Home » News Archive » News from 08/19/08 to 09/10/08

Kohei Challenges Tanaka and Calls Otani "Weak!" Ryouji To Take Time Off!

September 10th, 2008

ZERO1 Wrestler Kohei Sato, never one to hide his feelings on a subject, spoke recently to Tokyo Sports Newspaper where he questioned the leadership abilities of current ZERO1 President Shinjiro Otani. Coming off his recent victory alongside Ryouji Sai in the "Passion Cup Tag Tournament '08," Kohei blasted Otani for failing to defeat New Japan Pro Wrestling's Yuji Nagata back on August 29th and for not being able to win total victory in the G-1 Tournament. "I am ashamed of our weak company president" he stated, adding he feels there should be a effort made to find a new ZERO1 President.

On their road to victory in the "Passion Cup Tag Tournament '08" Sato & Sai defeated both Tanaka's team (with Hidaka) and Otani's team (with Takaiwa). Now they will face TEAM EMBLEM combined on September 14th in Tokorazawa, Saitama, Japan in the main event tag match named "ZERO1 Excellence." Back in 2005, it was Sato & Sai who defeated EMBLEM to win the NWA Intercontinental Tag Team titles for their first time.

Kohei will then face 3x "Fire Festival" champion and current ZERO1 World Heavyweight champion Tanaka in a singles match in the main event of the September 23rd "ZERO1 Spirits '08" show. Kohei wondered aloud why he is having a singles match with Tanaka yet it is a non-title bout claiming, "A new champion is needed to open a new door for ZERO1. That champion is me." He said he looks forward to the Tokorozawa tag match and Korakuen match, reminding every one that "I do things my way."

Kohei's tag team partner Ryouji Sai, despite winning the "Passion Cup Tag Tournament '08," announced that he will be taking some time off from Pro Wrestling following the Tokorozawa show for some "self-discovery." After discussions with the ZERO1 office he was granted the time off and will therefore miss the "ZERO1 Spirits '08" Korakuen Hall show on the 23rd and the following Hokkaido Tour that runs until September 28th. Though his specific return time hasn't been decided, it's been announced he will definitely return to ZERO1.

Kohei & Ryouji Win Passion Cup '08!

September 6th, 2008

Former 2-time NWA Intercontinental Tag Team champions Kohei Sato & Ryouji Sai have won the 2nd Passion Cup by defeating Shinjiro Otani and Tatsuhito Takaiwa in the finals of the tournament. As former tag champions the two received a bye in the first round of the tournament, but defeated the strong team of Masato Tanaka and Ikuto Hidaka in the 2nd using their old tag team combination move the "Sai Tiger." The final victory came in the main event when Kohei submitted Takaiwa with a cross arm breaker. All-in-all an impressive performance comeback by Sato & Sai, a team that hadn't fought together in ZERO1 since late back in 2006.

Passion Cup Tag Tournament '08!

September 4th, 2008

Last year, ZERO1 put on a one-day "Passion Cup Tag Tournament" in Kimitsu's Aquamarine Studio in Chiba. This year the "Passion Cup Tournament '08" returns on September 7th. It will be a one-day tag tournament as displayed in the above brackets. Also participating will be New Japan's Mistuhida Hirasawa and Tetsuya Naito, who will receive a first round bye. Also receiving a first round bye will be the former 2-time NWA Intercontinental Tag Team champions Kohei Sato & Ryouji Sai. The participating teams:

• Masato Tanaka & Ikuto Hidaka
• Shinjiro Otani & Tatsuhito Takaiwa
• Kohei Sato & Ryouji Sai
• Mitsuhide Hirasawa & Tetsuya Naito
• KAMIKAZE & Minoru Fujita
• Shito Ueda & Yuzuru Saito

Hidaka & Sawa Defend NWA Lightweight Tag Team Belts!

August 31st, 2008

Current NWA International Lightweight Tag Team champions Ikuto Hidaka and Munenori Sawa successfully defended their titles today in BattlArts.The 8th Generation champs made their first defense since winning the titles back on August 3rd in Korakuen Hall. During the 8/24 ZERO1 show there was a Lightweight Tag Team titles "Contender Assessment Match" to dertermine the first challengers. Their opponent were Sawa's fellow BattlArts members, BattlArts' President Yuki Ishikawa and young Yuta Yoshikawa. It was Sawa himself who won the victory today as he used his teacher's own Octopus Hold to submit Yoshikawa after a hard fought battle that went over 20 minutes.

Back to PREMIUM! Omori Goes the Distance With Chono! Tanaka & Nagata Continues!

August 30th, 2008

New Japan Pro Wrestling and Masa Chono's produced "PREMIUM" held its third show today in Tokyo's Korakuen Hall in front of 1500 fans. Once again several members of the ZERO1 roster were booked on the show, including Shinjiro Otani, Takao Omori, Masato Tanaka, Kohei Sato, Tatsuhito Takaiwa and Ikuto Hidaka. And while President Otani was scheduled in the main event, many fans' eyes were also on the semi-main event where Takao Omori would make his final appearance as a representative of ZERO1 in a singles bout versus the "Boss" of PREMIUM, Masahiro Chono.

For their match, a new 10-second count-out rule was in place, as opposed to the standard Japanese count of 20. Also, this bout would allow no rope breaks, as wrestlers would have to physically escape hold rather than just reach the rope.

The two heavyweights went on to battle to a 30 minute Time Limit Draw despite both men throwing all they could at their opponents. Omori tried to wear Chono down with his power as Chono focused on Omori's leg and almost gained an early victory with his STF as Omori couldn't use a rope break and had to slowly work Cono's wrist. Both wrestlers also tried to take advantage of the short count outside the ring, with Chono felling Omori with a kick only for him to return at the 9 count! Omori fired back, reversing a tombstone piledriver into his Axe Guillotine Driver! As the two then fought outside the ring, Omori exploded with an Axe Bomber causing the count on Chono. At one point the referee slowed the count, causing those in attendance to boo loudly!

The crowd began to get firmly behind Omori as he rained down elbows and stomps on Chono! Chone was able to catch one of Omori's kick and deliver a Dragon Screw, followed by a quick Figure Four leglock that Omori struggled to reverse causing both men to roll from the ring to the floor!The both then battled on the apron as the fans began to chant "Omori! Omori! Omori!"

As time began to run out, both men went for dueling Avalanche brainbuster as the crowd still cheered on Takao Omori. Omori then hit another Axe Bomber, however it sent Chono rolling to the apron and by the time Omori retrieved him back to the ring for a cover he kicked out! Finally as the two weary warriors threw elbows at each other the time limit expired.

Following the bout Chono raised Omori's hand as the crowd continued to chant Omori's name, begging him to not retire and to come back soon to the ring. Omori got on the microphone and assured the crowd that he had "...no intention of retiring to private life, nor a mind to retire permanently." He said he is only leaving ZERO1 and taking some time off, but promised he would definitely be seen in a pro wrestling ring again.

The main event saw President Otani team with DRADITION's Yutaka Yoshie in a winning effort versus the strong New Japan team of Hiroyoshi Tenzan and Manabu Nakanishi. And while the match was a fierce battle going over 20 minutes, Yoshie showed lots of power and fire versus the NJPW Heavyweights and finally won the victory for his team with a diving body press on Nakanishi.

Masato Tanaka and Yuji Nagata, destined for a singles collision, entered the ring once more in a tag match where Tanaka teamed alongside NJPW Legend Riki Choshu while Nagata fought alongside Mitsuhide Hirasawa. Before the bell, Tanaka and Nagata once more had words for each other. Both men started the match for their team and launched into a fierce elbow battle right at the gong. Tanaka scored with several one-two elbow combinations as Nagata countered with kicks.

Eventually Choshu and Tanaka began to simultaneously wear Nagata down with lariats, tornado DDTs and a double team brainbuster. And while Hirasawa tried to stay in the match, getting a short run on Tanaka it was who finally pinned him in under 10 minutes with the Sliding D. Nagata who was knocked outside the ring at the time remained calm, however a collision with Tanaka is inevitable.

Also on the card Kohei Sato defeated Tomoaki Honma via DQ as Super Strong Machine and Hiro Saito interferred to attack the referee and Honma. Though whether it was a victory or not is in question as Super Strong Machine made the count.

Tatsuhito Takaiwa didn't fare as well in his tag match alongside Magnitude Kishiwada versus Jushin Liger and El Dorado's Shuji Kondo, as he fell to Liger's "shotei" palm strike in just under 12½ minutes.

Ikuto Hidaka won the victory for his team however, as he teamed with DDT's MIKAMI and K-Dojo's Makoto Oshii against New Japan's Minoru, Apache Pro's GENTARO and WMF's Mineo Fujita. Hidaka won when he felled GENTARO with the Wild Dog High Kick for the win.

Otani Falls to Nagata! Omori Scores Final Victory in ZERO1!

August 29th, 2008

At ZERO1's "Endless Summer '08" today in Tokyo's Korakuen Hall Takao Omori, who is retiring from ZERO1 and taking a vacation away from pro wrestling, secured a decisive victory in his final match. Omori, who served as the leader of the AXE ARMY teamed alongside fellow AXE members KAMIKAZE and Minoru Fujita versus the SWORD ARMY group of Masato Tanaka, Ryouji Sai and Tatsuhito Takaiwa. Omori made sure he was the first competitor in the ring, daring Tanaka to face off against him. Omori battled hard throughout the whole match, determined to bring one final victory for the AXE ARMY. And this victory came in just under 15 minutes when after enduring the Nachi's Waterfall double foot stop by Ryouji Sai and Tanaka devastating Sliding D, Omori hit his Axe Bomber on Ryouji for the win.

Following the match both ZERO1 President Shinjiro Otani and Tanaka presented Omori with a bouquet of flowers and thanked him for his service to ZERO1. Omori spoke to the fans once more saying he would be back in pro wrestling before they know it and re-stated his love of the sport. He added that he would once again do his best tomorrow at the August 30th PREMIUM show in Korakuen Hall versus New Japan's Mashahiro Chono in a singles match. He then said farewell to the ring that has been his home field for close to the last 5 years.

The main event saw the confrontation of two old New Japan Pro Wrestlers and friends, as Shinjiro Otani and Yuji Nagata faced each other in a singles bout. After a long and fierce battle that lasted almost 20 minutes, Nagata finally got the pinfall after two rapid-fire back suplexes. Nagata had few seconds to celebrate his victory as "Fire Festival '08" champion Masato Tanaka entered the ring and delivered a Sliding-D to Nagata as the ZERO1 fan's cheered! Tanaka then challenged Nagata to a singles match in the future. Tomorrow at PREMIUM Tanaka will team with New Japan Legend Riki Choshu versus Nagata and Mitsuhide Hirasawa.

The semi-main event saw current International Jr. Heavyweight champion Ikuto Hidaka defend his title versus young New Japan junior class fighter Ryusuke Taguchi. Back on May 10th in Osaka, Japan during the "Unshakeable" tour Taguchi defeated Hidaka in a singles bout with the "Dodon" finisher. Taguchi also attempted some untoward SEKUHARA (sexual harassment) towards ZERO1 girl Rina Tanzaki and the ZERO1 fans let him know how they felt by relentlessly booing him. Taguchi did his best but this time he was no match for the veteran Hidaka, who dropped him with the Wild Dog High Kick following locking on the Shawn Capture submission for the win.

In what many called the Match of the Night, Kohei Sato once more faced Big Japan Pro Wrestling's Daisuke Sekimoto. Both men had previously met in singles action in the previous two "Fire Festivals" of 2006 & 2007. In their 2006 match, Sekimoto defeated Kohei with a German Suplex hold in 14:06, followed by Kohei's victory in 2007 with the same finishing move in 12½ minutes. Though the "Fire Festival" has concluded this match was still seen as a "rubber match" to many in the Japanese pro wrestling media.

The result this time would be inconclusive, as after battling for the full thirty minute time limit no clear victor was determined and the match was ruled a draw.

Also on the card, BattlArts' Munenori Sawa defeated XWF's Yuusaku Obata in 9 minutes flat with a jujigatame. Sawa's fellow BattlArt's member Yuta Yoshikawa fared much better in the opening match versus heavyweight Shito Ueda. This match was originally going to be a tag match of Shito Ueda and Yuzuru Saito versus Yoshikawa and Keita Yano but was rescheduled when Saito suffered a minor injury and couldn't compete.

Little Guido to ZERO1 in September!

August 28th, 2008

ZERO1 can announce that James "Little Guido" Maritato, recently Nunzio of WWE fame, will appear in the ZERO1 ring in late September from the 23rd in Korakuen until the 28th. Little Guido actually began his pro wrestling career in the Japanese ring, wrestling for the old UWF-i promotion in 1995-1996 as "James Stone." There in the UWF-i he faced such opponents as Kazushi Sakuraba and Yoshihiro Takayama. Following that, he entered the old ECW where he teamed with Tracy Smothers and Tony Mamaluke in the Full Blooded Italians (FBI). When ECW closed down, he and Mamaluke still held the company's tag team titles.

Following the closing of ECW, Maritato transferred to the WWE were he formed a new FBI alongside additional members Chuck Palumbo and Johnny Stamboli. Following the break-up of that group, Maritato became a full time cruiserweight, holding the WWE Cruiserweight Title belt twice. His 2nd time as champion came when defeating Juventud Guerrera in his ethnic home of Rome, Italy on November 15, 2005.

Little Guido's opponents and schedule will be determined later. Keep your eyes right here for future announcements on this situation.

Takao Omori Announces Retirement From ZERO1!

August 26th, 2008

To the surprise of many pro wrestling fans, long time ZERO1 wrestler and AXE ARMY Captain Takao Omori announced his retirement from ZERO1 and a temporary withdrawal as a whole from pro wrestling. Omori made it clear that this move is not his retirement from the sport he loves, nor does it mean he be transferring to another pro wrestling organization any time soon. He has personally determined that this chapter of his pro wrestling career will close with the end of August, with the "Destruction • Creation • Birth" show for ZERO1 on August 29th in Korakuen Hall and then Masahiro Chono produced PREMIUM on August 30th also in the legendary Korakuen.

It has also been announced that Omori's final ZERO1 match will be titled "AXE vs. SWORD Final Match ~ Departure '08" where he will team with AXE ARMY teammates KAMIKAZE and Minoru Fujita to face the SWORD ARMY grouping of SWORD Captain Masato Tanaka, Ryouji Sai and Tatsuhito Takaiwa. As the title of the match describes, this will also close the curtain on the AXE ARMY and SWORD ARMY competition in ZERO1. Then at PREMIUM the following night he will battle New Japan's Masahiro Chono in a singles match before finally moving on.

Omori appeared at a press conference at the ZERO1 offices today to speak about the temporary shut-down of his pro wrestling career and his withdrawal from ZERO1. And why he did talk about that which is mentioned above he was fairly tight-lipped on the whole situation, saying we will all know what's in store for him when he makes an announcement in the future. He was sure to point out that he hasn't lost his love of pro wrestling, but would like to view the sport from the outside again as a spectator for a little while. He added that he had met with President Otani, FOS Representative Mr. Nakamura and Ring Announcer Oki Okita several times and they all came to understand his position on the matter.

The Press Conference can be seen below (in Japanese):

Takao Omori first appeared in ZERO-ONE on November 11, 2003 during the "REFUSION" show in Korakuen Hall. Previously to this had competed in All Japan Pro Wrestling, Pro Wrestling NOAH, World Japan Pro Wrestling and seen spot appearances in the WWE and TNA. In his time in ZERO1, Omori would go on to win the NWA UN Heavyweight title, the NWA Intercontinental Tag Team Titles three times with different partners (Shiro Koshinaka, Shinjiro Otani and Manabu Nakanishi) and the IWGP Tag Team Championship with New Japan's Manabu Nakanishi.

On January 23, 2005 Omori defeated American Pro Wrestler Steve Corino in the finals of a tournament for the then vacant AWA World Heavyweight title. This made Omori only the 2nd Japanese pro wrestler to ever hold this belt. Between 2005 and 2007, Omori would hold this title a total of three times. Also remember will be the many bloody battles in ZERO1 between former tag team partner in "NO FEAR" - Yoshihiro Takayama.

Known as the "Gentleman Pro Wrestler" for his kind demeanor and honorable nature, Takao Omori is the type of pro wrestler that any young fighter in the sport should look up to. Not only for what he's accomplished in his career but the type of human being he is. All of us here at ZERO1 USA hope to see him back in a ZERO1 ring soon, but if not we know he will attack life the same way he attacked many foes with his fearsome Axe Bomber finishing move!

Sayonara Omori-san! Ganbatte!

NWA Lightweight Tag Titles To Be Defended in BattlARTS!

August 25th, 2008

Yesterday in Tokyo's Shin-Kiba 1st Ring at the ZERO1 "Ijime Exterminataion • Energy Creation" show there was a contenders assesment match for the NWA International Lightweight Tag Titles currently held be Ikuto Hidaka and BattlArts' Munenori Sawa. The assesment match involved Hidaka teamed with young ZERO1 wrestler Shito Ueda versus BattlArts President Yuki Ishikawa and Yuta Yoshikawa.

Despite having his nose bloodied and smeared across his face, Yoshikawa was able to gain a victory for the challengers in just over 12 minutes when he submitted Ueda with a cross arm breaker. Following the match, Hidaka called his current NWA Lightweight Tag Team partner Sawa into the ring and they both accepted the challenge on August 31st in Kitasenju at the upcoming BattlArts show in Kitasenju Theater 1010 versus Ishikawa and Yoshikawa. Sawa added that even though Ishikawa is technically a heavyweight, having held the NWA Intercontinental Tag Team titles with Shinjiro Otani back in 2001, they will let him challenge.

Also on the show Sawa faced ZERO1 heavyweight Kohei Sato, and despite putting up a strong fight was felled in under 10 minutes be Kohei's fearsome kicks, a falcon arrow and finally Kohei's patented dead lift German Suplex hold.

Nagata Returns to Battle Otani On 8/29!

August 19th, 2008

It has been announced that Shinjjiro Otani and New Japan's Yuji Nagata will have a singles match on August 29th in Korakuen Hall. Pro Wrestling ZERO-ONE began back on March 2nd, 2001, when Otani originally transfered to ZERO-ONE along with Shinya Hashimoto from NJPW. However when the time came to face the strong NOAH tag team of Mitsuharu Misawa and Jun Akiyama on ZERO-ONE's first event, Hashimoto didn't choose Otani as his tag partner - he chose Nagata.

Now Otani, coming on a strong performance in his first ever G1 Tournament wil face Nagata for the first time since their New Japan "Young Lion" days. The last time both men were in the same ring was back in May during the ZERO1 "Unshakeable - Final -" show, when Otani teamed with Masato Tanaka to battle to a 30 minute time-limit draw versus Nagata and Manabu Nakanishi. Can Otani continue his impressive streak of recent victories and defeat Nagata?