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~ NEW YEAR GIGS! ~ on New Year's Day in Korakuen!

December 28th, 2009

ZERO1's Annual New Year's day show in Korakuen Hall is on the horizon. The main event is a World Heavyweight Title match between champion Toshiaki Kawada and Korakuen Hall favorite, BJW's Daisuke Sekimoto. The official signing ceremony took place in the soon-to-be closed Fighting Cafe COLOSSEO, Tokyo, Japan. Cafe owner Toshinori Omori served as official witness to the title belt contract signing.

After the ceremony both wrestlers were asked for comment about the upcoming match. The two had never faced each other in a singles match previously.

"While I know of Sekimoto," Kawada said, "I'm not familiar with him in detail. I do know he is poweful and has brought a lot of fire to the ZERO1 ring. I have expectations of a strong battle on Janaury 1st."

Sekimoto responded that he is very excited and somewhat surprised about the upcoming match:

"When I first came to like Professional Wrestling back as a junior high school student, Kawada was already the Triple Crown Champion. Never did I think that I would ever meet him in the ring. I'm very happy for this chance and I promise I will fight hard to win."

Kawada and Sekimoto have been in the same ring before, in a 6-man tag for Apache Pro back in January 2007 where Kawada teamed with Mammoth Sasaki and Yoshihito Sasaki agasint Sekimoto, Satoshi Kojima and Kintaro Kanemura. In that match Kawada won when he pinned Sekimoto after a Soccer Ball kick.

"I don't mean to be rude, but I don't really remember my impression of that match or of Sekimoto," Kawada said.

"I intend to change that!" Sekimoto interjected.

Kawada also said he knows the World Heavyweight title is the top title in ZERO1, and this means there will be many challengers. He said having a match on January 1st he has to be careful, because during the New Year's Holidays he drinks and eats a lot. But knowing Sekimoto is going to come hard it will keep him on the straight and narrow which is good for his health.

The semi-main event is titled "New Year Big Bang!" and will see Furankazan winners Shinjiro Otani and Akebono take on ZERO1 heavyweights Kohei Sato and Ryouji Sai. As longtime ZERO1 fans will remember, Kohei & Ryouji were a successful tag team in the past, twice winning the NWA Intercontinental Tag Team titles.

The 4th match of the show will bring the Bachi-Bachi style to Korakuen Hall as 2009 "Tenka-Ichi Jr." champion Ikuto Hidaka will team with DRAGON GATE's Masaaki Mochizuki to face Hidaka's current NWA Intercontinental and NWA International Lightweight tag team partner Munenori Sawa and Michinoku Pro's Hayato Fujita Jr. Hayato Jr.'s star is on the rise after a strong performance in the "Tenka-Ichi Jr." and NJPW's "Super J-Cup" where he lost in the 1st Round to Koji Kanemoto. This generational Jr. class tag match is sure to be hard-hitting and exciting.

The 3rd match of the is Masato Tanaka teaming with past FMW alumni Kintaro Kanemura to face the "mystery" Gikyoudai tag team of Mr. X and Mr. XX.

Also on the card, KAMIKAZE will face ZERO1 veteran Rikiya Fudo in a singles match. And the opening match of the show will be an all new generation ZERO1 tag as young boys Shito Ueda and a returning from injury Yuzuru Saito will face Shota Takanishi and Kenta Kakinuma.

Fighting Cafe COLOSSEO Closing! Auction Supports Hoshikawa!

December 24th, 2009

Tokyo pro wrestling landmark Fighting Cafe COLOSSEO is closing the doors on January 30th, 2009. The cafe opened in 2001 and was 9 years as a favorite meeting place for pro wrestling and MMA fans. Located in the heart of Suidobashi, Tokyo, COLOSSEO was only a 5 minute walk from Korakuen Hall.

The interior of COLOSSEO contained many artifacts and photos of professional fighters. The owner of the cafe, Toshinori Omori announced that these possessions would be auctioned off from 1/18 to 1/24 with a portion of the proceeds going to fighters and wrestlers who were injured during bouts and under continual rehabilitation, including injured ZERO1 wrestler Naohiro Hoshikawa. When ZERO1 held their press conference in COLOSSEO today, President Otani met with Shop Owner Omori and thanked him directly:

"Hoshikawa struggles everyday with rehabilitation. I heard about your generous offer to give a donation to his recovery. Thank you very much. I have been to many ZERO1 events here in COLOSSEO. It has been a great place for pro wrestling fans to come watch matches, see press conferences, and talk about pro wrestling.

"If Omori-san ever want to return and open a store, pro wrestlers will be his first customers. Again, thank you for your hard work. otsukare samadeshita."

Fighting Cafe owner Omori also briefly spoke:

"I have so many memories from 9 years, I couldn't tell them all in one night. I truly appreciate these past 9 years and I'd like to thank everybody who came to the store and supported us. I hope to see you again before we close. And if I return and open again one day I hope to see you there."

Omori-san added that the details of the auction will be explained on the Japanese homepage for COLOSSEO at www.colosseo.jp

He said he will close for New Year's Day on the 1st, re-open on the 4th and open every day until January 30th, 2010 when the shop would close for the final time.

Fans Choose the MVP and Best Bout 2009!

December 21st, 2009

Otani & Akebono Win 1st Furinkazan!

December 19th, 2009

"Furinkazan" ZERO1's 1st Tag League has ended after 7 shows from all over Japan. The round-robin tournament of 10 teams concluded today in Nagoya crowning the first winners, Shinjiro Otani and Akebono. Otani and Akebono won their match versus Steve Corino and Kintaro Kanemura to open the final show and finishing with 6 points. This put the pressure on the Aibou team of Ikuto Hidaka and Munenori Sawa who with 5 points only needed to defeat the now masked team of Minoru Fujita and Takuya Sugawara (going as Mr. X and Mr. XX) to win Block A.

With Fujita's roll-up on Munenori Sawa in the match, Gikyoudai prevent Aibou from winning Block A and advancing to the finals. On the verge of a Block victory for the current NWA Intercontinental and NWA International Tag Team champions, Hidaka former tag team partner snatched that away sending Otani & Akebono to the finals.

Block B came down to the former NWA Intercontinental Tag Team champs in Kohei Sato & KAMIKAZE against Masato Tanaka & Masaaki Mochizuki. Also involved was the team of Shiro Koshinaka and Hajime Ohara who coming in with 5 points were defeated by the Speed of Sounds team of Tsutomu Oosugi & Hercules Senga in the 2nd match of the show. This left Kohei & KAMIKAZE with 5 points and Tanaka & Mochizuki with 4 points leading into a direct confrontation that day. The match lasted almost 13 minutes as the team of Tanaka & Mochizuki won after Tanaka pinned KAMIKAZE following the "Sliding DK" a move combining Tanaka's "Sliding D" with Mochizuki's running soccer kick.

Then in the main event, as the match of Otani & Akebono vs. Tanaka & Mochizuki passed the fifteen minute mark it was Tanaka in danger as Otani & Akebono hit the double Kesagiri chop, followed by a Dragon suplex by Otani for a 2 count! Otani then hit a missile dropkick followed up by Akibono's "Great Eruption" running body splash! Following this with the Spiral Bomb, Otani pinned Tanaka at around 17½ mark to seal the victory. Following the match President Otani and Akibono both thanked the fans for coming to the "Furinkazan" and cheering for them.

Sekimoto Requests World Heavyweight Title Challenge on New Year's Day 2010!

December 12th, 2009

Big Japan Pro Wrestling's Daisuke Sekimoto, a regular in ZERO1 over the years, has thrown his hat in the ring to face the ZERO1 World Heavyweight champion on ZERO1's January 1st, 2010 show in Tokyo's Korakuen Hall. Sekimoto said he was former World Heavyweight champion Masato Tanaka's opponent at ZERO1's first New Year's day show back in 2008.

"While every one is concentrating on ZERO1's 1st Tag League, I want to re-introduce myself and challenge for the World Heavyweight title on 1/1 of the New Year. When I saw Kawada defeat Tanaka for the title I was overwhelmed at the idea of a challenge. Kawada has a defense tomorrow against KAMIKAZE, who would also be a good opponent. That reaction I had was my honest feeling to become the World Heavyweight champion!

"As proof of my qualification I point to my singles victory over Tanaka in the Fire Festival '09. Though I lost the main event match on January 1st, 2008, a lot has changed in 2 years. I want to become champion on January 1st, 2010!"