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Ohara To Challenge For Hidaka's ZERO1 International Jr. Heavyweight Title!

February 3rd, 2010

SMASH (formally HUSTLE) Pro Wrestling's Hajime Ohara will challenge for the ZERO1 International Jr. Heavyweight on February 6th in Chiba, Japan. Ohara, a Jr. class fighter, first entered ZERO1 when competition in the annual "Tenka-Ichi Jr. 2009" tournament where he lost to Hayato "Jr." Fujita in the 2nd round.

Ohara has since returned to ZERO1, teaming alongside fellow SMASH wrestlers Tajiri and Akira Shoji. At the previous ZERO1 show in Tochigi, Japan, Ohara's team with Shoji defeated Hidaka and Shota Takanishi in a tag match when Shoji pinned Shota. Ohara then commented that he wants to face Hidaka for the title belt to impress the ZERO1 fans and gain their support:

Hidaka responded to the challengers statement:

"Ohara, you are an eloquent speaker. I'm not like you, I fight only with emotional strength, conditioning and a fighting technique cultivated from regular and difficult training. Your feel what a professional wrestler is on February 6th in Chiba."

This will be Hidaka's first defense of the ZERO1 International Jr. Heavyweight since he re-captured it by winning the "Tenka-Ichi Jr. 2009" tournament. He has held this title belt 5 separate times since the first time he won it in 2005.

As for Hajime Ohara, he is also a former 2 time NWA World Welterweight Champion.

Ryouji's World Heavyweight Challenge Accepted!

January 28th, 2010

As previosuly reported here at www.zerooneusa.com, following World Heavyweight Champion Toshiaki Kawada's title defense on 1/1 at "ZERO1 WRESTLER'S 8 ~NEW YEAR GIGS~," 2009 Fire Festival winner Ryouji Sai entered the ring and challenged Kawada for a title match. Kawada rebuffed him in the ring, but after Ryouji had gone through the official request process his challenge has now been accepted for March 2nd in Korakuen Hall.

Ryouji said he felt he was in line for a challenge as Kawada should fight ZERO1 wrestlers, referencing Kawada's last defense against BJW's Daisuke Sekimoto, and he wants to challenge before other ZERO1 Heavyweights like President Otani or Kohei do.

Ryouji added that his win over KAMIKAZE yesterday at Shinjuku FACE was a test for himself, as KAMIKAZE was not only from the same amatuer wrestling school as Kawada but was Kawada's first title challenger. Ryouji haa faced Kawada several times in tag match for the currently defunct HUSTLE. Now they will face each other at "ZERO1 9TH ANNIVERSARY ~ ZERO1 WRESTLER'S 10 ~THE BIRTH OF ZERO1~" on 3/2 in Tokyo. This will be Kawada's 3rd World Heavyweight title defense.

Tanaka Travels to the USA for Jersey All Pro Wrestling!

January 18th, 2010

As a former ECW World Heavyweight and Tag Team Champion, Masato Tanaka is no stranger to wrestling in the United States. He will return this weekend to New Jersey, USA for Jersey All Pro Wrestling (JAPW). Tanaka will appear at JAPW's 12th Anniversary Show on January 23rd in Rahway, NJ.

His opponent will be Total Nonstop Action (TNA) wrestler and longtime JAPW roster member - "Notorious 187" Homicide. Homicide and Tanaka have wrestled previously in Japan only in tag matches. This will be their first singles match and is the main event of the show. Back on November 11, 2009 at JAPW's "Seasons Beatings" show, ZERO1's Booking Director Hiroki Asai appeared for the official in-ring contract signing.

JAPW's "12th Anniversary Show" is at the Rahway Rec Center, 275 East Milton Ave, Rahway, NJ on January 23, 2010. Also on the card: Steve Corino vs. Azrieal, JAPW Champion Dan Maff vs. Eddie Kingston, and Teddy Hart & Jack Evans vs. The Briscoe Brothers, among several other matches. www.japw.net

Champions Aibou Face Kazan Tag Title Challengers in Shinjuku On 1/27!

January 4th, 2010

New tag team partners Shinjiro Otani & Akebono have been on a rise lately, winning ZERO1's 1st tag league tournament "Furinkazan 2009" in December and then defeating the young heavyweight team of Ryouji Sai and Kohei Sato on in the main event New Year's Day at "ZERO1 WRESTLER'S 8 ~ New Year Gigs! ~" in Korakuen Hall. Following their tag league victory the adopted the name Kazan for their team, a word translating to "volcano" in Japanese.

On the heels of their recent victories, Kazan made a challenge for the NWA Intercontinental Tag Team titles currently held by the Aibou tag team of Ikuto Hidaka and Munenori Sawa. They match will take place at "ZERO1 WRESTLER'S 9" in Shinjuku FACE on January 27, 2010. ZERO1 President Shinjiro Otani commented on the upcoming title challenge:

While Hidaka and Sawa are considered Jr. class fighters, as the Aibou tag team they have defeated many difficult adversaries, included Otani & Akebono in Block A of the "Furinkazan 2009" where the only missed the Finals by scoring 5 points as opposed to Kazan's 6 points.

Aibou won the titles in October 2009 by defeating Heavyweights Kohei Sato & KAMIKAZE at "ZERO1 WRESTLER'S 6 ~ Never Gonna Stop! ~," and they are also the current holders of the NWA International Lightweight Tag Team titles which they won way back on August 3, 2008 from the Gikyoudai team of Minoru Fujita and Takuya Sugawara.

Hidaka Wins Fan Vote MVP of 2009!

January 2nd, 2010

All votes are in and ZERO1 Jr. Class fighter Ikuto Hidaka was chosen by the fans for ZERO1 MVP of 2009. Hidaka had a very strong year, ending not only the Tenka-Ichi Jr. 2009 Champion and ZERO1 International Jr. Heavyweight champion, but also co-holder of both the NWA Intercontinental and NWA International Lightweight Tag Team champion with BattlArts' Munenori Sawa.

Although having a setback in March when losing the ZERO1 Jr. Heavyweight title to Sonjay Dutt, Hidaka had a strong showing in the "Fire Festival '09" by tying 4 others in Block A with 5 points. In the 4-way decision match he lost along with Shinjiro Otani and Akebono as Kohei Sato advanced to the finals to face Ryouji Sai.

Also in May of 2009, at the "ZERO1 WRESTLER'S 3" show in Shinjuku Face Hidaka fought hard against heavyweight Masato Tanaka but was defeated by the Sliding-D. Hidaka also had numerous "Bachi-Bachi" style fights against former BattlArts alumnus like Minoru Tanaka, Masaaki Mochizuki, Katsumi Usuda and Hayato Fujita Jr.

Coming in 2nd place was "Fire Festival '09" winner Ryouji Sai, and 3rd ZERO1 President Shinjiro Otani.

As for the Best Match award of 2009, the following were the top three voted matches:

1. Ryouji Sai vs. Kohei Sato (Fire Festival '09 - Finals; August 8th, 2009)
2. Ikuto Hidaka vs. Prince DeVitt (Tenka-Ichi Jr. Tournament - Finals; November 29th, 2009)
3. Shinjiro Otani vs. Ryouji Sai (World Heavyweight Title; March 29, 2009)

Kawada Defends Against Sekimoto on New Year's Day!

January 2nd, 2010

At "ZERO1 WRESTLER'S 8 ~ New Year Gigs! ~" on New Year's Day in Korakuen Hall, current World Heavyweight Champion Toshiaki Kawada defended his title against Big Japan Pro Wrestling's Daisuke Sekimoto. This was Kawada's 2nd defense and the match went just under 17 minutes when Kawada finished Sekimoto with a low running kick to the head.

Sekimoto had fought strongly throughout the match despite obviously being nervous facing such a big Senpai. Kawada has to perform a sustained beating to keep the younger heavyweight down, battling with hard chops, several big lariats and hard kicks. Kawada almost had Sekimoto with a back suplex and a powerbomb but he surprisingly kicked out at 2! A running kick to his head then ended it.

Following the match, ZERO1 Heavyweight Ryouji Sai entered the ring to challenge Kawada. Kawada asked him "Are you a ZERO1 wrestler?" feigning ignorance. He them told Ryouji that he felt confident he could defend the title right that moment, he was a little tired from battling Sekimoto so he won't. He then left with the title and the trophy.

In addition the main event of the show titled "New Year Big Bang!" saw the "Kazan" tag team of Shinjiro Otani and Akebono against former tag team partners and champions Kohei Sato and Ryouji Sai. After a 17 minute match "Kazan" won when Otani pinned Kohei with the Spiral Bomb.

The Jr. class tag match "Jr. New Year Greetings! ~Generation Special~" also delivered on high expectations as the anger and punishment style of "Bachi-Bachi" permeated the ring as older Generation Ikuto Hidaka and Masaaki Mochizuki took on the younger generation of Munenori Sawa and Hayato Fujita Jr. As could be expected the match had hard striking that was felt all the way by the fans in the upper seats of Korakuen Hall. The senior generation won when Hidaka pinned his NWA Intercontinetal and NWA International Lightweight tag partner Munenori Sawa with the "Iwami Ginzan."