International Pro Wrestling (国際プロレス興行;, Kokusai Puroresu Kogyō), also known as International Wrestling Enterprise, was a professional wrestling promotion in Japan from 1966 to 1981. Founded by Isao Yoshihara, it was affiliated with the American Wrestling Association in the United States and also had tie-ins with promotions in Europe. The promotion cooperated with All Japan Pro Wrestling and later, New Japan Pro Wrestling. When IPW closed its doors in 1981, Inoue, Hara, Tsurumi, and Fuyuki joined All Japan, while Kimura, Hamaguchi and Teranishi joined New Japan as a stable that formed the first "invasion" angle in history, later copied by the Japanese UWF, Japan Pro-Wrestling, and the nWo in WCW in America. Isao Yoshihara would eventually become a booker in New Japan, until his death in 1985.
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IPW's governing body was called the International Wrestling Alliance and administered the following titles:
Near the end of IPW's existence, it billed a World Wrestling Union title, supposedly based in Germany, to give a push to wrestler Ashura Hara:
Before the IWA system was created, IPW recognized the Trans-World Wrestling Alliance titles:
See also American Wrestling Association for the AWA World titles.
In 1994, Goro Tsurumi formed a promotion called IWA Kakutō Shijuku (IWA格闘志塾, International Wrestling Alliance Fighting Hope Training School), but in 1997 he renamed the promotion International Wrestling Promotion (国際プロレス・プロモーション Kokusai puroresu promotion). The only recognizable name in the promotion is Tsurumi himself; the rest of the roster uses masked identities. Wrestlers from other independents have been invited to participate, including Shoji Nakamaki and Yukihide Ueno.