Women's World Title Creation
The top women's championship of NJPW's Strong brand.
The Strong Women's Championship is a women's professional wrestling world championship owned by the New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) promotion. The creation of the championship was announced by NJPW on April 27, 2023. The title is exclusively featured on NJPW's Strong brand and is usually defended at NJPW Strong branded shows in America. The inaugural champion was Willow Nightingale. Alex Windsor is the reigning champion in her first reign. She won the title by defeating Syuri at Wrestle Queendom XIII in London, England on March 8, 2026.
Quick Facts
- Announcement date
- April 27, 2023
- Inaugural crowned event
- NJPW Resurgence (May 21, 2023)
- Tournament start
- April 2023
Lore & Background
In 2022, New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) established a women's division. On July 29 of that year, the promotion created the IWGP Women's Championship, the first women's title in the company's history, which was first held by Kairi. The championship was created to be the top title of NJPW's women's division and was intended to be defended on NJPW events in Japan and on events promoted by NJPW's Japanese sister company World Wonder Ring Stardom (Stardom), a joshi puroresu promotion.
On April 27, 2023, NJPW announced the creation of the Strong Women's Championship, the top women's championship of the promotion's American subsidiary Strong Live. The promotion additionally announced a four-woman single-elimination tournament to determine the inaugural champion to be held at Resurgence on May 21, in Long Beach, California. The tournament featured representatives from NJPW's partners All Elite Wrestling (AEW), Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL), and Stardom.
The tournament participants were former IWGP Women's Champion Mercedes Moné (NJPW), Momo Kohgo (Stardom), Stephanie Vaquer (CMLL), and Willow Nightingale (AEW). At Resurgence, Nightingale became the inaugural champion by defeating Moné in the finals. The first defense of the title was Nightingale's successful defense against Emi Sakura on the June 2, 2023 episode of AEW Rampage (taped on May 31, 2023).
Reader's Guide
As of the source, there have been eight reigns between eight different champions. Willow Nightingale was the inaugural champion. Syuri is the oldest champion at 36 years old, while AZM the youngest at 22 years old. Mercedes Moné's reign is the longest at 313 days, while Nightingale's reign is the shortest at 45 days. Alex Windsor is the current champion in her first reign. She defeated Syuri on March 8, 2026 in London, England at Wrestle Queendom XIII (a Pro-Wrestling: EVE event) to win the title.
Frequently Asked Questions
When was the AEW Women's World Championship announced?
Owner Tony Khan officially revealed plans for the championship in December 2018, before All Elite Wrestling even held its first event. This early announcement demonstrated the promotion's immediate commitment to establishing a top-tier women's division from the start.
Who won the inaugural AEW Women's World Championship?
The first champion was crowned at Full Gear 2019 after a tournament that began in January 2019. This victory marked the moment the gold belt officially entered active competition as the division's premier prize.
How does this title differ from other women's belts in AEW?
Unlike secondary championships introduced later, the Women's World Championship was designed specifically to be the singular top-tier title for female competitors. It stands as the main goal for all women's wrestlers within the promotion.
Why is the creation of this title considered a cornerstone moment?
Its existence signaled that AEW would prioritize women's wrestling equally with its men's division right from day one. This decision helped define the company's identity and set a new standard for the industry during its foundational era.
What was the timeline between the announcement and the first champion being crowned?
The title was announced in late 2018, followed by a tournament starting in January 2019 that concluded at Full Gear later that same year. This roughly one-year span covered the promotion's entire buildup before officially crowning its first female world champion.
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