Okada Sets IWGP Title Defenses Record

The current IWGP Heavyweight Title reign of Kazuchika Okada keeps going… and keeps making history. 

Okada set the record for the most defenses of the title in a single reign, with 12, by defeating Hiroshi Tanahashi in the main event of NJPW Wrestling Dontaku, Night 2, earlier today in Fukuoka. 

Okada, who is in his fourth reign as IWGP Champion, already had set the record for the longest reign in NJPW history — surpassing the 489-day reign of the late Shinya Hashimoto in 1996 and 1997.

Okada previously shared the record for defenses in a single reign with Tanahashi, the man he beat in Fukuoka. Here's a recap of the final moments of the match, courtesy of Fightful's live coverage:

Okada recovers and he clobbers Tanahashi with a series of drop kicks, Okada goes for the Rainmaker and Tanahashi counters with a Sling Blade. Okada looks for a tombstone pile driver and Tanahashi blocks it by landing a few strikes, Okada then cracks Tanahashi with a shotgun drop kick. Tanahashi recovers to hit Okada with a tombstone pile driver, Tanahashi catches Okada with a High Fly Flow. Tanahashi goes for a second High Fly Flow and Okada gets his knees up, Okada catches Tanahashi with a German suplex after missing a Rainmaker. Okada gets up to hit Tanahashi with a drop kick before eating a Sling Blade, Tanahashi goes to the top rope and Okada nails him with a drop kick as he leaps off. Tanahashi escapes a Rainmaker to hit Okada with a Rainmaker for a near fall, Tanahashi gets up and he catches Okada with a plethora of slaps. Okada crushes Tanahashi with a Rainmaker from out of nowhere for the three count.

Okada's reign will be near the two-year mark by the time he has his next defense: a two out of three falls, no time limit match with Kenny Omega in the main event of Dominion on June 9. Okada's latest reign as champ began on June 19, 2016, when he defeated Tetsuya Naito at the Dominion 2016 event.