 April 2005. Retrieved 8 July 2010.
^""Heartless" Alfred Valentine Crowned New Champ At IPW Unleashed!". Stories. NZPWI.co.nz. 30 October 2005. Retrieved 8 July 2010.
^Wall, Danya (26 March 2006). "IPW: King's Championship reign begins!". Stories. NZPWI.co.nz. Retrieved 8 July 2010.
^"Valentine Reclaims IPW Championship at Collision!". Stories. NZPWI.co.nz. 16 April 2006. Retrieved 8 July 2010.
^"King regains IPW Championship in Breakdown Ladder Match!". Stories. NZPWI.co.nz. 18 June 2006. Retrieved 8 July 2010.
^"Davey Deluxeo Wins IPW Title At Unbreakable!". Stories. NZPWI.co.nz. 27 August 2006. Retrieved 8 July 2010.
^"King Takes Out Fatal 4-Way At IPW Extreme Measures!". Stories. NZPWI.co.nz. 26 November 2006. Retrieved 8 July 2010.
^Wall, Dayna (15 December 2007). "Dal Knox new IPW Champion at NBX5!". Stories. NZPWI.co.nz. Retrieved 8 July 2010.
^Wall, Dayna (29 June 2008). "Jordan Invincible becomes the new IPW heavyweight champion!". Stories. NZPWI.co.nz. Retrieved 8 July 2010.
^Martin, Adam; Callum Rule (30 June 2008). ""Georgia Wrestling History" for June 29, NWA Upstate report + NZ IPW". WrestleView.com. Retrieved 8 July 2010.
^Wall, Dayna (5 October 2008). "IPW Rival Turf: Team NZ victorious; Knox new champ!". Stories. NZPWI.co.nz. Retrieved 8 July 2010.
^ abcOgilvie, Steve (2008). "New Zealand Results". New Zealand Independent Results. OnlineWorldofWrestling.com. Retrieved 8 July 2010.
^Wall, Dayna (6 September 2009). "Joseph Kinkade NEW IPW Champion!". Stories. NZPWI.co.nz. Retrieved 8 July 2010.
^Wall, Dayna (13 December 2009). "NBX7: The One new IPW Champion!". Stories. NZPWI.co.nz. Retrieved 8 July 2010.
^Farmer, Luke (30 May 2010). "New IPW Champion crowned!". Stories. NZPWI.co.nz. Retrieved 8 July 2010.
^ abFarmer, Luke (24 August 2010). "Rival Turf: Dunn gets screwed!". 2010 Stories. NZPWI.co.nz. Retrieved 8 July 2010.
^Farmer, Luke (15 December 2010). "NBX: Blood, Carnage and Gold". New Zealand Scene. NZPWI.co.nz. Retrieved 26 December 2010.
^IPW (13 March 2011). "Geneisis:Knox makes the last stand". IPW. Retrieved 22 March 2012.
^IPW (20 January 2012). "Brand new IPW NZ Heavyweight Champion crowned!". IPW. Retrieved 22 March 2012.
^ abcdefghijkIPW (3 May 2012). "Preview: Smack Industries collide in the series finale!". IPW. Retrieved 3 May 2012.
^Taylor, Brendon (18 October 2015). "Breaking News: Cross removed from IPW, Championship now vacant". Stories. impactprowrestling.co.nz.