The current champion is DMT Azul, who defeated Galeno del Mal for the championship on November 2, 2023. The first holder of the IWRG Intercontinental Heavyweight Championship was Pierroth Jr. who won the title on September 28, 1997 defeating Black Magic in the finals of an eight-man tournament.[1] There have been eighteen recognized champions, combining for twenty-five total reigns. Máscara Año 2000 Jr. and Scorpio Jr. are tied for most championship reigns, with four each. El Canek holds the record for the longest individual reign 1,444 days (from May 5, 2006 to April 18, 2010, although his reign had a long period of inactivity). Valletta's first reign lasted 11 days, the shortest of any champion.
As it is a professional wrestling championship, the championship was not won not by actual competition, but by a scripted ending to a match determined by the bookers and match makers.[a] On occasion the promotion declares a championship vacant, which means there is no champion at that point in time. This can either be due to a storyline,[b] or real life issues such as a champion suffering an injury being unable to defend the championship,[c] or leaving the company.[d]
^Hornbaker (2016) p. 550: "Professional wrestling is a sport in which match finishes are predetermined. Thus, win–loss records are not indicative of a wrestler's genuine success based on their legitimate abilities – but on now much, or how little they were pushed by promoters"[3]
^Duncan & Will (2000) p. 271, Chapter: Texas: NWA American Tag Team Title [World Class, Adkisson] "Championship held up and rematch ordered because of the interference of manager Gary Hart"[4]
^Duncan & Will (2000) p. 20, Chapter: (United States: 19th Century & widely defended titles – NWA, WWF, AWA, IW, ECW, NWA) NWA/WCW TV Title "Rhodes stripped on 85/10/19 for not defending the belt after having his leg broken by Ric Flair and Ole & Arn Anderson"[5]
^Duncan & Will (2000) p. 201, Chapter: (Memphis, Nashville) Memphis: USWA Tag Team Title "Vacant on 93/01/18 when Spike leaves the USWA."[6]
^The exact date Scorpio Jr. left IWRG is not known placing the title reign between 41 and 68 days.
^In IWRG, as with a number of Lucha Libre promotions, a championship can change hands on a disqualification victory.
Hornbaker, Tim (2016). "Statistical notes". Legends of Pro Wrestling - 150 years of headlocks, body slams, and piledrivers (Revised ed.). New York, New York: Sports Publishing. ISBN978-1-61321-808-2.
Duncan, Royal; Will, Gary (2000). Wrestling title histories: professional wrestling champions around the world from the 19th century to the present. Waterloo, ON: Archeus Communications. ISBN0-9698161-5-4.
^ abcdefghRoyal Duncan & Gary Will (2000). "MEXICO: IWRG Intercontinental Heavyweight Title". Wrestling Title Histories. Archeus Communications. p. 401. ISBN0-9698161-5-4.
^"2001: Los Campeones" [2001: The Champions]. Box y Lucha Magazine (in Spanish). January 13, 2002. pp. 15–17. Issue 2540.
^"2002: considerar detrás" [2002: Looking back]. Box y Lucha Magazine (in Spanish). January 19, 2003. Issue 2593.
^ ab"Número Especial - Lo mejor de la mejor de la Lucha Libre Mexicana durante el 2003" [Special edition - the best of Mexican professional wrestling in 2003]. Súper Luchas (in Spanish). January 5, 2003. Issue 40.
^ ab"Número Especial - Lo mejor de la mejor de la Lucha Libre Mexicana durante el 2004" [Special edition - the best of Mexican professional wrestling in 2004]. Súper Luchas (in Spanish). January 24, 2005. Issue 91.
^ ab"2005 Lo Mejor de la Lucha Mexicana" [2005 the best of Mexican wrestling]. Súper Luchas (in Spanish). January 3, 2006. Issue 140.
^Mejia Eguiluz, Diego (April 19, 2010). "Arena Naucalpan 18 de Abril 2010" [Arena Naucalpan April 18, 2010] (in Spanish). The Gladiatores Magazine. Retrieved May 10, 2015.
^Lizarraga, Alfonso (April 25, 2016). "Naucalpan tiene nuevo monarca" [Naucalpan has a new monarch]. The Gladiatores (in Spanish). Retrieved June 13, 2016.
^Lizarraga, Alfonso (December 22, 2018). "Naucalpan festejo 41 años de lucha libre" [Naucalpan celebrates 41 years of wrestling]. The Gladiatores (in Spanish). Retrieved December 27, 2018.
^ abKreikenbohm, Philip (April 14, 2019). "IWRG 80. Torneo FILL". CAGEMATCH – The Internet Wrestling Database. Archived from the original on February 27, 2023. Retrieved February 27, 2023.
^Kreikenbohm, Philip (September 5, 2021). "Events Database » IWRG". cagematch.net (in German). Retrieved September 7, 2021.
^Kreikenbohm, Philip (September 16, 2021). "IWRG Viva Mexico". cagematch.net (in German). Retrieved September 19, 2021.
^Kreikenbohm, Philip (August 21, 2022). "IWRG Caravana de Campeones". cagematch.net (in German). Retrieved August 21, 2022.
^Kreikenbohm, Philip (November 2, 2023). "IWRG Castillo Del Terror 2023". cagematch.net (in German). Retrieved November 17, 2023.