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 |
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.
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]
See also: Pro Wrestling Zero1 roster |
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. |
Championship | Current champion(s) | Reign | Date won | Days held[11] | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Zero1 USA World Heavyweight Championship | Jake Dirden | 1 | January 25, 2020 | 1082+ | Defeated Jake Parnell at ZERO1 USA New Year's Retribution 2020. |
Zero1 USA World Junior Heavyweight Championship | Jimmy Karryt | 1 | September 18, 2021 | 480+ | |
Zero1 USA World Tag Team Championship | Them (Cardini and Shank Barzini) | 1/1 | January 25, 2020 | 1082+ | Defeated Gnarls Garvin and Jake Lander at ZERO1 USA New Year's Retribution 2020.. |
Zero1 USA World Women's Championship | Rahne Victoria | 2 | July 28, 2019 | 1263+ |
Championship | Current champion(s) | Reign | Date won | Days held[11] | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Blast King Championship | Taru | 2 | August 5, 2018 | 1620+ | Defeated Yuko Miyamoto at Super Fireworks.[12][13] |
Blast Queen Championship | Hiroyo Matsumoto | 1 | February 24, 2020 | 1052+ | Teamed up with Aja Kong to defeat Saori Anou and Mayumi Ozaki in a Super Plasma Blast Deathmatch at Zero1 Super Fireworks.[14] |
Blast King Tag Team Championship | Revengers (Masato Tanaka and Hide Kubota) |
1 | August 18, 2019 | 1242+ | Defeated Taru and Chris Vice at Zero1/Super Fireworks Current Blast Festival 2019 in Kawasaki.[15] |
Championship | Last champion(s) | Date won | Ref |
---|---|---|---|
NWA Pan-Pacific Premium Heavyweight Championship | Akebono | May 16, 2012 | [16][17] |
NWA Worlds Heavyweight Championship | The Shiek II | April 23, 2011 | |
NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship | Craig Classic | November 6, 2010 | |
NWA World Super Heavyweight Championship/Zero-One O-300 Super Heavyweight Championship | Matt Ghaffari | July 6, 2003 | [18][19] |
AWA World Heavyweight Championship | Masato Tanaka | October 26, 2007 | |
AWA World United States Championship | Ricky Landell | June 13, 2007 | |
WWA World Junior Light Heavyweight Championship | NOIZ | April 6, 2008 | |
Zero-One Tenka-ichi (World's Best) Junior Heavyweight Championship | Yoshihito Sasaki | May 29, 2005 | [20] |
Zero-One United States Heavyweight Championship | Mr. Wrestling III | November 9, 2008 | |
Pro-Wrestling WORLD-1 Heavyweight Championship | Steve Corino | January 31, 2010 | [21][22] |
ZERO1 Mexico International Championship | Sicodelico Jr. | September 5, 2012 | |
ZERO1 Australian National Championship | Ryan Eagles | January 11, 2013 | |
ZERO1 Ireland Heavyweight Championship | Robbie Morrissey | November 25, 2012 | |
ZERO1 USA Northeast Heavyweight Championship | Robbie Morrissey | August 3, 2020 |
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 Festival | Daisuke Sekimoto | July 31, 2022 |
Furinkazan | Gajo and Tomohiko Hashimoto | November 12, 2021 |
Tenkaichi Jr. | Shoki Kitamura | October 19, 2022 |
Lion King Cup | Yoshihito Sasaki | December 4, 2003 |
Promotion name | Location | Partnered on | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|
Zero1 USA | Midwestern United States | April 29, 2011 | [23] |
Zero1 Hong Kong/Hong Kong Pro-Wrestling Federation | Hong Kong | 2012 | [24] |
Zero1 New Belarus Pro Wrestling | Belarus | 2013 | [25] |
Zero1 Pro Wrestling Australia/Wrestle Rampage | Australia | July 24, 2014 | [26][27] |
Zero1 Ireland/Fight Factory Pro Wrestling | Ireland | August 14, 2014 | [28][29] |
Zero1 Scotland/Scottish Wrestling Alliance | Scotland | August 14, 2014 | [30] |
Zero1 Spain/Super Wrestling Alliance | Spain | July 24, 2014 | [31][32] |
Marvelous | Japan | 2015 | |
Zero1 USA Northeast | Northeastern United States | 2019 | [33] |
Zero1 Mexico | Mexico | Unknown | [34] |