NJPW Reveals IWGP United States Championship at ROH War of the Worlds (Photo)

With NJPW headed to the United States in July, the company announced and unveiled something special will be seen at these shows.

In July, NJPW will be heading to the United States to host a two-night G1 Climax special. For now, it doesn’t seem like G1 Climax matches will be featured, but either way, this should be a big night for the expansion of Japan’s Top Wrestling Promotion.

Well, the U.S. G1 event is about to become even bigger, because NJPW revealed the focus of this show — a tournament to determine the first-ever IWGP United States Champion. This was made official in a pre-ROH War of the Worlds ceremony, including Kevin Kelly and NJPW U.S. Ambassador George Carroll announcing this new belt.

It’s a fresh look for New Japan’s U.S. expansion. However, as Cageside Seats notes, it’s not the first time this has happened, with NJPW giving the west a title:

"However, it’s not the first time NJPW has promoted a title branded for the western hemisphere, with the NWF North American, NWA North American Tag Team, and WWF North American Heavyweight Championships all having a home in New Japan in the 70s and 80s."

The belt can be seen below, via NJ’s Global Twitter account:

During the broadcast, Jay Lethal became the first official competitor announced for the tournament. No others were made official, but it wouldn’t be surprising to see most of ROH’s top American names get an opportunity at the belt, along with the ones already in Japan (Juice Robinson, Hangman Page, Cody Rhodes, Ricochet).

Next: 5 Best NJPW Stars Right Now

We’ll see this title awarded to someone at the end of the July 1-2 tournament in Long Beach, CA. It should be a historic night for New Japan, who will look to continue gaining steam across the Pacific Ocean.