NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship (Zero1)

Professional wrestling championship

NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship

Leo Isaka holding the NWA World Junior title in his right hand

Details
Promotion| Pro Wrestling Zero1
New Wrestling Alliance
Date established| September 20, 2011[1]
Current champion(s)| Takumi Baba
Date won| January 1, 2025
Other name(s)

NWA Junior Heavyweight Championship

| Statistics

First champion(s)| Craig Classic[1]
Most reigns| Jason Lee and Takuya Sugawara (2 reigns)
Longest reign| Shinjiro Otani (481 days)
Shortest reign| Mineo Fujita (45 days)
Oldest champion| Tsuyoshi Kikuchi (47 years, 41 days)
Youngest champion| Jason Lee (21 years, 142 days)
Heaviest champion| Shinjiro Otani (107 kg (236 lb))[2]
Lightest champion| Jonathan Gresham (73 kg (161 lb))

The NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling championship owned by the Japanese Pro Wrestling Zero1 (Zero1) promotion. The title is meant for wrestlers under the weight limit of 100 kg (220 lb), referred to as "junior heavyweights" in Japan.[3]

On July 11, 2011, then-NWA World Junior Heavyweight Champion Craig Classic announced that he was relinquishing his title in protest over the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) stripping The Sheik of the NWA World Heavyweight Championship.[4] However, on September 20, NWA affiliate Pro Wrestling Zero1 announced that they still recognized Classic as the NWA World Junior Heavyweight Champion.[1] When Classic returned to the promotion on October 2, he was still in possession of the NWA title belt (which was the belt worn by the original Tiger Mask, Satoru Sayama, in the 1980s), which he went on to successfully defend against Munenori Sawa.[5][6] Despite this being the first appearance of the new version of the title, Zero1 went as far as adopting the original title's history, referring to Classic as the 108th champion and his defense against Sawa as his 22nd successful defense.[1][7] Meanwhile, NWA crowned their own NWA World Junior Heavyweight Champion, Kevin Douglas, on October 7, meaning that there now were two champions supposedly holding the same title.[8] That same month, Zero1 quit the NWA and renamed all of their National Wrestling Alliance championships "New Wrestling Alliance" championships.[9]

Like most professional wrestling championships, the title is won as a result of a scripted match. There have been a total of twenty-four reigns shared among tewnty different wrestlers. The current champion is Takumi Baba who is in his second reign.

## Title history

[edit]

Key  No.  | Overall reign number

|

Reign  | Reign number for the specific champion
Days  | Number of days held
Defenses  | Number of successful defenses
<1  | Reign lasted less than a day
\+  | Current reign is changing daily
No. | Champion  | Championship change  | Reign statistics  | Notes  | Ref.

|
|
|
|
|

Date  | Event  | Location  | Reign  | Days | Defenses
| National Wrestling Alliance
1(108) | Craig Classic | June 11, 2010 | November Coming Fire | Fort Pierce, FL | 1  | 421[A] | 3[B] | Classic defeated Mike Quackenbush to win the championship; this match was promoted by NWA Florida. Zero1 continued to recognize Classic as the reigning NWA World Junior Heavyweight Champion, despite him having vacated the title on July 11, 2011.  | [1][10]
| Pro Wrestling Zero1
2(109) | Tsuyoshi Kikuchi | January 1, 2012 | Puroresu Nippon | Tokyo, Japan | 1  | 61 | 0[11] |  | [7]
3(110) | Takuya Sugawara | March 2, 2012 | Zero1 Eleven | Tokyo, Japan | 1  | 428 | 5  | This match was also contested for Sugawara's International Junior Heavyweight Championship.  | [11]
4(111) | Jonathan Gresham | May 4, 2013 | Big Bang | Tokyo, Japan | 1  | 132 | 1[12] | This match was also contested for the International Junior Heavyweight Championship. During his reign, Gresham additionally held the Zero1 USA World Junior Heavyweight Championship.  | [13]
—  | Vacated | September 13, 2013 | —  | Tokyo, Japan | —  | — | —  | Gresham voluntarily vacated both the NWA and International Junior Heavyweight Championships ahead of the 2013 Tenkaichi Jr. finals.  | [14]
5(112) | Hub | September 16, 2013 | 11th Tenkaichi Jr.: Finals | Tokyo, Japan | 1  | 174 | 3[15] | Hub defeated Mineo Fujita in the finals of the 2013 Tenkaichi Jr. tournament to win the vacant championship; this match was also contested for the International Junior Heavyweight Championship.  | [16]
6(113) | Jason Lee | March 9, 2014 | Zero1 Thirteen | Tokyo, Japan | 1  | 194 | 2  | This match was also contested for the International Junior Heavyweight Championship.  | [17]
7(114) | Mineo Fujita | September 19, 2014 | Tenkaichi Special | Tokyo, Japan | 1  | 45 | 1  | This match was also contested for the International Junior Heavyweight Championship.  | [18]
8(115) | Takuya Sugawara | November 3, 2014 | Hi no Kokudai Hanabi | Kumamoto, Japan | 2  | 55 | 1  | This match was also contested for the International Junior Heavyweight Championship.  | [19]
9(116) | Jason Lee | December 28, 2014 | Winter Fever 4 | Hong Kong | 2  | 63 | 1[20] | This match was promoted by Zero1 Hong Kong and was also contested for the International Junior Heavyweight Championship.  | [21]
10(117) | Minoru Tanaka | March 1, 2015 | Zero1_Fourteen | Tokyo, Japan | 1  | 224 | 3  | This match was also contested for the International Junior Heavyweight Championship.  | [20]
11(118) | Shinjiro Otani | October 11, 2015 | Change the World | Tokyo, Japan | 1  | 481 | 3[22] | This match was also contested for the International Junior Heavyweight Championship.  | [23]
12(119) | Kotaro Suzuki | February 3, 2017 | Shinsei Zero1 Dream Series: Hakai no Jin | Tokyo, Japan | 1  | 265 | 3  | This match was also contested for the International Junior Heavyweight Championship.  | [22]
13(120) | Sean Guinness  | October 26, 2017 | Dream Series Aki no Jin Korakuen Taikai | Tokyo, Japan | 1  | 129 | 1  | This match was also contested for the International Junior Heavyweight Championship.  | [24]
14(121) | Isami Kodaka | March 4, 2018 | Dream Series Sozo no Jin | Tokyo, Japan | 1  | [C] | 2  | This match was also contested for the International Junior Heavyweight Championship.  |
—  | Vacated | November 2018 | —  | —  | —  | — | —  | Kodaka was stripped of both the NWA and International Junior Heavyweight Championships due to an injury.  |
15(122) | Sugi | November 24, 2018 | Dream Series ~ Nenotsuki No Jin ~ Tenka-Ichi Junior Tournament 2018 | Tokyo, Japan | 1  | 403 | 3  | Sugi defeated Hayata in the finals of the 2018 Tenkaichi Jr. tournament to win the vacant championship; this match was also contested for the International Junior Heavyweight Championship.  |
16(123) | Hub | January 1, 2020 | Happy New Year | Tokyo, Japan | 2  | 247 | 0  | This match was also contested for the International Junior Heavyweight Championship.  |
17(124) | Shoki Kitamura | September 4, 2020 | Youth Playback! It All Started Here! Shinjiro Otani Returns To Asakura | Tokyo, Japan | 1  | 58 | 0  | This match was also contested for the International Junior Heavyweight Championship.  |
18(125) | El Lindaman | November 1, 2020 | Fire Festival 2020 | Tokyo, Japan | 1  | 310 | 1  | This match was also contested for the International Junior Heavyweight Championship.  |
—  | Vacated | September 7, 2021 | —  | —  | —  | — | —  | El Lindaman was stripped of both the NWA and International Junior Heavyweight Championships after Gleat, Lindaman's home promotion, ended its working relationship with Zero1.  |
19(126) | Fuminori Abe | September 9, 2021 | Zero1 20th Anniversary Year - 18th Tenkaichi Junior Tournament 2021 Final | Tokyo, Japan | 1  | 213 | 5  | Abe defeated Shoki Kitamura in the finals of the 2021 Tenkaichi Jr. tournament to win the vacant championship; this match was also contested for the International Junior Heavyweight Championship.  | [25]
20(127) | Astroman | April 10, 2022 | Zero1 Osu Premium Show Zero1 20th & 21st Anniversary Pro Wrestling | Tokyo, Japan | 1  | 266 | 2  | This match was also contested for the International Junior Heavyweight Championship.  | [26]
21(128) | Leo Isaka | January 1, 2023 | Zero1 Happy New Year 2023 | Tokyo, Japan | 1  | 195 | 4  | This match was also contested for the International Junior Heavyweight Championship.  | [27]
22(129) | Takumi Baba | July 15, 2023 | Zero1 23rd Midsummer Festival | Tokyo, Japan | 1  | 232 | 2  | This match was also contested for the International Junior Heavyweight Championship.  | [28]
23(130) | Seiki Yoshioka | March 3, 2024 | Zero1 23rd Anniversary | Tokyo, Japan | 1  | 304 | 1  | This match was also contested for the International Junior Heavyweight Championship.  | [29]
24(131) | Takumi Baba | January 1, 2025 | Tochi Pro Happy New Year & Shinjiro Otani Aid ~ Stand Up Again And Again | Tokyo, Japan | 2  | 0+ | 0  | This match was also contested for the International Junior Heavyweight Championship.  | [30]

1. ^ Classic's reign is calculated from the day he won the NWA-recognized World Junior Heavyweight Championship until the day he lost the title as recognized by Zero1. As such, it excludes him vacating the title and predates the split in the championship lineage.
2. ^ Classic made three defenses of Zero1's NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship, however, Classic made 23 total defenses of the NWA-recognized World Junior Heavyweight Championship and Zero1's NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship.
3. ^ The exact date on which Kodaka were stripped of the championship is not known, which means that his reign lasted between 242 and 265 days

## Combined reigns

[edit]

Former champion Leo Isaka, shown here also wearing the Zero1 International Junior Heavyweight Championship

As of January 1, 2025

†  | Indicates the current champion

|

¤  | The exact length of at least one title reign is uncertain, so the shortest length is considered.
Rank  | Wrestler  | No. of
reigns  | Combined
defenses  | Combined days

|
|
|
|

1  | Takuya Sugawara | 2 | 6 | 483
2  | Shinjiro Otani | 1 | 3 | 481
3  | Hub | 2 | 3 | 421
4  | Craig Classic | 1 | 17 | 421
5  | Sugi | 1 | 3 | 403
6  | El Lindaman | 1 | 1 | 310
7  | Seiki Yoshioka | 1 | 1 | 304
8  | Astroman | 1 | 2 | 266
9  | Kotaro Suzuki | 1 | 3 | 265
10  | Jason Lee | 2 | 3 | 257
11  | Isami Kodaka | 1 | 2 | ¤242
12  | Takumi Baba † | 2 | 2 | 232+
13  | Minoru Tanaka | 1 | 3 | 224
14  | Fuminori Abe | 1 | 5 | 213
15  | Leo Isaka | 1 | 4 | 195
16  | Jonathan Gresham | 1 | 1 | 132
17  | Sean Guinness | 1 | 1 | 129
18  | Tsuyoshi Kikuchi | 1 | 0 | 61
19  | Shoki Kitamura | 1 | 0 | 58
20  | Mineo Fujita | 1 | 1 | 45

## See also

[edit]

* List of National Wrestling Alliance championships
* International Junior Heavyweight Championship (Zero1)
* NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c d e "10/2(日)奉納プロレスにNWA世界Jr王者：クレイグ・クラッシック参戦：澤宗紀リベンジなるか". Pro Wrestling Zero1 (in Japanese). September 20, 2011. Retrieved May 10, 2013.
2. ^ 選手紹介. Pro Wrestling Zero1 (in Japanese). Archived from the original on October 11, 2015. Retrieved October 11, 2015.
3. ^ Lee, Alan. "Pride of the UWFi or Searching for Kazushi". Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Archived from the original on February 4, 2014. Retrieved May 10, 2013.
4. ^ Alvarez, Bryan (July 12, 2011). "Tues update: More from Raw, Drew injury update, Cena talks Chicago, Punk merch, Raw trending, Smackdown tonight, TNA releases, tons more". Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Archived from the original on July 15, 2011. Retrieved May 10, 2013.
5. ^ "NWA世界Jr王座防衛：クレイグ・クラシックが継続参戦". Pro Wrestling Zero1 (in Japanese). October 3, 2011. Retrieved May 10, 2013.
6. ^ 橋本大地が破壊王の元付き人・天山に完敗. Sports Navi (in Japanese). Yahoo!. October 2, 2011. Archived from the original on October 6, 2011. Retrieved May 10, 2013.
7. ^ a b "「ﾌﾟﾛﾚｽNippon」元旦後楽園大会 試合結果". Pro Wrestling Zero1 (in Japanese). January 1, 2012. Retrieved May 10, 2013.
8. ^ Meltzer, Dave (October 10, 2011). "Mon. update: WWE week, Sonnen fight, Another UFC fighter with stips, WWE network, WWE video game". Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Archived from the original on October 12, 2011. Retrieved May 10, 2013.
9. ^ "New Wrestling Alliance World Junior Heavyweight Title". Puroresu Dojo. Retrieved May 10, 2013.
10. ^ "12.07.2011 - 01.01.2012: Craig Classic". Cagematch.net. Retrieved September 21, 2023.
11. ^ a b "3月2日後楽園大会試合結果&お詫び #zero1". Pro Wrestling Zero1 (in Japanese). March 3, 2012. Retrieved May 10, 2013.
12. ^ "Zero1・6月シリーズ 後楽園大会「Evolution」". Pro Wrestling Zero1 (in Japanese). June 11, 2013. Retrieved September 16, 2013.
13. ^ 2013年5月. Pro Wrestling Zero1 (in Japanese). Retrieved May 10, 2013.
14. ^ "天下一Jrにベルトを懸ける、とジョナサンが宣言". Pro Wrestling Zero1 (in Japanese). September 13, 2013. Retrieved September 16, 2013.
15. ^ "1.1 後楽園ホール大会試合結果". Pro Wrestling Zero1 (in Japanese). January 1, 2014. Retrieved January 1, 2014.
16. ^ "9.16 後楽園ホール大会結果速報！". Pro Wrestling Zero1 (in Japanese). September 16, 2013. Retrieved September 16, 2013.
17. ^ "3.9 後楽園ホール大会試合結果". Pro Wrestling Zero1 (in Japanese). March 9, 2014. Retrieved March 9, 2014.
18. ^ 9/19後楽園大会 試合結果. Pro Wrestling Zero1 (in Japanese). September 19, 2014. Retrieved September 19, 2014.
19. ^ 【大花火実行委員会】『火乃国大花火』、大仁田がメイン締め!! “世界一金玉のデカい男”ハルク・コーガン、デビュー戦を勝利で飾る!! 11・3『火乃国大花火』試合結果!!. The Big Fight (in Japanese). November 4, 2014. Retrieved November 3, 2014.
20. ^ a b Zero1 3.1後楽園大会 旗揚げ14周年記念 田中＆杉浦vs.耕平＆関本、鈴木vs.船木、大谷vs.Leona. Battle News (in Japanese). March 1, 2015. Retrieved March 1, 2015.
21. ^ 12/28 Zero1香港 香港大会速報：菅原拓也香港で撃沈 ジェイソン・リーが地元香港でジュニア２冠奪取. Pro Wrestling Zero1 (in Japanese). December 28, 2014. Retrieved December 28, 2014.
22. ^ a b 2.3後楽園大会 試合結果. Pro Wrestling Zero1 (in Japanese). February 4, 2017. Retrieved February 4, 2017.
23. ^ 10/11Zero １『 Change the World 』後楽園大会 試合結果. Pro Wrestling Zero1 (in Japanese). October 11, 2015. Retrieved October 11, 2015.
24. ^ Zero1 ドリームシリーズ 秋の陣 後楽園大会. Pro Wrestling Zero1 (in Japanese). October 26, 2017. Retrieved October 27, 2017.
25. ^ Pro Wrestling Zero1 (September 9, 2021). ZERO1・20周年記念イヤー 新木場大会～第18回 天下一ジュニアトーナメント2021 決勝戦～. z-1.co.jp (in Japanese). Retrieved September 13, 2021.`{{cite web}}`: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
26. ^ Daly, Wayne (April 11, 2022). "ZERO1 Results: 20th & 21st Anniversary Show – Tokyo, Japan (4/10)". wrestling-news.net. Retrieved May 12, 2023.
27. ^ Kreikenbohm, Philip (January 1, 2023). "ZERO1 Happy New Year 2023". cagematch.net. Retrieved January 1, 2023.
28. ^ Kreikenbohm, Philip (July 15, 2023). "ZERO1 23rd Midsummer Festival ~ Fire Festival 2023 - Tag 5". cagematch.net. Retrieved July 15, 2023.
29. ^ Kreikenbohm, Philip (March 3, 2024). "ZERO1 23rd Anniversary". cagematch.net. Retrieved March 3, 2024.
30. ^ Kreikenbohm, Philip (January 1, 2025). "Tochi Pro Happy New Year & Shinjiro Otani Aid ~ Stand Up Again And Again". cagematch.net. Retrieved January 1, 2025.

## External links

[edit]

* Japan portal

* Pro Wrestling Zero1's official website
* Title history at Wrestling-Titles.com

* v
* t
* e

Pro Wrestling Zero1

Championships and accomplishments|

| Active championships|

| Heavyweight|

* World Heavyweight
* Intercontinental Tag Team

|

Junior heavyweight|

* NWA World Junior Heavyweight
* Zero1 USA World Junior Heavyweight
* International Junior Heavyweight

Women's|

* Blast Queen

Defunct championships|

* AWA Japan Women's
* AWA United States
* AWA World Heavyweight
* WWA World Junior Light Heavyweight
* Zero-One United States Heavyweight
* United National Heavyweight
* International Lightweight Tag Team

Tournaments|

* Fire Festival
* Furinkazan
* Tenkaichi Junior

Personnel|

* Shinya Hashimoto (co-founder)
* Shinjiro Otani (co-founder/president)
* Roster

Governing bodies|

| Current|

* United Wrestling Network

|

Former|

* AWA Superstars of Wrestling
* Global Professional Wrestling Alliance
* National Wrestling Alliance

Partnerships|

| Current|

* Fight Factory Pro Wrestling/Zero1 Ireland
* Marvelous
* Diana

|

Former|

* AAA
* All Japan Pro Wrestling
* Big Japan Pro Wrestling
* Dragon Gate
* DDT Pro-Wrestling
* Fighting of World Japan Pro Wrestling
* Hustle
* International Wrestling Association of Japan
* Kaientai Dojo
* Kensuke Office
* Michinoku Pro Wrestling
* New Japan Pro-Wrestling
* Pro Wrestling Noah
* Ring of Honor
* Toryumon
* Ultimate Pro Wrestling
* World Wrestling Association
* World-1
* Wrestle-1

Category

* v
* t
* e

NWA World Junior Heavyweight Champions

2020s|

* Craig Classic
* Tsuyoshi Kikuchi
* Takuya Sugawara
* Jonathan Gresham
* Hub
* Jason Lee
* Mineo Fujita
* Minoru Tanaka
* Shinjiro Otani
* Kotaro Suzuki
* Sean Guinness
* Isami Kodaka
* Sugi

2020s|

* Shoki Kitamura
* El Lindaman
* Fuminori Abe
* Astroman
* Leo Isaka
* Takumi Baba (current)
* Seiki Yoshioka

*[No.]: Number
*[Ref.]: Reference(s)
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*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template