R.i.p. Zero-one?

[Haiku Warrior]

Read this article about Z-1 for 11/25 over at PuroresuPower

Sounds like Z-1 is dead. Some of it might live on through DSE but Z-1 is all but in the ground as we knew it. And Hashimoto comes off sounding more or less like a schmuck. If indeed they are finished then what of the talent? Here's where I think they will go.

Ogawa & Hashimoto already a main part of Hustle.
Otani I think in his best interest to go to AJ but there is a connection to Hustle as Corino mentioned. But in the end I think Otani/Tanaka reuniting in AJ would do wonders for both parties.
Kohei Sato Would be a great addition to AJ and along with Suwama & Honma and guys could be part of a good youth movement.
Takaiwa Could return to NOAH where he is a former champion. I think he would fit in with their Junior division moreso than AJ.
Yosh Sasaki I think NOAH would suit him pretty good. He always kind of reminded me of smaller version of Takeshi Morishima. His power moves would fit in good with NOAH. He would need to put on more weight.
Omori Returning to All Japan and getting more seasoning could finally give him a reign as 3Crown champ.
Fujiwara He's old and has slowed a bit. Maybe Hustle, semi-regularly.
Spanky Might return stateside and do indies for awhile. TNA could be a good addition for them not for him though.

I might be jumping the gun a little but it doesn't sound good to me. Anyone else's thoughts...

[MARTYEWR]

From Meltz:

"--Shinya Hashimoto announced earlier today that he is closing the Zero-One promotion. He was holding a press conference in a few hours to publicly make the statement. This came as no surprise to anyone following the situation and Shinjiro Otani and Yuji Nakamura will most likely start a promotion with all the wrestlers under a different name."

Sad news to read. Hopefully Ohtani and Nakamura can build a successful promotion if they still plan on going through with it.

[Hisaharu Tanabe]

According to Japanese news sites, the current company, "ZERO-ONE", will close at the end of this month, but Nakamura and Ohtani will start a new company called "First On Stage" and continue to use the "ZERO-ONE" name.

Basically, they successfully got rid of Hashimoto as they had been trying for a while.

[Haiku Warrior]

So the promotion (read: name Zero-One) isn't going under? With Hashi out of the picture that makes it very intersted (or uninteresting) because Shinya Hashimoto was the soul and back-bone to Z-1. Things will be crazy in the upcoming months. I think ultimately in the end Z-1 will go the way of ECW where as they won't sell as many tickets as the like and they won't be able to pay the big name stars enough money to stay and some will leave for NJ, AJ, or NOAH and cripple the company.

[Hisaharu Tanabe]

All employees were released/fired right before Hashimoto's press conference. Nakamura and Ohtani will be starting a new company to continue the ZERO-ONE brand with themselves as the board members. They are also planning to run the cards that are already schedued under "ZERO-ONE" name.

Kengo Kimura, the head of New Japan scouting department, said that he would welcome Hashimoto back after his shoulder is healed.

[source: Nikkan Sports]

[Luds]

Well I'd like to say good luck to all of them.

I hope that Otani, Hash, and Takaiwa come back hom to NJ, but as long as they find a home...

And to the others as well.

[Haiku Warrior]

Is WORLD-1 still a company? Or were they related to Z-1?

[mrpayperview]

WORLD-1 was Z-1's expansion into the US, but I haven't heard anything about them in quite a while

[Sliced Bread #2]

Here on some Comments from Pro-Wrestlers on Shinya Hashimoto & Zero-One's current situation:

Yuji Nagata stated today that he thinks that the situation between Shinya Hashimoto & ZERO-ONE is complicated but he would welcome Hashimoto back to New Japan if that is what he wanted to do and he gave his best wishes to his good friend Shinjiro Otani on his future plans.

Tatsumi Fujinami chimed in on this as well saying that he would welcome Hashimoto back as well as he has put their past problems behind him and wants Hashimoto to make a “fresh start” when he returns from his shoulder surgery.

Toshiaki Kawada said today that he wishes Shinya Hashimoto a speedy recovery from shoulder surgery and wants to meet him in the ring again after he returns and Kawada sent best wishes to Shinjiro Otani and the other guys from the former ZERO-ONE saying that he would like to work with Otani again in the future.

Yoshiyuki Nakamura stated today that the new company that is spawning from the death of ZERO-ONE would be managed by First on Stage and that they would find a new office soon for the new company. Nakamura hopes to have a name ready for the promotion by next weekend and even though Shinya Hashimoto dismissed all the ZERO-ONE contracted workers yesterday, Nakamura said that FOS hasn’t dismissed any yet and hopes that they won’t have to. Nakamura is upset though that all of the wrestlers that worked this month won’t get paid due to Hashimoto’s financial mistakes.

[Credit: KrisZ]

[naterob2003]

Man i really wish these guys would hang up the idea of having another company. If these guys could go their seperate ways and just go to NOAH and AJ the wrestling world would be much better.

[Sliced Bread #2]

Nah, not all of them should go to AJ & NOAH. Kohei Sato said he'd follow Hashimoto, so he'll problaly end up in NJ with Hashimoto. Kohei Sato vs. Katsuyori Shibata, Hiroshi Tanahashi or Shinsuke Nakamura would rule so much...

Ikuto Hidaka & Minoru Fujita have got to go to NJ also... I'd love to see Hidaka vs. Tanaka/Heat for the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Title, specially after rewatching today their Singles match from BattlArts from 3/25/00 and the Tag match between Hidaka/Sano vs. Tanaka/Otsuka from BattlArts from 8/20/00 or Hidaka/Fujita vs. Jado/Gedo for the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Titles would also rule... After that have Hidaka/Fujita join CTU so we could see Wataru Inoue vs. Hidaka, Inoue vs. Fujita, Kanemoto vs. Fujita, Kanemoto vs. Hidaka or Kanemoto/Inoue vs. Fujita/Hidaka... Man I can just think of so many matches that would rule with Skull And Bones in NJ.

Spanky would rule in NOAH, so he can Team with Low-Ki to face KENTA/Marufuji for the GHC Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Titles.

I know this is just wayyyy to much to ask for, but yeah, I can still dream.

[edgehead1984]

Of course you can, everybody on here dreams at some point or another

[naterob2003]

Bread i agree that not all of them should go to aj and noah but i feel that new japan will lose some of its talent so i guess it balances out. If we are talking about dreams, how about ohtani to noah to face akiyama (cant you just see a HUGE no selling contest where at one point both guys just go drop out of exhaustion?) and Nagata to All Japan to face Kawada (my number one dream match other than mutoh vs. misawa and kawada vs. misawa)? I would also love to see either sugiara vs. takaiwa or they form a tag team to challenge marifuji and kenta for the jr tags.

[Sliced Bread #2]

Sugiura/Takaiwa would be one Stiff Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team... Alittle to Stiff for Marufuji... Marufuji would just get killed by both of them... Sugiura vs. Takaiwa would be very Stiff... Akiyama vs. Otani would be the Death of Otani... Akiyama would murder him.

[Pheonix_Chi25]

Correct me if I am wrong but Takaiwa started in New Japan right?

I'd be one of the first to pull for a Hashimoto homecoming. I wish Otani all the best in running Z-1, especially with some of the wrestlers alligning with him. If Sato does go to New Japan, where do you put him?

I'd also like to see Fujita and Hidaka in NJ, give the NJ army and Kanemoto some help against the CTU, but it would seem they would allign with Liger. Anywhoo, if Spanky does go, he should go to either NOAH, or maybe New Japan, I think he would get way over in the Junior division.