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Big Japan Pro Wrestling

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Big Japan Pro-Wrestling Co., Ltd.
Dai Nippon Pro Wrestling Kabushiki-kaisha
大日本プロレスリング興業株式会社
BJW logo
Acronym BJW
Founded March 16, 1995
Founder(s) Shinya Kojika
Kendo Nagasaki
Owner(s) Eiji Tosaka
(owner)
Shinya Kojika
(Chairman)
Style Deathmatch
Strong style
Headquarters Yokohama, Japan
Divisions BJW Shop
Subsidiaries Shitsuya Wrestler Crafts Transport
Website http://www.bjw.co.jp/

Big Japan Pro-Wrestling Co., Ltd. (大日本プロレスリング興業株式会社 Dai Nippon Pro Wrestling Kabushiki-kaisha), operating as Big Japan Pro-Wrestling (大日本プロレス Dai Nippon Pro Wrestling) and sometimes referred to as BJW is a promotion established on March 16, 1995 by Shinya Kojika, who was a former All Japan Pro Wrestling and WAR wrestler. He was joined soon after by Kendo Nagasaki, Hirokazu Taniguchi, and Ryuji Yamakawa and the promotion would be a mix of standard wrestling and the growing form of hardcore styles. Following the steps set by Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling, they would become known as the place to go to see some of the bloodiest matches and some of the more ultra-violent matches ever seen.

Throughout the years they would become well known for having Fluorescent light-tube matches as well as the even more crazy Piranha Deathmatches, Crocodile Deathmatch, Glass, Razorboards, pretty much if you can name it they have had it in a match in some form. In July 2011, former referee and announcer, Eiji Tosaka was announced to be the new President of BJW following Kojika’s proper retirement as the president of the promotion.

History[]

Big Japan Pro Wrestling was founded in March 1995 by former AJPW wrestlers Shinya Kojika and Kendo Nagasaki, during the boom period for Deathmatch wrestling in Japan. Kendo Nagasaki left in 1999; Shinya Kojika is still president of the company to date.

The promotion followed in the footsteps of organizations 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, or in more recent years, "hardcore" wrestling. These matches are usually weapon filled, using both "conventional" weapons (such as chairs and tables), as well as "extreme" weapons not usually seen in mainstream 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. In its early years, BJW was unable to directly compete with the budgets of its competition. This led to the innovation of several unique gimmick matches, many of which helped hide its monetary shortcomings. These include:

Steel cage deathmatch with 200 fluorescent light tubes - Ryuji Ito vs

Steel cage deathmatch with 200 fluorescent light tubes - Ryuji Ito vs. Yuko Miyamoto at BJW 15th Anniversary Show ~Death & Crazy That's The Way Of The BJ-World~ on May 4, 2010

  • 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, has been thrown into the net it is cut down and the match continues to a pinfall.
  • 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 non-specific death match. The loser of the match must then go on to wrestle a crocodile. (This match has only been performed once in a death match between Shadow WX & Mitsuhiro Matsunaga.)
  • Fire Stone Deathmatch - Both the inside and outside of the ring are lined with electrified space heaters wrapped in barbed wire. The match is won by pinfall.
  • Big Japan W*ING Crisis Big Born Deathmatch (also known as "Crisis Big Born Deathmatch") - This is a Big Japan match that combines several different deathmatch types. The match starts out on a scaffold above a barbed wire net over a ring. The ring itself is surrounded by cacti, fire stones (electric space heaters wrapped in barbed wire), and dry ice. Thumbtacks are scattered in the ring. In the middle of the ring is a tank of scorpions. Various weapons including light bulbs, light tubes, baseball bats, drills, buzzsaws, and swords are permitted. The match is fought with all members of two teams active at the same time under hardcore street fight rules. When all the wrestlers have fallen into the barbed wire net, the next phase of the match begins. The barbed wire net is removed and the match still continues. Wrestlers leave and win the match by submission, by having their head put in the scorpion tank for ten seconds, or by passing out.
  • "Ancient Way" Death Match - Both fighters wrap their hands in hemp rope, which is then coated in honey and dipped in broken glass to make them deadly weapons.
  • Big Japan CZW Crisis Big Born Cage of Death Deathmatch - a steel cage match with various weapons, objects, and plenty of wrestling violence that combines several types of deathmatches; a steel cage with various weapons and objects will be contested under "BJW's Crisis Big Born Deathmatch" rules. Electrified cage walls, tables, ladders, chairs, crowbars, Singaporean canes, barbed-wire-board, thumbtacks, bed-of-nails, circus-style-scaffold into a barbed-wire-trampoline, tub of scorpions, cactus plants, light tubes, light bulbs, glass, fire stones, dry Ice, barbed-wire-bat, drills, swords, knives, guns, buzzsaws and all other weapons have been used in it.
  • Big Japan WWE Crisis Big Born Hell in a Cell Deathmatch - This is a 24-foot-high roofed cell structure that combines several types of deathmatches; a 24-foot-high roofed cell structure will be contested and competed under "BJW's Crisis Big Born Deathmatch" rules. The match starts out on a scaffold above a barbed wire net over a ring. The ring and the cell structure itself are surrounded by cacti, fire stones (electric space heaters wrapped in barbed wire), dry ice, and all other weapons. Thumbtacks and Japanese kenzans are scattered in the ring and the cell. In the middle of the ring and the cell are all tanks of scorpions and every other thing else. Various weapons and objects including light bulbs, bats, drills, saws, swords, guns, and every other thing else whatsoever are permitted. The match is fought with all other different formats and stipulations (singles, tag team, gauntlet, etc.) active at the same time under street fight rules. There are no disqualifications, no count-outs, and no knock-outs (also no escape). The only way to win is by pinfall or submission inside the ring.

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 World Junior Heavyweight Champion. This match showed a distinct departure from the violent matches BJW is known for. The company also has had a World Heavyweight Championship, a Women's Championship, a Tag Team Championship, and an 8-Man Scramble Championship. Although the Tag Team titles and Deathmatch titles are the only ones still active.

Currently, the BJW roster is split into "Deathmatch BJ", "Strong BJ" and "Strong J". The deathmatch workers wrestle for the BJW Deathmatch Heavyweight Championship, the non-deathmatch workers for the BJW World Strong Heavyweight Championship, and the junior workers for the BJW Junior Heavyweight Championship (which the title was announced to be revived on May 7, 2017 and not sharing its name with the title retired in 2002). In October 2017, BJW announced "Big Japan Pro Wrestling (BJW) Core", a new worldwide video-on-demand site for the promotion's events.

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 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 needed 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 favored a strong style of competition. The biggest show featuring both companies occurred at the Tokyo Dome on 4 January 1997.

In the late 1990s and into the 2000s, 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.

In October 2008, several BJW wrestlers came to America and faced Chikara in The Global Gauntlet. BJPW did well, winning the best of 5 series on night one, but narrowly lost the Global Gauntlet match on night 2.

In 2012, BJW established a three-way working relationship with CZW and German promotion Westside Xtreme Wrestling (wXw), which led to the creation of the World Triangle League tournament.

BJW has also had a long working relationship with the Union Pro Wrestling promotion, which has included BJW workers holding titles in Union Pro and vice versa. Since Union Pro Wrestling closed BJW started to have a working relationship with Pro Wrestling Basara.

In 2016, BJW started to have a working relationship with All Japan Pro Wrestling with BJW holding the D-Rize show and AJPW the AJ Pheonix and also with Doutonbori Pro Wrestling.

In 2020 it was announced that some of the matches of the Ikkitousen ~ Strong Climb ~ would be canceled due to the 2019-20 coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19). On May 2, 2020, BJW launched a crowdfunding campaign to help the promotion survive the financial costs of the coronavirus pandemic.

On December 15, 2023, BJW was announced as one of the founding members of the United Japan Pro-Wrestling alliance, as part of a joint effort to further develop professional wrestling through promotion and organization, with Seiji Sakaguchi being named as the chairman of the project.

Roster[]

Guests[]

Staff[]

  • Eiji Tosaka (Owner, Announcer)
  • Mac Takeda (Referee)
  • Nikkan Lee (Referee)
  • Ryuji Yamakawa
  • Frank Atsushi (Referee)
  • Yuji Shindo (Announcer)
  • Hirotsugu Suyama (Color Commentator)

Notable alumni[]

BJW Razor Cross Board - May 4, 2010

"Razor Blade Cross Board" - Six Man Tag Team Barbed Wire Razor Blade Death Match (Jun Kasai & DJ Hyde & Nick Gage vs Jaki Numazawa & Isami Kodaka & Masashi Takeda) at BJW 15th Anniversary Show ~Death & Crazy That's The Way Of The BJ-World~ on May 4, 2010

Championships[]

Current[]

Championship Current champion(s) Reign Date won Days held
BJW Deathmatch Heavyweight Championship Hideyoshi Kamitani 1 August 28, 2022 833+
BJW World Strong Heavyweight Championship Yuji Okabayashi 4 January 2, 2022 1071+
BJW Junior Heavyweight Championship Kota Sekifuda 1 July 22, 2021 1235+
BJW Tag Team Championship Fuminori Abe and Takuya Nomura 3
(3,3) 		May 5, 2022 948+
Yokohama Shopping Street 6-Man Tag Team Championship Chicharito Shoki, Yasufumi Nakanoue and Yuji Okabayashi 1
(1, 7, 3) 		July 22, 2021 1235+

Former[]

Championship: Final champion(s): Date won:
BJW Heavyweight Championship Men's Teioh September 5, 2004
BJW Junior Heavyweight Championship (1998-2002) Homicide November 15, 2002
BJW Women's Championship Kaori Yoneyama January 2, 2003
BJW 8-Man Scramble Championship Kyoko Ichiki May 14, 2000
FMW/WEW Hardcore Tag Team Championship Hido and YOSHIYA April 29, 2003
Sakatako Intercontinental Tag Team Championship Abdullah Kobayashi and Takayuki Ueki October 2, 2016

Annual Tournaments[]

Tournament Latest winner(s) Date won
Ikkitousen Deathmatch Survivor Drew Parker June 28, 2021
Ikkitousen ~ Strong Climb ~ Daisuke Sekimoto February 20, 2022
Saikyo Tag Tournament Daichi Hashimoto and Hideyoshi Kamitani October 10, 2020

Past Tournaments[]

Tournament Latest winner(s) Date won
DAINICHI-X Ryuji Ito and Takumi Tsukamoto April 13, 2012
World Extreme Cup Seiji Yamakawa August 18, 2002
World Triangle League Kastren Beck October 5, 2014

Events[]

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