Junya Matsunaga Wins World Heavyweight Title At ZERO1 25th Anniversary Event

By: Ian McCord

On April 3rd, Junya Matsunaga made good on his promise of becoming a double champion in ZERO1 by defeating Masato Tanaka for the World Heavyweight Title at the promotion’s 25th Anniversary Event at Shinjuku FACE.

Matsunaga, who is also one half of the NWA Intercontinental Tag Team Champions with Tsugutaka Sato, won the right to challenge for Tanaka’s World Heavyweight Title after defeating Hayabusa back on March 6th at ZERO1’s event in Itabashi. The title match between Matsunaga and Tanaka was then made official for ZERO1’s 25th Anniversary Event on April 3rd.

In the main event of the 25th Anniversary event, Tanaka and Matsunaga battled for the top prize in ZERO1 with Matsunaga walking away victorious after hitting his Bee Sting finisher on Tanaka at the (17:04) mark to win his first World Heavyweight Championship.

Matsunaga took to social media following his championship victory to share a quick update posting:

“Quick update. World Heavyweight Title Captured!! Thank you so much to everyone who came!!”

(English Translation via Google Translate)

Elsewhere on the card, the vacant International Lightweight Tag Team Titles would be won by Yuki Toki & Van Vert Jack and BUSHI would emerge victorious against Hayabusa in the semi-main event of the evening.

Here are the full results from ZERO1’s 25th Anniversary Event on April 3rd courtesy of purolove.com:

• THE Rumble Over-50: Gabaiji-chan defeats Kikutaro (12:32) with a Swanton Bomb. Elimination order: Hide Kubota, Pandita, Yasu Kubota, Tatsuhito Takaiwa, and Kikutaro.
• Daichi Hashimoto defeats Yuya Aoki (10:44) with a piledriver.
• Women’s Match: Konomi Hori defeats MIRAI (10:47) with a Scorpion Hold.
• Tsugataka Sato, Koji Doi & Kuma Arashi defeat Chris Vice, Violento Jack & Quiet Storm (10:54) after a lariat by Sato against Storm.
• International Lightweight Tag Team Title, Decision Match: Yuki Toki & Van Vert Jack defeat Takuya Sugawara & Bryan Ishizaka (14:18) following a Shooting Star Press by Jack on Sugawara – Title Change (32nd Champions).
• BUSHI defeats Hayabusa (12:15) with the MX.
• World Heavyweight Title: Junya Matsunaga defeats Masato Tanaka (c) (17:04) with the Bee Sting – Title change (Failed 1st defense -> 36th