Pro Wrestling Zero1

Founded	January 25, 2001
Style	Strong style
Headquarters	Japan
Founder(s)	Shinya Hashimoto and Shinjiro Otani
Owner(s)	iFD Daiko Holdings Group
Sister	Pro-Wrestling SUN (2006-2009)
Formerly	Pro Wrestling Zero-One (2001-2004) Pro Wrestling Zero1-Max (2004-2008)
Website	www.z-1.co.jp

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 (stylised in all capital letters) 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. The promotion also had their own dojo which would eventually be known as the "Takeshiba Coliseum".

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 company's National Wrestling Alliance affiliation was given to rival promotion NJPW.

Since April 2005, Zero1 has held yearly pay-per-views at the Yasukuni Shrine, which is controversial for its relation to World War II.^[1] Larger companies like New Japan Pro Wrestling, All Japan Pro Wrestling and Pro Wrestling NOAH have traditionally stayed away from such venues.

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 fostered an environment of cooperation rather than competition. The alliance also occasionally put on "Super Shows" where all the promotions sent 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. The GPWA folded in 2009.

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 tenth anniversary. In July, Daisuke Sekimoto won the Fire Festival to become the first champion. Zero1 soon left the NWA, renaming their NWA-branded championships to "New Wrestling Alliance" championships.

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.^[2] 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.^[3][4]

On December 17, 2013, Zero1 announced a corporate restructuring taking place at the start of the new year.^[5]

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.^[6] On May 22, 2017, Pro Wrestling Zero1 partnered with the United Wrestling Network to become the group's official Japanese affiliate.^[7] 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.^[8]

On February 1, 2020, Kazuhiro Iwamoto announced that the ownership of the promotion would be transferred from the previous management company Deam on Stage to iFD, with Iwamoto establishing a plan to reform from scratch, which would include holding a show in the Ryōgoku Kokugikan on April 13, 2021, as part of the promotion's 20th anniversary, with goal of holding a show in the Roygoku Kokugikan annually, while also providing the wrestlers with fixed contracts, which also include social security.

During the COVID-19 hiatus, the promotion had financial problems. Iwamoto left his job as president. Tatsuhito Takaiwa, Ikuto Hidaka and Kohei Sato also left the promotion.^[9]

In July 2020, it was announced that the company was acquired by Daiko Holdings Group.^[10]

Personnel

Championships

Pro Wrestling ZERO1

Championship	Current champion(s)		Reign	Date won	Days held[11]	Location	Notes	Ref.
World Heavyweight Championship		Masato Tanaka	6	June 4, 2022	221+	Tokyo, Japan	Defeated Takashi Sugiura at Osu Premium One Team ZERO1 Shinjiro Otani Aid!Get Up As Many Times As You Want.
United National Heavyweight Championship		Chris Vice	2	January 18, 2020	1089+	Tokyo, Japan	Defeated Towa Iwasaki at Skill Up To The Future ~ Towards A Dream.
NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship		Leo Isaka	1	January 1, 2023	10+	Tokyo, Japan	Defeated Astroman at Zero1 Happy New Year 2023.
International Junior Heavyweight Championship								1
Intercontinental Tag Team Championship		Kubota Brothers (Hide Kubota and Yasu Kubota)	1 (1, 1)	January 1, 2021	10+	Tokyo, Japan	Defeated Junya Matsunaga and Takafumi at Zero1 Happy New Year 2023.
International Lightweight Tag Team Championship		Sugi and Raicho	1 (7, 1)	October 4, 2020	829+	Defeated Billy Ken Kid and Hub at Zero1 20th Autumn Flame Festival.

Pro Wrestling ZERO1 USA

Super Fireworks Pro Wrestling

No longer promoted / inactive

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."

Affiliates