Hidaka Loses Again to Mochizuki! AXE Falls to NJPW!

January 23rd, 2008

ZERO1-MAX held their 3rd Anniversary show today at Korakuen Hall and saw numerous cross-promotional defeats. In the main event, International Jr. Heavyweight Champion Ikuto Hidaka confronted DRAGON GATE pro wrestler Masaaki Mochizuki. Back in September during the "Tenka-Ichi Jr. Tournament 2007" it was Mochizuki who eliminated Hidaka from the tourney and went on to face, and lose to, Masato Tanaka in the finals. Then on Christmas Eve at Korakuen Hall's "Year End*Crossing Over" show, Mochizuki teamed with BattlArts' Munenori Sawa in a winning effort against Hidaka and El Blazer. Mochizuki submitted Hidaka in the match with a cross arm breaker. Then earlier this month Hidaka went to DRAGON GATE to battle in the main event the "Open the Triangle Gate" title. Mochizuki's team of himself, K-Ness and Don Fuji were able to defeat Hidaka's team (Hidaka, Dick Togo & Munenori Sawa) when Mochizuki pinned Sawa.

Mochizuki continued his steak of victories over Hidaka by defeating him in the main event with a kick to become the new ZERO1-MAX Jr. Heavyweight champion. The battle raged for just under 14 minutes, with many kicks being exchanged in the fast moving bout. Mochizuki scored big with some impact moves, as Hidaka went to his tried-and-true arsenal to secure a victory. Finally, staggered by a high kick, Hidaka stumbled into the corner where Mochizuki scored a hard ikkakugeri (corner kick), scored the pinfall and took the Jr. Heavyweight title to DRAGON GATE.

At the 1/14 DRAGON GATE show after defeating Hidaka's team, Mochizuki mocked the ZERO1-MAX cheer, and again he went to perform the cheer but was suddenly attacked by SWORD ARMY member El Blazer! Also entering the ring was Munenori Sawa and AXE ARMY's Osamu Namiguchi all there to nominate themselves as Mochizuki's next opponent for the International Jr. Heavyweight title.

The Semi-main was a continuation of Yoshihito Sasaki's scrap with Kengo Mashimo following the 1/6 K-DOJO show. Facing each other in a tag match, ZERO1-MAX wrestlers Yoshihito (AXE) and Ryouji Sai (SWORD) were told to pick partners for the 3rd Anniversary show. Yoshihito chose his longtime partner and friend - Big Japan's Daisuke Sekimoto whom he shares the BJW Tag Team titles with. Ryouji, taking a psychological route, chose Mashimo as his partner in order to play mind games with Yoshihito. Yoshihito swore he would "never be defeated" by Mashimo.

All four wrestlers brought a lot of emotion to the battle, with Ryouji and Mashimo using their hard kicks versus the power and strength of Yoshihito and Sekimoto. The match eventually came down to the AXE ARMY vs. SWORD ARMY wrestlers, as Yoshihito finished off Ryouji with the Hurricane Driver. After the match Yoshihito and Mashimo began to fight causing the ring seconds to pull them apart. Yoshihito then got on the microphone and challenged Kengo Mashimo to a singles match, adding he'd put his NWA United National title on the line and calling Mashimo a "blonde fool." Mashimo only responded "you're the fool," accepted the challenge and left!

The 4th match saw more in the confrontation of ZERO1-MAX and New Japan Pro Wrestling. The AXE ARMY of Captain Takao Omori, Osamu Namiguchi and Kohei Sato in a 6-man tag versus NJPW's Manabu Nakanishi, Koji Kanemoto and Ryusuke Taguchi. As we know, Omori and Nakanishi were until recently a strong tag team or allies. Calling themselves "WILD CHILD" and at one point holding the NWA Intercontinental Tag team titles and the IWGP Tag Team titles simultaneously. Scheduled to team on the 1/1 show, the tag team fell apart causing Nakanishi to say some harsh things about Omori and ZERO1-MAX. This turned their strong bond to a bond of strong hatred as the two meet again to settle their differences.

The New Japan wrestlers heard it from the ZERO1-MAX crowd right away as they entered Korakuen Hall to loud booing from the crowd. As Omori and Nakanishi's eyes met, the two ran at each other and began to fight causing the crowd to switch from booing to loud yelling! The fight continued with both sides using teamwork in an attempt to defeat the other. Nakanishi had his teammates well prepared with several double team moves, though Nakanishi himself fell victim to the Axe Guillotine driver and Kohei's German suplex hold. It was Namiguchi who turned out to be the weak link, as after taking a German suplex hold and a hard face kick to get the 1-2-3! As this was all going on Omori and Nakanishi were fighting in the stands and Kohei was dealing with Taguchi and this continued after the bell rang.

Following his pinfall victory, Kanemoto grabbed the microphone and called out SWORD ARMY Captain, Masato Tanaka! He said Tanaka should come out to the ring if he wasn't scared to. Naturally the current ZERO1-MAX World Heavyweight champion instantly appeared and entered the ring. Kanemoto attacked him! This caused all of ZERO1-MAX, both ARMYS, and the New Japan wrestlers to engage in a wild battle and pull-apart!

Then Nakanishi grabbed the microphone and called all of ZERO1-MAX "henachoko," which means "inexperienced and small." Nakanishi then announced that he wants Omori in a singles match at New Japan upcoming 2/17 show at Tokyo's Ryogoku Kokugikan. He said Omori has until the beginning of February to decide...

The 3rd match was for the NWA Intercontinental Tag titles held by the "Brothers" tag team of Minoru Fujita and Takuya Sugawara. Sugawara has been struggling with an "allergy" to fighting Kesen Numajiro, as he feels indebted to Numajiro for helping him out early on in his pro wrestling career when joining TORYUMON-JAPAN. At the same time Sugawara's tag team partner Minoru Fujita has shown nothing but contempt and disrespect to The Great Sasuke these past months. This led Sasuke to come up with his own "Numajiro Strategy" to get back at Fujita by providing Numajiro masks to the crowd in a plan titled "Everybody is Numajiro." The entire West side seating of Korakuen Hall was provided with Numajiro Masks which they all wore.

The match started on a good note for the champs, with Fujita making sure Suga attacked Sasuke. Eventually he had to face Numajiro and once more couldn't strike him, turning his back only to face the West audience and becoming even more paralyzed! As a last resort, Fujita came out with the Black Box, Sugawara's longtime "foreign object" weapon and tried to get him to use that on Numajiro. "It's not possible," was all Sugawara could muster as he discarded the black box. "Wake up!!" Fujita fired back and began to fight by himself. Just as Fujita was about to be defeated in the 2 versus 1, Sugawara managed to recover, hitting Sasuke with the black box! He also finally struck Numajiro, and with the help of a sneak attack by Fujita captured Numajiro in the Shiisanputa and scored the pinfall victory and the title defense!

After the match, Sugawara got on the microphone to apologize. He said while it was painful for him to strike Numajiro, he finally regained his senses. He addressed Numajiro, calling him "Yone-san" his real first name:

Numajiro seemed touched, saying thank you and telling Sugawara that he thinks he's a good guy and a good pro wrestler as the two shook hands. Fujita and Sasuke, who were looking on also felt touched by the moment causing Fujita to extend his hand to The Great Sasuke as well. Sasuke took Fujita's hand and as all four shook hands...

ONCE AGAIN, the "Brothers" reversed it and attacked the Michinoku Pro veterans! Kicking them in the stomach and planting them with stereo DDTs, they both again mocked the two and ran off with their belts. How many times will the Brother make fools of The Great Sasuke?

The 2nd match of the show saw SWORD ARMY fighters Masato Tanaka and Tatsuhito Takaiwa versus the AXE ARMY member Tengu Kaiser and another of his "supernatural" tag partners - Crow Kaiser. While the two mystical high-flyers fought hard for 12½ before the stiff elbows and hard impact moves of Tanaka and Takaiwa took their toll. Finally Takaiwa was able to score a flying cross arm breaker for the victory.

Also on the show saw the long time return of ZERO-ONE Jr. Gaijin wrestler Vansack Acid! Acid had to step away from Pro Wrestling for several years and undergo several surgeries. At one point it appeared he might be done with Pro Wrestling forever, even having a retirement announcement in the Korakuen Hall back in 2004.

This night, Vansack Acid was in a tag match against young wrestlers Shota Takanishi and BattlArts' Munenori Sawa. He was teamed with another young heavyweight Naoki Ueda, and while he wasn't able to get the pinfall victory in his first match, it was Ueda who was finally pinned by Sawa's Shining Wizard. As he left , Acid turned to once more to the ring and hands-clasped said a final prayer before exiting.

ZERO1-MAX returns to action tomorrow at Shin-kiba's 1st Ring for a main event deathmatch of Shinjiro Otani and "Mr. Danger" Mitsuhiro Matsunaga in a "Hell Pincushion" Tatami Needle Death Match!

The Great Sasuke's Own "Numajiro Strategy!"

January 20th, 2008

As reported earlier here on the website The Great Sasuke, who is challenging for the NWA Intercontinental Tag Team titles alongside Kesen Numajiro on the 1/23 show, had begun to form his own strategy in opposition to the Brothers. After once again being humiliated by the two scoundrels at the ZERO1-MAX office, Sasuke hit on an idea prompted by a Numajiro paper mask Fujita was using to help Sugawara get over his "allergy" that prevents him from attacking Numajiro.

Sasuke decided that a good way to strike back at the Brothers, who have often used deceit against Sasuke, was to enlist the ZERO1-MAX fans in his own "Numajiro Strategy."

The idea is simple enough - print many copies of the Kesen Numajiro mask and distribute them to the fans at Korakuen Hall at the upcoming 3rd Anniversary show. Sasuke is hoping this will have quite a psychological effect on Sugawara during the match.

Sasuke, needing many copies of the mask for his plan to work, went in search of the enigmatic MECHA Mummy for assistance on the printing job. MECHA Mummy was willing to oblige, and many masks were printed for the strategy.

Axe Army Prepares for Nakanishi! Kohei Drinks!

January 20th, 2008

AXE ARMY wrestlers Takao Omori and Osamu Namiguchi held an open training session in Minato-ku Park in preparation for their 1/23 match against New Japan Pro Wrestling. At the ZERO1-MAX 3rd Anniversary show, AXE ARMY members Omori and Namiguchi will team alongside Kohei Sato against Manabu Nakanishi, Koji Kanemoto and Ryusuke Taguchi. To prepare, Omori and Nami were chopping firewood in the park using two antique style axes! Omori even removed his t-shirt in the cold Tokyo weather during the practice!

Namiguchi agreed, showing the reporters how Omori's support and his own concentration led to him breaking his axe handle in the process. Omori added that while the New Japan wrestlers are no doubt training together in the gym, his team would repulse them.

Can the AXE ARMY together defeat New Japan who Omori has been seeking revenge on?

Kohei Sato seems to think so, though he called and cancelled his appearance at the training session. He gave the reporters his location if they wanted a comment and they found him - at a bar drinking sake and whiskey, reading an article about Taguchi!

Kohei added that while he didn't think Omori's special training was necessary, he does "burn" to fight the New Japan wrestlers and defeat them. He promised he would be ready for the battle. Omori was asked about Kohei's cancellation and own version of training but Omori seem unconcerned.

Video of the AXE Army's Special Training (Omori & Nami) can be viewed below (in Japanese):

Brothers Plan a "Numajiro Strategy!"

January 19th, 2008

The "Brothers" of Minoru Fujita and Takuya Sugawara met with the media at the ZERO1-MAX SAC store across from the Z1 office today to discuss their upcoming title defense. The champs will be facing Michinoku Pro veterans The Great Sasuke and Kesen Numajiro at the ZERO1-MAX 3rd Anniversary show on 1/23.

During the press conference, Fujita said that the team was going to undergo "special training" to help defeat Sugawara's "allergy" to Kesen Numajiro. Numajiro was the person who helped introduce Sugawara into the world of pro wrestling, basically his biggest benefactor. Because of this, Sugawara has been unable to lift a finger in anger versus Numajiro costing them a non-title match against the upcoming challengers at the opening show of the year - "GENESIS 2008."

Fujita got Sugawara to stand up, placed a Kesen Numajiro Mask on his face and instructed Suga to hit him. "Consider me a Kesen Numajiro and knock me out! Now! Do It!"

But not matter what, Sugawara could not get himself to strike Fujita with any spirit, saying that, "Even though it's a mask I still can't do it...." Fujita went and sat in the corner, still wearing the Numajiro mask.

Just then The Great Sasuke appeared at the SAC Store, as he saw the press conference going on. After greeting Sugawara, he explained he came to the office to once again protest to President Yoshiyuki Nakamura. This time it was to protest Fujita's proclamation attained from the NWA at the "Year End*Crossing Over" show. In a planned Intercontinental Tag Team title match Fujita read the title proclamation stating that Sasuke's partner, Tengu Kaiser, "...is not a human being" and couldn't challenge for the title.

He noticed Fujita in the corner and for an instant thought it was Numajiro! Sasuke was surprised, saying he didn't expect to see his tag partner in Tokyo and asked why he'd come to the ZERO1-MAX office as well.

"I thought I would preach a sermon to Sugawara," Fujita quickly responded staying in character.

"We will win the tag title match on the 23rd without fail," Sasuke continued still thinking he was speaking to Numajiro. "We will take those belts."

"That guy Fujita is a real idiot," Fujita (as Numajiro) said as the two shook hands. Fujita then attacked! Stomping Sasuke and once again giving him a DDT on a desk! The "Brothers" then dragged Sasuke outside and began to stomp him in the street once again! Sasuke quickly slipped on the Numajiro mask which Fujita had discarded, causing Sugawara to cease his attack. With a final kick to Sasuke, and a kick in the ass to Sugawara, Fujita grabbed his partner and the two ran away.

As Sasuke picked himself up from the street, ZERO1-MAX International Jr. Heavyweight champion Ikuto Hidaka appeared at the ZERO1-MAX office window. He told Sasuke that Mr. Nakajima wasn't going to be at the office today as he was on a business trip. Hidaka said Sasuke could avoid this problem if he called ahead for an appointment. Sasuke told Hidaka that he wants the proclamation for their tag title match on 1/23 to be clear and have a Japanese translation provided as well.

With the Numajiro mask still askew on his head, Sasuke re-entered the press conference to collect himself. There he found Fujita's Intercontinental tag title sitting on the desk, left behind. Sasuke began to cut a promo, but Fujita ran back and attacked him yelling, "thief! thief! I have secret plan thief!" he quickly stole the belt back and again ran off.

"A secret plan?" Sasuke asked rhetorically, "I also have just thought of a plan! Kesen Numajiro masks. Though I don't know where it's coming from, I have an idea! I'll get the ZERO1-MAX fans to cooperate. I'll make Kesen Numajiro Masks in great quantity, and distribute them to the fans. Now that's a 'Numajiro Strategy!'"

Sasuke then put the Numajiro Mask in his bag and walked off down the street, instantly blending into the many salary men on the street even with his distinctive mask.

Video can be seen below (in Japanese):

Minoru Suzuki in Osaka! Goto Returns in Nagoya!

January 16th, 2008

Pancrase Mission fighter and former Triple Crown champion Minoru Suzuki will return to ZERO1-MAX on February 9th in Osaka, Japan at the Osaka Prefectural Gym #2. Suzuki previously appeared on Christmas Eve in the "Yoshihiro Takayama's X'mas Present Match" where he defeated Ryouji Sai in singles combat.

His opponent will be announced at a later date.

Pro Wrestling MUGA, now known as DRADITION Pro Wrestling (Dragon + Tradition), fighter Tatsutoshi Goto also contacted the ZERO1-MAX office with a message for new President Shinjiro Otani.

The message is as follows:

The Nagoya show will also take part on the February tour at Nagoya's Terrapin Hall on February 11th.

More details on the event card will be released in the future.

ZERO1-MAX 3rd Anniversary Show Approaches!

January 15th, 2008

It has been three years since the newly branded Pro Wrestling ZERO1-MAX has existed. To celebrate the Anniversary will be the "3rd Anniversary of ZERO1-MAX Launch" show at Tokyo's Korakuen Hall with a stacked line-up. Not only will the International Jr. Heavyweight title and Intercontinental Tag Team titles be on the line, the battle against New Japan Pro Wrestling will continue and a few other scores will be settled.

Ikuto Hidaka will be defending his International Jr. Heavyweight title versus DRAGON GATE Pro Wrestler Masaaki Mochizuki in the main event of the show. Back in September during the "Tenka-Ichi Jr. Tournament 2007" it was Mochizuki who eliminated Hidaka from the tourney and went on to face, and lose to, Masato Tanaka in the finals. Then on Christmas Eve at Korakuen Hall's "Year End*Crossing Over" show, Mochizuki teamed with BattlArts' Munenori Sawa in a winning effort against Hidaka and El Blazer. Mochizuki submitted Hidaka in the match with a cross arm breaker. Yesterday Hidaka went to DRAGON GATE to battle in the main event the "Open the Triangle Gate" title. Mochizuki's team of himself, K-Ness and Don Fuji were able to defeat Hidaka's team (Hidaka, Dick Togo & Munenori Sawa) when Mochizuki pinned Sawa. Mochizuki sent the following statement to the ZERO1-MAX office in regards to the upcoming title match:

Hidaka fired back when hearing these comments:

On January 6, 2008 ZERO1-MAX wrestlers Masato Tanaka and Yoshihito Sasaki appeared on the K-DOJO show to face Kengo Mashimo and Madoka in the Semi-Main event. ZERO1-MAX finished victorious in the match, with Tanaka pinning Madoka with the Sliding D. Following the match, Yoshihito and Kengo confronted each other and began the scrap outside the ring causing the ZERO1-MAX and K-DOJO seconds to attempt to restrain them. This proved difficult as the two continued to battle in a very hateful manner! At the 1/23 show AXE ARMY's Yoshihito Sasaki and SWORD ARMY's Ryouji Sai are pitted against each other in a tag match where they could choose their own partners. Yoshihito spoke by himself first at the press conference, saying he would chose his "sworn friend" Daisuke Sekimoto as his partner. Ryouji Sai, who was unable to make the Press Conference due to a previous training appointment said his partner would appear at the conference, and only revealed his choice "...also likes to use the kick in his offense, other than that his fight style is completely different."

Just then in walks Kengo Mashimo, much to the surprise of Yoshihito. As he goes to sit next to Yoshihito at the table, Yoshihito grabs Kengo by the hair and the two began to scuffle only to be pulled apart by other ZERO1-MAX fighters. Kengo, dismissive of Yoshihito's outburst revealed that he would be Ryouji's tag team partner and calmly exited. Yoshihito continued to simmer, saying that he is glad that this is his opponent and he hopes Kengo will show up on 1/23 adding, "I will not be defeated by that guy under ANY circumstances."

A video of the incident can be seen below (in Japanese):

Surely these two young hotheads will bring the hate on 1/23!

As previously reported here, "Mr. Danger" Mitsuhiro Matsunaga has been petitioning to join ZERO1-MAX and has been participating in training and some preliminary matches. Then ZERO1-MAX President Yoshiyuki Nakamura decided to leave all decisions relating to this matter in the hands of Shinjiro Otani.

After seeing Matsunaga practice hard and then teaming with him on 12/12, Otani was still undecided on whether or not to unleash Matsunaga on the ZERO1-MAX ring. This led Matsunaga to directly challenge Otani to his own specialty - the deathmatch.

Matsunaga brought with him a sample drawing of the "Hell's Pincushion" deathmatch, a sample of the needles to be used, and an apple for a demonstration. He took the apple and dropped it lightly on the spikes where it impaled itself, directly in front of Otani! Otani said he was still unsure of Matsunaga's intention of joining ZERO1-MAX, but since he's been challenged he won't back down. He also said if it's necessary to push Matsunaga onto a "mountain of needles" to win the match then that's what he'll do.

Video can be seen below (in Japanese):

Will Matsunaga succeed and join ZERO1-MAX? Or will new President Otani turn him down regardless?