Backstage Clarification On Who Is Booking IWGP Women's Championship

There is now officially less than a month before New Japan Pro-Wrestling and World Wonder Ring Stardom crown the first-ever IWGP Women's Champion at the co-promoted Historic X-Over inside Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan, on November 20. And while the tournament to determine the inaugural champion is underway, there's still some question regarding who is calling the shots in regard to the title: NJPW or Stardom?

Stardom maintains control over the booking of the newly formed title, per the Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Despite the fact that the title will primarily be defended at NJPW events, including those in North America and bigger shows in Japan such as Wrestle Kingdom, Stardom has the creative reins on the direction of the championship.

As for what the IWGP Women's Championship looks like, WON reports that the belt was designed by the same team behind the NJPW Strong Openweight Championship as well as all the title belts in AEW. The new women's title design was revealed back in August.

So far, the tournament to crown the first champion has seen only one match transpire, as Jazzy Gabbert defeated Ava White at NJPW Royal Quest II on October 2. Gabbert will move on to the semi-finals, where she will face KAIRI — formerly known as Kairi Sane in her WWE days; the winner moves on to the finals to crown the new champion. The other quarter-final matchups are set to take place on October 22, with Mayu Iwatani facing Momo Wantanabe and Himeka battling Utami Hayashishita.