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'''All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW)''' (全日本プロレス, ''zen nihon puroresu'') is a Japanese professional wrestling promotion established in 1972. Although the promotion is no longer regarded as one of the "big" companies (as New Japan Pro Wrestling and Pro Wrestling NOAH are considered to be) in Japan, All-Japan Pro Wrestling still remains one of the most popular ''puroresu'' promotions still in operation.

Contents

History

Massive Exodus

The Keiji Mutoh Era

Roster & Current champions

External links

History

The promotion was founded by Shohei "Giant" Baba and the ''Momota brothers'', sons of Rikidozan. Baba, a former pro baseball pitcher, joined the JWA in 1960. In October, 1972, he left the JWA and formed his own group, All Japan. Their first card was on October 21, 1972 at Machida City Gym in Tokyo, Japan. Baba established the 'Pacific Wrestling Federation (PWF)' as the governing body for all future titles in All Japan. In the beginning the PWF recognized a world heavyweight championship and several "regional championships" given as billing to foreign stars depending from which region they came from, but after All Japan joined the NWA, the PWF world title was downgraded to a regional championship. The first PWF Chairman, who presented the belts to the winners in title bouts, was Lord James Blears. As a loyal member of the NWA, All Japan enjoyed the ability to bring in foreigners, and the NWA World Heavyweight Championship was frequently defended.
When the NWA collapsed in the late 1980s, Baba distanced himself from other promoters at home and abroad, and began a system of promoting talent (both Japanese and foreign) who competed exclusively for his promotion. With the unification (of the titles in All Japan into the Triple Crown and the AJPW Unified World Tag Team Championship), as well as the promotion of talent (including Jumbo Tsuruta, Genichiro Tenryu, Mitsuharu Misawa, Toshiaki Kawada and Kenta Kobashi), the promotion was able to carve a loyal fanbase that lasted during the 1990s. Interpromotional matches were rare, and wrestlers who arrived from other promotions (such as Hiroshi Hase, Shigeo Okumura and Yoshihiro Takayama) were not given pushes.

Massive Exodus

With the death of Shohei "Giant" Baba in January 1999, top star Mitsuharu Misawa immediately inherited the position of company president. On May 28 2000, Misawa was removed from his position by a majority vote of the executive board. At a regular All Japan board meeting on June 13 2000, Misawa, Mitsuo Momota (co-vice president, member of directory), Kenta Kobashi (member of directory), Akira Taue (member of directory, chairman), Kenichi Oyagi (member of directory) and Yoshihiro Momota (member of directory) resigned from their board positions. Meanwhile, Nippon Television Network (NTV, the major network television channel that had been broadcasting All Japan since its beginning) is undecided whether or not they will continue to carry a television show for All Japan. A day later (June 14), Motoko Baba released a two-page written statement, which claimed that Misawa "took no responsibility and abandoned his duty." In addition, she hinted that Toshiaki Kawada and Masanobu Fuchi would be the only two native wrestlers to stay with All Japan, as "Kawada and Fuchi have sworn to carry out Baba-san's last wish: to keep All Japan Pro Wrestling alive"; this was confirmed a day later when Kawada and Fuchi both renewed their contracts with All Japan, along with referee Kyohei Wada. Kawada remarked, "I could not throw away Baba-san's name; that's my honest feeling. I want to do my best as a wrestler rather than an executive." On June 16 2000, 24 out of the 26 contracted native wrestlers for All Japan were led by Misawa for a press conference, where it was announced that they would be leaving the promotion; more than 100 reporters and photographers attended, and Misawa expressed his wish for the promotion to debut in August, with the Differ Ariake being the site of the unnamed promotion's debut. When asked what his reason for leaving All Japan is, Misawa claimed that it was so he could do things in a "modern style." In regards to Giant Baba (who many felt he has been disloyal to), he remarked "I am truly indebted to and appreciate him. He taught me pro wrestling from the beginning. I only have gratitude for him." A day later, Misawa announced that the promotion's name is Pro Wrestling NOAH, named after the Biblical story where Noah built an ark and put every animal in the world in the ark before God destroyed the world (causing it to rain for forty days and forty nights). [1]
On June 19 2000, it was confirmed (at a press conference at All-Japan's dojo held by Toshiaki Kawada and Masanobu Fuchi) that NTV has decided to discontinue broadcasting All Japan after 27 years. However, NTV maintained their 15% stock in All Japan (as Motoko Baba held the remaining 85%), and would prevent All Japan from being put on another network. With about 50 reporters present, Kawada remarked "my mission is to protect the All Japan that Baba-san built." Kawada also revealed that All Japan has intentions of working with long-time rival New Japan, along with announcing that refunds would be available for fans who previously bought tickets to shows expecting to see the former All Japan wrestlers. On June 20, twelve All Japan office employees resigned from their positions with the promotion, with intentions to follow Misawa to NOAH. NTV also announced that they will carry weekly tapings of Misawa's NOAH promotion, with the title of the program being called "Colosseo." NOAH took All Japan's 30-minute timeslot on Sundays at midnight. Misawa was interviewed in Tokyo on June 21, where he announced that he and the other wrestlers leaving to form NOAH would compete on four of the sixteen shows in All Japan's Summer Action Series 2000 tour, which began on July 1; NOAH wrestlers appeared on July 13 in Ehime, July 15 in Ishikawa, July 17 in Toyama and (in their last appearance) on July 20 in Fukuoka in Hakata Star Lane. NTV also aired the final All Japan TV show on the network, which aired for 45 minutes and featured footage from Jumbo Tsuruta's funeral, the NOAH wrestlers' press conference from the 16th, Kawada's press conference from the 19th, highlights of the first ever Kawada vs. Misawa Triple Crown match from October 21, 1992 and Toshiaki Kawada and Akira Taue vs. Yoshihiro Takayama and Takao Omori for the AJPW Double Cup Tag Team Championship from All Japan's Nippon Budokan show from June 9. [2]
On June 28 2000, Misawa formally announced at a press conference that Pro Wrestling NOAH will debut with two consecutive shows (titled "Departure") in Differ Ariake on August 5 and 6 in Tokyo. On July 1, immediately following the opening card of All-Japan's Summer Action Series 2000, Masanobu Fuchi revealed that talks of interpromotional work between New Japan and All Japan had broken down and the possibility of something happening between the two promotions isn't likely. In the Korakuen Hall a day later, Motoko Baba announced the infathomable return (as Baba publicly swore that Tenryu would never be allowed back in All Japan, following Tenryu's departure in 1990 to form the SWS) of Genichiro Tenryu, as he would team with Kawada to face Maunnakea Mossman and Stan Hansen on July 23 (at the final tour show); Tenryu told the press that "wherever I go, the name of All Japan still follows me." After the date on July 13 (the first to feature participation with NOAH wrestlers, who dressed in separate locker rooms from the All-Japan wrestler), Kawada said, "when the NOAH matches are here, the balance of the show collapses; I think the shows we were doing without NOAH wrestlers were better, and Misawa is unnecessary." Kawada also felt that the show was too long with all the wrestlers that were booked, and said "I think the fans will become tired if this goes on." [3]
On July 20, 2000, Yoshinobu Kanemaru, Takeshi Morishima, Naomichi Marufuji, Kentaro Shiga, Takeshi Rikio, Mitsuo Momota, Rusher Kimura, Haruka Eigen, Tsuyoshi Kikuchi, Kenta Kobayashi, Takao Omori, Yoshihiro Takayama, Jun Izumida, Masao Inoue, Yoshinari Ogawa, Akira Taue, Jun Akiyama and Mitsuharu Misawa competed in their last matches for All Japan Pro Wrestling at the sold-out Hakata Star Lane in Fukuoka. After the show, Steve Williams came out and shook Misawa's hand, and requested one last singles match between the two. However, Misawa returned to the bus immediately after his match, not staying for the last two matches of the show. Every one of All Japan's titles were vacated due to the departure of the aforementioned wrestlers and title holders. [4] Mrs. Baba appointed Hansen as the new Chairman of All Japan's Pacific Wrestling Federation title governing body, replacing Lord James Blears.

The Keiji Mutoh Era

In 2002, at the end of a year long cross promotional ''angle'' with New Japan Pro Wrestling, Keiji Mutoh shocked the Japanese wrestling world by defecting to All-Japan, along with Satoshi Kojima and Kendo Kashin. In September of 2002, Mrs. Baba rewarded Mutoh by transferring all of the Baba family stock to him, as well as appointing Mutoh as the President of All-Japan Pro Wrestling. Mutoh has upheld some traditional aspects of the Baba-run All Japan, as the Champion's Carnival and Real World Tag League are still held annually.
Some interpromotional activities that would not have happened under Shohei Baba's watch have taken place, including the previously unfathomable IWGP World Heavyweight Champion vs. AJPW Triple Crown Champion bout on a New Japan Pro Wrestling event on February 20, 2005; Satoshi Kojima (who was the AJPW Triple Crown Champion) defeated Hiroyoshi Tenzan for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship, which made Kojima the only wrestler to ever hold both titles simultaneously. In addition, Keiji Mutoh and Satoshi Kojima are both New Japan Pro Wrestling alumni, but have played a consistent role in the main event picture of All Japan Pro Wrestling since their arrival to the promotion. Furthermore, Keiji Mutoh competed at a Pro Wrestling NOAH event on July 10, 2004, teaming with fellow AJPW wrestler Taiyo Kea to face Mitsuharu Misawa and Yoshinari Ogawa [5]. On July 18, 2004, Mitsuharu Misawa returned to All-Japan and defeated Satoshi Kojima at 'Battle Banquet'. Misawa returned to All-Japan again on October 31, 2004 for the 'Keiji Mutoh: Love and Bump' pay-per-view event, where he (along with Keiji Mutoh) defeated Hiroshi Hase and Kensuke Sasaki in what was billed as a "Special Dream Tag Match."
On July 10, 2007, Hiroshi Hase was appointed as the new Chairman of the PWF, following Hansen's voluntary resignation. Hase is the third chairman in PWF's history.

Roster & Current champions

Main articles: All Japan Pro Wrestling roster

Championship	Current champion(s)	Date won
AJPW Triple Crown Championship	Kensuke Sasaki	August 26 2007
AJPW Unified World Tag Team Championship	Satoshi Kojima & TARU	August 26 2007
AJPW World Junior Heavyweight Championship	Katsuhiko Nakajima	February 17 2007
AJPW All Asia Tag Team Championship	Vacant –	October 29 2006

AJPW also holds annual tournaments to decide the top wrestler or tag team in the promotion:

Tournament	Latest winner(s)	Date won
Champion's Carnival	Keiji Mutoh	March 30 2007
Junior League	Chris Sabin	July 1 2007
World's Strongest Tag Team League	Satoshi Kojima & Hiroyoshi Tenzan	December 2 2006

Titles previously promoted by the company include:

★ Titles that are now part of the AJPW Triple Crown Championship
:
★ NWA International Heavyweight Championship
:
★ NWA United National Championship
:
★ PWF Heavyweight Championship

★ Titles that are now part of the AJPW Double Cup Tag Team Championship
:
★ NWA International Tag Team Championship
:
★ PWF Tag Team Championship

★ Others
:
★ NWA International Junior Heavyweight Championship (replaced with AJPW World Junior Heavyweight Championship)
:
★ AJPW All Asia Heavyweight Championship
:
★ PWF United States Heavyweight Championship

External links

★ Official site in Japanese

★ All Japan Pro-Wrestling Title Histories

★ Shining Road, English language support site

★ Puroresu.com summary