Pro Wrestling Zero1


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 from 2001 until late 2004 and briefly reaffiliated in 2011.

History

The promotion was founded by former New Japan Pro-Wrestling 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 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 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, 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. 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.
On December 17, 2013, Zero1 announced a corporate restructuring taking place at the start of the new year.
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. On May 22, 2017, Pro Wrestling Zero1 partnered with the United Wrestling Network to become the group's official Japanese affiliate. 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.
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.
In July 2020, it was announced that the company was acquired by Daiko Holdings Group.

Championships

ChampionshipCurrent championReignDate wonDays heldNotes
World Heavyweight ChampionshipChris Vice1+Defeated Kohei Sato at Zero1 Chojin Matsuri In Samurai! TV.
United National Heavyweight ChampionshipChris Vice2+Defeated Towa Iwasaki at Skill Up To The Future ~ Towards A Dream.
World Junior Heavyweight ChampionshipHub2+Defeated Sugi at Happy New Year.
International Junior Heavyweight ChampionshipHub2+Defeated Sugi at Happy New Year.
Intercontinental Tag Team ChampionshipYuko Miyamoto and Masashi Takeda1
+Defeated Masato Tanaka and Takuya Sugawara at Zero1 Yasukuni Shrine 150th Anniversary Hono Pro Wrestling 17th Yamato Shinshu Chikara Matsuri.
International Lightweight Tag Team ChampionshipBilly Ken Kid and Hub1
+Defeated Yasu Kubota and Hide Kubota at Jump Up Series.
Zero1 USA World Heavyweight ChampionshipJake Dirden1+Defeated Jake Parnell at ZERO1 USA New Year's Retribution 2020.
Zero1 USA World Junior Heavyweight ChampionshipJake Lander1+
Zero1 USA World Tag Team ChampionshipThem 1/1+Defeated Gnarls Garvin and Jake Lander at ZERO1 USA New Year's Retribution 2020..
Zero1 USA World Women's ChampionshipRahne Victoria2+
Blast King ChampionshipTaru2+Defeated Yuko Miyamoto at Super Fireworks.
Blast Queen ChampionshipRisa Sera1+Defeated Yoshiko and Nanae Takahashi and Akane Fujita at Mid-Summer Fire Festival 2018.
Blast King Tag Team ChampionshipRevengers
1+Defeated Taru and Chris Vice at Zero1/Super Fireworks Current Blast Festival 2019 in Kawasaki.

No longer promoted / Inactive

Tournaments

Zero1 holds a heavyweight tournament every summer in the last week of July called the "Fire Festival" where the winner holds the "Fire Sword" 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."
TournamentLatest winnerDate won
Fire FestivalYuji HinoJuly 28, 2019
FurinkazanYuji Hino and Yuji OkabayashiNovember 17, 2019
Tenkaichi Jr.HubSeptember 14, 2019

Affiliates