Osaka Pro Wrestling
Osaka Pro Wrestling is a Japanese professional wrestling promotion, founded in 1998 by Super Delfin. The promotion held a major flagship event called the Osaka Hurricane each year from 2003 to 2012 and also hosted the fourth edition of the Super J-Cup in 2004, which was the second edition of Osaka Hurricane. In 2010 Osaka Pro started a close working relationship with American promotion Chikara.
 | |
| Acronym | OPW |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1998 |
| Style | Puroresu Comedy Lucha libre Professional wrestling |
| Headquarters | Osaka, Japan |
| Founder(s) | Super Delfin |
| Owner(s) | Zeus |
On March 1, 2014, Osaka Pro announced that it would fold on April 20, 2014, due to financial difficulties, after which all of its wrestlers would become freelancers.[1] Osaka Pro later announced that the promotion would continue under new president Yuji Sakagami and wrestlers Kuishinbo Kamen and Takoyakida. The new Osaka Pro Wrestling lost many of the old one's key wrestlers as well as their home base of Nasci Hall Umeda, forcing them to employ a new tour format.[2]
In October 2021, it was announced that Zeus had been appointed as the owner and president of OPW. He became president on July 30, and on August 26, he received a share transfer from former owner Yuji Sakagami. However, he remained under contract with All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW) for the rest of the year.[3]
Roster
| Ring name[4] | Real name | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Ares | Undisclosed | |
| Billyken Kid | Undisclosed | Osaka Owarai Champion |
| Black Buffalo | Keisuke Yamada | Sales manager |
| The Bodyguard | Noboru Kurakawa | |
| Ebessan III | Osamu Suganuma | |
| Joichiro Osaka | Undisclosed | |
| Kazuaki Mihara | Kazuaki Mihara | Signed to MoveOn Pro-Wrestling |
| Kuishinbo Kamen | Akinori Tsukioka | |
| Quiet Storm | Undisclosed | |
| Ryuya Matsufusa | Ryuya Matsufusa | Signed to Dotonbori Pro-Wrestling |
| Takoyakida | Undisclosed | |
| Tigers Mask | Atsushi Maruyama | |
| Toru | Toru Matsunaga | Signed to Total Triumph Team Pro-Wrestling |
| Tsubasa | Undisclosed | |
| Ultimate Spider Jr. | Undisclosed | |
| Yuto Kikuchi | Yuto Kikuchi | Signed to Dotonbori Pro-Wrestling |
| Zeus | Kensho Obayashi | Osaka Pro Wrestling Champion Owner and president of OPW |
Notable alumni
- Apple Miyuki (RDPW)
- Atsushi Kotoge (Noah)
- Azumi Hyuga (JWP Joshi Puroresu)
- Daigoro Kashiwa (Kaientai Dojo)
- Daisuke Harada (Noah)
- Gamma (D-Gate)
- Gami (Wave Pro)
- Hayata (Noah)
- Kaito Ishida (D-Gate)
- Kanjyuro Matsuyama
- Kuuga
- Magnitude Kishiwada (Freelancer)
- Masamune (DES)
- Orochi (DES)
- Sawako Shimono (Freelancer)
- Super Delfin (Okinawa Pro Wrestling)
- Tadasuke
- Thunder
- Yuu Yamagata
Staff
- Keigo Yoshino (Referee)
- Naoki (Ring announcer)
- Shinjiro Miyao (Ring announcer)
- Zeus (President & Owner)
Championships
Active
| Championship | Current champion(s) | Reign | Date won | Days held | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Osaka Pro Wrestling Championship | Zeus | 2 | May 1, 2022 | + | Osaka, Japan | Defeated Kazuaki Mihara at Launching Business 3rd Round. |
| Osaka Light Heavyweight Championship | Vacant | — | — | — | — | The inaugural champion will be crowned on July 31, 2022. |
| Osaka Owarai Championship | Billyken Kid | 1 | February 23, 2020 | 798+ | Tokyo, Japan | Defeated Miracle Man at Osaka Style Wrestling's Hero Battle Show 2020. |
| Osaka Tag Team Championship | Hub and Gaina | 2 (2, 3) |
December 28, 2019 | 855+ | Osaka, Japan | Defeated Gamma and Super Shisa at Osaka Pro-Wrestling Came Over! in Noha Hanshin. |
Inactive
| Championship | Last champion(s) | Date won |
|---|---|---|
| Osaka Pro Wrestling Battle Royal Championship | Vacant | April 20, 2014 |
| MWF World Junior Heavyweight Championship | Vacant | August 25, 2012 |
| Tenpohzan Grand Prix Championship | Vacant | April 30, 2013 |
| UWF Super Welterweight Championship | Vacant | January 4, 2000 |
| Osaka Meibutsu Sekaiichi Championship | Kuishinbo Kamen | July 19, 2010 |
Annual tournaments
| Tournament | Last winner(s) | Date won |
|---|---|---|
| Tenno-zan | Tadasuke | January 31, 2016 |
| Osaka Tag Festival | The Big Guns (The Bodyguard and Zeus) |
June 23, 2013 |
Major events
References
- 大阪プロ"解散"へ…所属選手ゼロに. Daily Sports Online (in Japanese). March 1, 2014. Archived from the original on March 1, 2014. Retrieved March 1, 2014.
- 大阪プロレスが新体制で活動継続. Tokyo Sports (in Japanese). April 15, 2014. Retrieved April 15, 2014.
- 【大阪プロレス】ゼウスが選手兼オーナー社長に就任「必ずオンリーワン、日本一の団体を作り上げます」. Tokyo Sports (in Japanese). October 18, 2021. Retrieved December 10, 2021.
- Osaka Pro Wrestling. 選手名鑑. osakaprowres.com (in Japanese). Retrieved May 1, 2022.