Pro Wrestling Zero1

Pro Wrestling Zero1
Founded January 25, 2001
Style Strong style
Headquarters Japan
Founder(s) Shinya Hashimoto
Owner(s) Dream On Stage
Parent United Wrestling Network
Sister Pro-Wrestling SUN (2006-2009)
Formerly Pro Wrestling Zero-One (2001-2004)
Pro Wrestling Zero1-Max (2004-2008)
Website Official website

Pro Wrestling Zero1 (プロレスリングゼロ1, Puroresuringuzerowan) (stylized as Pro Wrestling ZERO1), formerly known as Pro Wrestling Zero-One and Pro Wrestling Zero1-Max and often referred to simply as Zero1, is a Japanese professional wrestling promotion founded in 2001. It was affiliated with the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) from 2001 until late 2004 and briefly reaffiliated in 2011.

History

The promotion was founded by former New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) stars Shinya Hashimoto and Shinjiro Otani. In 2000, Hashimoto proposed an independent promotion within NJPW called New Japan Pro Wrestling Zero, but the idea was shot down. When Hashimoto was fired by NJPW in November 2000, he registered the Pro Wrestling Zero-One name.

Zero1 has had working agreements with Pro Wrestling Noah, All Japan Pro Wrestling, New Japan Pro Wrestling, Riki Pro, Hustle, Big Mouth Loud, King's Road and Dragondoor (now El Dorado Wrestling) which enabled Zero1 wrestlers to challenge for and hold the other promotions' titles.

On November 30, 2004 Hashimoto gave up ownership of the promotion, telling the press that due to financial problems he had decided to step away from the company. A new parent company "First On Stage" was formed consisting of President Yoshiyuki Nakamura, Ring Announcer Oki Okidata, Shinjiro Otani and a company named Baltic Curry. The promotion was renamed Pro Wrestling Zero1-Max with Otani and Nakamura taking over the general operations.

Among the major changes to the federation's structure was joining the AWA Superstars of Wrestling (now Wrestling Superstars Live) as the only Japanese member. At the same time the owner of the company's National Wrestling Alliance promoting license, New Japan Pro Wrestling, took the license back for their own use.

On September 12, 2006, Zero1-Max joined 12 other pro wrestling companies and joined the Global Professional Wrestling Alliance (GPWA), a professional wrestling alliance that fosters an environment of cooperation rather than competition. The alliance also occasionally puts on "Super Shows" where all the promotions send fighters to compete representing their own companies under the GPWA banner. Pro Wrestling Noah's CEO Mitsuharu Misawa was inaugurated as the first Chairman of the new alliance, with Zero1-Max's Yoshiyuki Nakamura announced as the company's President.

In 2008, the promotion shortened the name to Pro Wrestling Zero1. In 2011, the promotion returned to the NWA as their Japanese territory. In March 2011, NWA presented Zero1 with the NWA Pan-Pacific Premium Heavyweight Championship in celebration of the promotion's 10th anniversary. In July, Daisuke Sekimoto won the Fire Festival to become the first champion.

In 2012, an Australian division of Zero1 known as Zero1 Pro Wrestling Australia opened in Adelaide taking over what was known as NWA Pro Wrestling. At the beginning of 2014 the relationship ended and the promotion is now known as Wrestle Rampage.[1] Zero1 Hong Kong branch opened in June 2012 after Jason New returned to Hong Kong from Zero1 earlier that year. Pro Wrestling Zero1 Mexico opened its branch in September 2012 after International Pro Wrestling Alliance united with Zero1 Japan. In 2013, Yoshiyuki Nakamura opened a new division of Zero1 in Belarus.[2][3]

On December 17, 2013, Zero1 announced a corporate restructuring taking place at the start of the new year.[4]

On September 16, 2016, Dream On Stage was announced as Zero1's new parent company. Also announced was a partnership between Zero1 and Akebono's Ōdō company.[5] On May 22, 2017, Pro Wrestling Zero1 partnered with the United Wrestling Network to become the group's official Japanese affiliate.[6] On July 3, 2018, it was announced that the promotion be undergoing a management change, with Yoshitaka Ono stepping down as the CEO, Katsumi Sasazaki would become the Representative Director and President of the promotion, Shinjiro Otani would be taking over as the Chairman of the Board and Masato Tanaka and Kohei Sato would split the Vice-President role of the promotion.[7]

Championships

Championship Current champion(s) Reign Date won Days held Notes
World Heavyweight Championship Masato Tanaka 1 June 3, 2018 135+ Defeated Yusaku Obata at Shinsei Zero1 Sapporo First Landing ~ No Gravity Warrior Sugi Sapporo First Visit.
NWA United National Heavyweight Championship Shogun Okamoto 1 June 3, 2018 135+ Defeated Chris Vice at Shinsei Zero1 Sapporo First Landing ~ No Gravity Warrior Sugi Sapporo First Visit.
International Junior Heavyweight Championship Isami Kodaka 1 March 4, 2018 226+ Defeated Sean Guinness at Dream Series ~ Sozo no Jin.
NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship 1
NWA Intercontinental Tag Team Championship Taru and Chris Vice 1
(2 / 1)		 September 23, 2018 23+ Defeated Masato Tanaka and Yuji Hino at Zero1 Chibiko Bullying Eradication Genki Hatsuratsu ~ A Really Strong Does Not Do Bullying But Will Stand Up.
NWA International Lightweight Tag Team Championship Ikuto Hidaka and Fuminori Abe 1
(7 / 1)		 June 9, 2018 129+ Defeated Masamune and Sugi at Dream Series.
Blast King Championship Taru 2 August 5, 2018 72+ Defeated Yuko Miyamoto at Super Fireworks.
Blast Queen Championship Risa Sera 1 July 22, 2018 86+ Defeated Yoshiko and Nanae Takahashi and Akane Fujita at Mid-Summer Fire Festival 2018.

Inactive

Championship Last champion(s) Date won Ref
NWA Pan-Pacific Premium Heavyweight Championship Akebono May 16, 2012 [8][9]
AWA World Heavyweight Championship Masato Tanaka October 26, 2007
WWA World Junior Light Heavyweight Championship NOIZ April 6, 2008
Zero-One O-300 Super Heavyweight Championship Matt Ghaffari July 6, 2003 [10][11]
Zero-One United States Heavyweight Championship Mr. Wrestling III November 9, 2008

Tournaments

Zero1 holds a heavyweight tournament every summer in the last week of July called the "Fire Festival" (Himatsuri) where the winner holds the "Fire Sword" (a katana) for a whole year until the next summer's tournament. They also hold a Yasukuni Shrine show every April and a yearly junior tournament called the "Tenkaichi Jr."

Tournament Latest winner(s) Date won
Fire FestivalYuko MiyamotoJuly 29, 2018
FurinkazanShogun Okamoto and Yutaka YoshieNovember 23, 2017
Tenkaichi Jr.Sean GuinnessApril 26, 2017

Affiliates

Promotion name Location Partnered on Ref.
Zero1 USA United States April 29, 2011 [12]
Zero1 Pro Wrestling Australia/Wrestle Rampage Australia July 24, 2014 [13]
Zero1 Ireland/Fight Factory Pro Wrestling Ireland August 14, 2014 [14]
Zero1 Scotland/Scottish Wrestling Alliance Scotland August 14, 2014 [15]
Zero1 Spain/Super Wrestling Alliance Spain July 24, 2014 [16]
Zero1 Mexico Mexico Unknown [17]
Zero1 Hong Kong/Hong Kong Pro Wrestling Federation Hong Kong 2012 [18]
Zero1 New Belarus Pro Wrestling Belarus 2013 [19]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Wrestle Rampage begins now". January 1, 2014. Retrieved April 1, 2014.
  2. ↑ "Pro-Wrestling Zero1 (Japan)". Wrestling-Titles.com.
  3. ↑ Philip Kreikenbohm. "Pro Wrestling Zero1 (Zero1)".
  4. ↑ ゼロワン来年から新団体名に変更. Tokyo Sports (in Japanese). December 17, 2013. Retrieved December 17, 2013.
  5. ↑ 新体制のゼロワンが「王道」と業務提携. Tokyo Sports (in Japanese). September 17, 2016. Retrieved September 17, 2016.
  6. ↑ http://alliance-wrestling.com/pro-wrestling-zero1-joins-the-united-wrestling-network/
  7. ↑ http://puroresuspirit.net/2018/07/news-listings-for-july-3-2018/
  8. ↑ http://www.wrestling-titles.com/japan/zero1/nwa-prem-h.html
  9. ↑ http://www.cagematch.net/?id=5&nr=1587
  10. ↑ http://www.wrestling-titles.com/japan/zero1/nwa-sh.html
  11. ↑ http://www.cagematch.net/?id=5&nr=83
  12. ↑ "Zero1 USA". Wrestling-Titles.com.
  13. ↑ "NWA/ZERO1 Pro Wrestling Australia". Wrestling-Titles.com.
  14. ↑ "Fight Factory Pro Wrestling / NWA Ireland / Zero1 Ireland". Wrestling-Titles.com.
  15. ↑ "Scottish Wrestling Alliance". Wrestling-Titles.com.
  16. ↑ "Super Wrestling Alliance (Spain)". Wrestling-Titles.com.
  17. ↑ "Zero1 abre su filial Zero1-Mexico". Planeta Wrestling (in Spanish).
  18. ↑ "Pro Wrestling Zero1 Hong Kong". cagematch.net.
  19. ↑ "Pro Wrestling Zero1 New Belarus Pro Wrestling". cagematch.net.
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