Ranking all 7 gaijin IWGP Heavyweight Champions from worst to best

#3. Scott Norton

Scott Norton as the IWGP Heavyweight Champion

Following his affiliation with the New World Order in late 1996, Scott Norton started travelling back-and-forth between NJPW and WCW and eventually cemented his place as one of the most prominent members of nWo and nWo Japan, as well.

During his stint with NJPW, Norton also became the company's gaijin ace and won the vacant IWGP Heavyweight by defeating veteran Yuji Nagata. Norton's title reign was certainly one of the most promising IWGP Heavyweight Title reigns in history, with the nWo veteran making three successive title defences before eventually losing the belt to Kenji Mutoh after a four-month span.

Alberto Del Rio returning to WWE?

Norton's second reign as IWGP Heavyweight Champion came in 2001 after he defeated Kensuke Sasaki to capture the belt for the second time. However, on this occasion, Norton reign was a lot shorter than his first, as he lost the title Kazuyuki Fujita on his first defence.

About the author

Soumik Datta is a professional wrestling journalist who has been following the business for more than a decade.

In 2017, Soumik joined the Sportskeeda Wrestling team and is best known for his work with the WWE team. He has previously contributed to the Sportskeeda AEW, MMA, and the football team where he specifically covered the Major League Soccer.

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Edited by Anirban Banerjee