Big Japan Pro Wrestling
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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| Details | |
|---|---|
| Acronym | BJW |
| Established | 1995 |
| Style | Deathmatch |
| Location | Japan |
| Founder(s) | Shin’ya Kojika |
| Owner(s) | Shin’ya Kojika |
Big Japan Pro Wrestling (BJW) is a Japanese professional wrestling promotion established in 1995. It is most famous for its deathmatch style contests.
Contents |
[edit] History
[edit] Beginnings
Big Japan Pro Wrestling was founded in March 1995 by Shin’ya Kojika, during the boom period for Deathmatch wrestling in Japan. Shin’ya Kojika is still president of the company to date.
[edit] Style
It followed in the footsteps of organisations such as Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling (FMW) and the International Wrestling Association of Japan (IWA Japan), who helped popularise a hard-hitting, violent and bloody style of wrestling known as the Deathmatch.
These matches are usually weapon filled, using both “conventional” weapons (such as chairs and tables), as well as “extreme” weapons not usually seen in main-stream wrestling, and previously unused in wrestling at all. These weapons include, but are by no means limited to, nails, thumbtacks, fire and fluorescent light tubes. Barbed wire is also often used liberally in these matches, sometimes wrapped around other weapons, laid on the floor surrounding the ring, wrapped around the ring ropes or even replacing the ropes altogether.
[edit] Early BJW Deathmatch Innovations
In it early years, BJW was unable to directly compete with the budgets of its competition. This lead to the innovation of a number of unique gimmick matches, many of which helped hide its monetary shortcomings. These include:
- Circus Deathmatch- above the ring is a scaffold and under that scaffold there is a type of circus net made of barbed wire. When a wrestler falls off of the scaffold the barbed wire spider net is there to “catch” the wrestlers. After a wrestler, or a team of wrestlers, have been thrown into the net it is cut down and the match continues to a pin fall.
- Piranha Deathmatch- Barbed wire boards are placed in the corners. In the middle of the ring, there is a tank full of Piranhas. To win you must hold your opponent in the tank for ten seconds.
- Scorpion Deathmatch- This match is similar to the Piranha Deathmatch. However, instead of barbed wire boards, there are two cacti. And instead of Piranhas, there is a tank full of scorpions.
- Crocodile Deathmatch- Two wrestlers compete in a nonspecific death match. The loser of the match must then go on to wrestle a crocodile.
- Fire Stone Deathmatch- Both the inside and outsides of the ring are lined with electrified space heaters wrapped in barbed wire. The match is won by pin fall.
- Big Japan W*ING Crisis Big Born Deathmatch- Barbed-wire-board, thumbtacks, bed-of-nails, circus-style-scaffold into a barbed-wire-trampoline, tub of scorpions, cactus plants, light bulbs, Fire Stones, Dry Ice, barbed-wire-bat, drills, swords, knives, buzz saws Street Fight Tornado Death Match.
[edit] Inter-promotional feuds
Big Japan has feuded with both New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) and Combat Zone Wrestling (CZW). These were both kayfabe feuds that were done in order to generate more income for both companies.
During late 1996 and early 1997, Big Japan entered into an agreement with New Japan. Being a relatively new promotion, BJW was in need of mainstream publicity. NJPW agreed to a feud, which would allow Big Japan wrestlers to appear in their company and use New Japan’s popularity to give exposure to their company. In return, Big Japan agreed to lose the feud and the majority of the inter-promotional matches, therefore strengthening the New Japan brand. The situation provided an interesting clash of wrestling styles, as NJPW often favoured a strong style of competition. The biggest show featuring both companies occurred at the Tokyo Dome on 4th January 1997.
In the late 1990’s and into the 2000’s, Big Japan competed against Combat Zone Wrestling. CZW was a relatively new American promotion at the time, and also largely focused on an extreme style of wrestling. Wrestlers feuded in both companies having matches in the United States and Japan.
During the CZW feud top star Tomoaki Honma departed the company to become a freelancer. He would later sign with All Japan Pro Wrestling
[edit] Other
Away from the Deathmatches, BJW also has had well-established normal wrestling titles. On February 3, 1998, Yoshihiro Tajiri won a one night only 8 man tournament in Tokyo to crown BJW’s first Junior heavyweight. This match showed a distinct departure from the violent matches BJW is known for. The company also has had a Heavyweight championship, Women’s championship, Tag Team championship, and 4-Man tag team shuffle championship. Although the Tag titles and Deathmatch titles are the only ones still active.
[edit] Fighters
[edit] Current Roster
- Takashi Sasaki
- Ryuji Ito
- Abdullah Kobayashi
- Jaki Numazawa
- Daisuke Sekimoto
- Jun Kasai
- MEN's Teioh
- Kintaro Kanemura
- Tetsuhiro Kuroda
- Shadow WX
- BADBOY Hido
- Mammoth Sasaki
- Katsumasa Inoue
- Hiroyuki Kondo
- Daikokubo Benkei
- Yuichi Taniguchi
- MIYAWAKI
- GENTARO
- Hyoma
- Asian Cougar
- Saburo Inematsu
- MASADA
- Mad Man Pondo
- Necro Butcher
- Jayson Ray
[edit] Past Wrestlers
- Abdullah The Butcher
- Yoshihiro Tajiri
- Tomoaki Honma
- Ryuji Yamakawa
- Mitsuhiro Matsunaga
- Shadow Winger
- The W*inger
- Homicide
- Mr. Pogo
- Shoji Nakamaki
- Kendo Nagasaki
- Tarzan Goto
[edit] Current Champions
- BJW Death Match Champion: Takashi Sasaki
- BJW Tag Team Champions: Daisuke Sekimoto & Yoshito Sasaki
[edit] External links
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| Global Professional Wrestling Alliance | ||
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Major promotions |
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Independent promotions |
