, often referred to simply as Zero1 and sometimes referred to as Pro Wrestling Zero1 Catch as Catch Can (stylized as ZERO1 and PRO WRESTLING ZERO1 CATCH AS CATCH CAN, respectively), is a Japanese professional wrestling promotion founded in 2001.
Formerly known as Pro Wrestling Zero-One and Pro Wrestling Zero1-Max (stylized as Pro Wrestling ZERO-ONE and Pro Wrestling Zero1-MAX, respectively), it was affiliated with the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) from 2001 until late 2004, and briefly reaffiliated in 2011. It was also affiliated with AWA Superstars of Wrestling (AWA) from 2005 until late 2007, the Global Professional Wrestling Alliance (GPWA) from 2006 to 2009, and was affiliated with the United Wrestling Network (UWN) from 2017 to 2022.
History As Pro Wrestling Zero-One
The promotion was founded by former New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) star Shinya Hashimoto who was quickly joined by 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.
In its early years, Zero1 had working agreements with Pro Wrestling Noah (Noah), All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW), NJPW, Riki Pro, Hustle, Big Mouth Loud, King's Road, and Dragondoor. These agreements enabled Zero1 wrestlers to challenge for and hold the other promotions' titles. The promotion also operated their own dojo, which was referred to as the "Takeshiba Coliseum".
On November 30, 2004, Shinya 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. First On Stage renamed the promotion to Pro Wrestling Zero1-Max, with Otani and Nakamura taking over the promotion's general operations. Among other major changes made to the promotion's structure was the decision to join AWA Superstars of Wrestling (AWA) as the alliance's only Japanese member. Due to their new affiliation with the AWA, the promotion's previous National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) affiliation was given to rival promotion NJPW.
Since April 2005, Zero1 has held yearly pay-per-view events at the Yasukuni Shrine, which is controversial for its relation to World War II. Larger Japanese wrestling promotions like NJPW, AJPW, and Noah have traditionally stayed away from such venues due to their controversial nature.
On September 12, 2006, Zero1-Max joined 12 other wrestling companies to form the Global Professional Wrestling Alliance (GPWA), a professional wrestling alliance that intended to "foster an environment of cooperation rather than competition." The alliance planned to hold occasional "Super Shows" where all member promotions would send wrestlers to compete under the GPWA banner. Noah's CEO Mitsuharu Misawa was inaugurated as the first chairman of the GPWA, while Zero1-Max's Yoshiyuki Nakamura was announced as the alliance's president. The GPWA would later fold in 2009.
As Pro Wrestling Zero1 In 2008, the promotion shortened its 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 NWA Pan-Pacific Premium Heavyweight champion. Later in 2011, Zero1 left the NWA, renaming their NWA-branded championships to "New Wrestling Alliance" championships.
Following their 2011 departure from the NWA, Zero1 launched an American affiliate, Zero1 USA, taking over the promotion previously known as NWA Midwest. In 2012, an Australian division of Zero1, known as Zero1 Australia, opened in Adelaide taking over what was previously known as NWA Pro Australia; in 2014 the relationship between Zero1 and Zero1 Australia ended with the Australian-based promotion renaming to Wrestle Rampage. Later in 2012, the Zero1 Hong Kong and Zero1 Mexico branches opened. 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 2014.
During a September 16, 2016 press conference, 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, 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 be appointed the representative director and president of the promotion, while Shinjiro Otani took on the chairman of the board position and Masato Tanaka and Kohei Sato split the vice-president role of the promotion.
On February 1, 2020, Zero1 president Kazuhiro Iwamoto announced that the ownership of the promotion would be transferred from the previous management company Dream On Stage to iFD. Iwamoto additionally announced a plan to reform the promotion, which would include holding a show in the Ryōgoku Kokugikan on April 13, 2021, as part of the promotion's 20th anniversary. A further goal would be holding a show in the Ryogoku Kokugikan annually, while also providing Zero1 wrestlers with fixed contracts and social security.
During a hiatus caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the promotion suffered from severe financial problems. Kazuhiro Iwamoto resigned from his position as president while wrestlers Tatsuhito Takaiwa, Ikuto Hidaka, and Kohei Sato all departed the promotion. In July 2020, it was announced that the company was acquired by Daiko Holdings Group. That same month, they hired former Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling women's wrestler Megumi Kudo as their general manager.
On December 27, 2024, during a press conference, it was announced that the promotion was acquired by Studio Backdrop. It was additionally announced that Zero1 affiliate Tochigi Pro-Wrestling would begin operating independently of Zero1 and Masato Tanaka would launch Zero1 Hardcore, a Zero1 affiliate based on hardcore wrestling.
Personnel
Championships
Pro Wrestling Zero1 Championship Current champion(s) Reign Date won DaysheldAs of , . Location NotesWorld Heavyweight ChampionshipJunya Matsunaga 1+Tokyo, JapanDefeated Masato Tanaka at Zero1 25th Anniversary.NWA World Junior Heavyweight ChampionshipTakumi Baba2, 2January 1, 2025+Tokyo, JapanDefeated Seiki Yoshioka at Tochi Pro Happy New Year & Shinjiro Otani Aid ~ Stand Up Again And Again.International Junior Heavyweight ChampionshipNWA Intercontinental Tag Team ChampionshipJunya Matsunaga and Tsugutaka Sato2+Tokyo, Japan Defeated Hayabusa and Jinsei Shinzaki in the finals of the 2025 Furinkazan Tournament which were also disputed for the titles.NWA International Lightweight Tag Team ChampionshipVent Vert Jack and Yuki Toki1+Tokyo, Japan Defeated Brian Ishizaka and Takuya Sugawara at the 25th Anniversary Show to revive the title that had been inactive since December 31, 2020.
Zero1 USA ChampionshipCurrent champion(s)ReignDate wonDays heldNotesZero1 USA Heavyweight ChampionshipMad Dog Connelly1+Defeated Joey O’Riley in a steel cage match at ZERO1 USA Christmas Chaos.Zero1 USA TNT ChampionshipB.A. Malkin 2+Defeated Anakin Murphy, Chris O’Brien, El DLC, Devonte Knox, and defending champion Theo White in a six-way Gold Rush Challenge match at ZERO1 USA Thursday Night Throwdown.Zero1 USA Shining Light ChampionshipRahne Victoria3+Defeated The Luminary at ZERO1 USA 17th Anniversary Event.The championship was previously known as the Zero1 USA Women's Championship.Zero1 USA World Junior Heavyweight ChampionshipDevonte Knox 1+Defeated Victor Analog by cashing in an “any title, anywhere, anytime” contract; Analog had just won the championship by winning a four-way match against Jake Parnell, Gary Jay, and defending champion DaCobra.The championship was previously known as the Zero1 USA Midwest X Division Championship.Zero1 USA Tag Team ChampionshipConstant Headache (Anakin Murphy and Kenny Kalix)1+Defeated The Premier (Campbell Myers and SK Bishop) at ZERO1 USA September To Remember.
Super Fireworks Pro Wrestling ChampionshipCurrent champion(s)ReignDate wonDays heldNotesBlast King ChampionshipTaru2+Defeated Yuko Miyamoto at Super Fireworks Current Blast Festival 2018 in Kawasaki.Blast Queen ChampionshipAja Kong1+Defeat Hiroyo Matsumoto in a Super Plasma Blast Deathmatch at 23rd Midsummer Festival ~ Fire Festival 2023.Blast King Tag Team ChampionshipRevengers(Masato Tanaka and Hide Kubota)1+Defeated Taru and Chris Vice at Super Fireworks Current Blast Festival 2019 in Kawasaki.Zero1/Super Fireworks Current Blast Festival 2019 in Kawasaki Cagematch.net Retrieved August 18, 2019
No longer promoted / inactive ChampionshipLast champion(s)Date wonRefNWA United National Heavyweight ChampionshipChris ViceNWA Pan-Pacific Premium Heavyweight ChampionshipAkebonoNWA World Heavyweight ChampionshipThe SheikNWA World Junior Heavyweight ChampionshipCraig ClassicNWA World Super Heavyweight Championship/Zero-One O-300 Super Heavyweight ChampionshipMatt GhaffariAWA World Heavyweight ChampionshipMasato TanakaAWA United States ChampionshipRicky LandellAWA Japan Women's ChampionshipSaki Maemura WWA World Junior Light Heavyweight ChampionshipNoizTenka-ichi Junior Heavyweight ChampionshipYoshihito SasakiHCW World Women's ChampionshipHikaruSun ChampionshipSara Del ReyWDB Tag Team ChampionshipMinoru Fujita and Saki MaemuraWorld-1 Heavyweight ChampionshipSteve CorinoWorld-1 Junior Heavyweight ChampionshipYoshihito SasakiUPW Heavyweight ChampionshipTom HowardZero-One United States Heavyweight ChampionshipMr. Wrestling IIIZero1 Mexico International ChampionshipSicodelico Jr.Zero1 Australian National Championship Ryan EaglesZero1 Ireland Heavyweight ChampionshipRobbie MorrisseyZero1 USA Indiana State Heavyweight ChampionshipBrutus DylanZero1 USA Heartland States Heavyweight ChampionshipThe SadistZero1 USA Northern States ChampionshipOsyrisZero1 USA Illinois Heavyweight ChampionshipFrank WyattZero1 USA Underground ChampionshipBrutus DylanZero1 USA Underground Tri-State ChampionshipLance StorieUnknownZero1 USA Underground Tag Team ChampionshipCaden Ames and Lance StorieZero1 USA Northeast Heavyweight ChampionshipBear Bronson
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."
TournamentLatest winner(s)Date wonFire Festival Hayabusa (II) July 4, 2025Furinkazan Junya Matsunaga and Tsugutaka Sato December 27, 2025Tenkaichi Jr. Veny October 17, 2025Lion King Cup Yoshihito Sasaki December 4, 2003
Affiliates Promotion name Location Partnered on Ref.Pro Wrestling World-1New Jersey2004Pro-Wrestling SunJapan2006Zero1 USAMidwestern United StatesApril 29, 2011Zero1 Pro Wrestling Australia/Wrestle RampageAustralia2012Zero1 Ireland/Fight Factory Pro WrestlingIreland2012Zero1 Scotland/Scottish Wrestling AllianceScotland2012Zero1 Hong Kong/Hong Kong Pro Wrestling FederationHong Kong2012Zero1 MexicoMexico2012Zero1 New Belarus Pro Wrestling Belarus2013Zero1 Spain/Super Wrestling AllianceSpain2013MarvelousJapan2015Super Fireworks Pro WrestlingJapan2015Zero1 USA NortheastNortheastern United States2019Tochigi Pro-WrestlingTochigi Prefecture2021Zero1 HardcoreJapan2024Rose Girls Pro-WrestlingJapan2026
See also
Professional wrestling in Japan List of professional wrestling promotions in Japan List of National Wrestling Alliance territories
Notes