Pro Wrestling Zero1

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.

Pro Wrestling Zero1
FoundedJanuary 25, 2001
StyleStrong style
HeadquartersJapan
Founder(s)Shinya Hashimoto
Owner(s)iFD
Daiko Holdings Group
SisterPro-Wrestling SUN (2006-2009)
FormerlyPro Wrestling Zero-One (2001-2004)
Pro Wrestling Zero1-Max (2004-2008)
WebsiteOfficial website

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

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. 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.[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]

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.[8]

In July 2020, it was announced that the company was acquired by Daiko Holdings Group.[9]

Championships
Championship Current champion(s) Reign Date won Days held Notes
World Heavyweight Championship Chris Vice 1 May 3, 2020 104+ Defeated Kohei Sato at Zero1 Chojin Matsuri In Samurai! TV.
United National Heavyweight Championship Chris Vice 2 January 18, 2020 210+ Defeated Towa Iwasaki at Skill Up To The Future ~ Towards A Dream.
World Junior Heavyweight Championship Hub 2 January 1, 2020 227+ Defeated Sugi at Happy New Year.
International Junior Heavyweight Championship 2
Intercontinental Tag Team Championship Towa Iwasaki and Tsugutaka Sato 1
(1 / 1)		 August 2, 2020 13+ Defeated Yuko Miyamoto and Takashi Sasaki at Zero1 We're Not Going To Lose To Corona!.
International Lightweight Tag Team Championship Billy Ken Kid and Hub 1
(2 / 2)		 September 29, 2019 321+ Defeated Yasu Kubota and Hide Kubota at Jump Up Series.
Zero1 USA World Heavyweight Championship Jake Dirden 1 January 25, 2020 203+ Defeated Jake Parnell at ZERO1 USA New Year's Retribution 2020.
Zero1 USA World Junior Heavyweight Championship Jake Lander 1 May 25, 2019 448+
Zero1 USA World Tag Team Championship Them (Cardini and Shank Barzini) 1/1 January 25, 2020 203+ 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 384+
Blast King Championship Taru 2 August 5, 2018 741+ Defeated Yuko Miyamoto at Super Fireworks.[10][11]
Blast Queen Championship Risa Sera 1 July 22, 2018 755+ Defeated Yoshiko and Nanae Takahashi and Akane Fujita at Mid-Summer Fire Festival 2018.[12][13]
Blast King Tag Team Championship Revengers
(Masato Tanaka and Hide Kubota)		 1 August 18, 2019 363+ Defeated Taru and Chris Vice at Zero1/Super Fireworks Current Blast Festival 2019 in Kawasaki.[14]

No longer promoted / Inactive
Championship Last champion(s) Date won Ref
NWA Pan-Pacific Premium Heavyweight Championship Akebono May 16, 2012 [15][16]
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 [17][18]
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 Sakata Wataru December 15, 2002
Zero-One United States Heavyweight Championship Mr. Wrestling III November 9, 2008
Pro-Wrestling WORLD-1 Heavyweight Championship Steve Corino January 31, 2010

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 FestivalYuji HinoJuly 28, 2019
FurinkazanYuji Hino and Yuji OkabayashiNovember 17, 2019
Tenkaichi Jr.Shoki KitamuraAugust 2, 2020

Affiliates
Promotion name Location Partnered on Ref.
Zero1 USA Midwestern United States April 29, 2011 [19]
Zero1 Hong Kong/Hong Kong Pro-Wrestling Federation Hong Kong 2012 [20]
Zero1 New Belarus Pro Wrestling Belarus 2013 [21]
Zero1 Pro Wrestling Australia/Wrestle Rampage Australia July 24, 2014 [22]
Zero1 Ireland/Fight Factory Pro Wrestling Ireland August 14, 2014 [23]
Zero1 Scotland/Scottish Wrestling Alliance Scotland August 14, 2014 [24]
Zero1 Spain/Super Wrestling Alliance Spain July 24, 2014 [25]
Marvelous Japan 2015
Zero1 USA Northeast Northeastern United States 2019
Zero1 Mexico Mexico Unknown [26]
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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. "Pro Wrestling ZERO1 Joins the United Wrestling Network". May 22, 2017.
  7. http://puroresuspirit.net/2018/07/news-listings-for-july-3-2018/
  8. https://solowrestling.mundodeportivo.com/new/90663-pro-wrestling-zero1-atraviesan-problemas-economicos
  9. "YouTube". www.youtube.com. Retrieved 2020-07-12.
  10. "Wrestlingdata.com - The World's Largest Wrestling Database". www.wrestlingdata.com.
  11. "Blast King Championship « Titles Database « CAGEMATCH - The Internet Wrestling Database". www.cagematch.net.
  12. "Wrestlingdata.com - The World's Largest Wrestling Database". www.wrestlingdata.com.
  13. "Blast Queen Championship « Titles Database « CAGEMATCH - The Internet Wrestling Database". www.cagematch.net.
  14. Zero1/Super Fireworks Current Blast Festival 2019 in Kawasaki Cagematch.net Retrieved August 18, 2019
  15. "NWA Premium Heavyweight Title (ZERO1)". Wrestling-Titles.com.
  16. "NWA World Premium Heavyweight Championship « Titles Database « CAGEMATCH - The Internet Wrestling Database". www.cagematch.net.
  17. "NWA Super Heavyweight Title (Japan)". Wrestling-Titles.com.
  18. "ZERO-ONE O-300 Super Heavyweight Championship « Titles Database « CAGEMATCH - The Internet Wrestling Database". www.cagematch.net.
  19. "Zero1 USA". Wrestling-Titles.com.
  20. "Pro Wrestling Zero1 Hong Kong". cagematch.net.
  21. "Pro Wrestling Zero1 New Belarus Pro Wrestling". cagematch.net.
  22. "NWA/ZERO1 Pro Wrestling Australia". Wrestling-Titles.com.
  23. "Fight Factory Pro Wrestling / NWA Ireland / Zero1 Ireland". Wrestling-Titles.com.
  24. "Scottish Wrestling Alliance". Wrestling-Titles.com.
  25. "Super Wrestling Alliance (Spain)". Wrestling-Titles.com.
  26. "Zero1 abre su filial Zero1-Mexico". Planeta Wrestling (in Spanish).
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