Pro Wrestling ZERO-ONE is a Japanese professional wrestling promotion founded in 2001. It was affiliated with the National Wrestling Alliance until late 2004.
The promotion was founded by former New Japan Pro Wrestling stars Shinya Hashimoto and Shinjiro Otani . Over the years, they attracted talent from both New Japan and independents, such as Tatsuhito Takaiwa, Masato Tanaka, and former RINGS fighter Wataru Sakata.
Zero-One has had agreements with Pro Wrestling NOAH and All Japan Pro Wrestling, which enabled its wrestlers to challenge for and hold their titles. Hashimoto won the Triple Crown heavyweight title, while Takaiwa held NOAH's GHC junior heavyweight title.
Zero-One's structure was, until recently, very much like Genichiro Tenryu's old WAR promotion: the focus on the top star (in this case, Hashimoto), with other talent ranking below him. Recently, however, with Hashimoto slowed down by injuries requiring medical intervention, the focus has been on five men: Otani; Sakata; Tanaka, former star of the FMW promotion; Takao Omori, formerly of All-Japan and NOAH, and native Kohei Sato.
In November 2004 Hashimoto left ownership of the federation to Otani, who renamed the promotion Pro Wrestling ZERO-1 MAX. Among the major changes to the federation's structure was the revival of the old AWA World heavyweight title on Japanese shores.
