Sanshiro Takagi
After FMW's demise, Kanemura joined Kodo Fuyuki's World Entertainment Wrestling (WEW), which lasted until 2004. Kanemura's home promotion was WEW but he became a freelancer and wrestled on many independent promotions in Japan. Kanemura had begun wrestling for several promotions in 2000 to make more money while also competing for FMW. Kanemura had begun making appearances for Dramatic Dream Team (DDT) in 2001 and began feuding with DDT's top star Sanshiro Takagi in 2002. On April 18, Kanemura teamed with Super Uchu Power, Chocoball Mukai and Futoshi Miwa to take on Takagi, Takashi Sasaki and Tanomusako Toba in a handicap match with Power's Ironman Heavymetalweight Championship on the line. Takagi won the title and then Kanemura used the title's 24/7 rules and immediately defeated Takagi to win the title. The following week, on April 25, Kanemura teamed with Super Uchu Power to defend the title against Takagi and Takashi Sasaki in a match, during which Takagi pinned Kanemura to win the title. On May 16, Kanemura defeated GENTARO and Takashi Sasaki in a three-way match to become the #1 contender for the KO-D Openweight Championship. At "Max Bump", Kanemura defeated champion Sanshiro Takagi to win the KO-D Openweight Championship, also winning Takagi's Ironman Heavymetalweight Championship for the second time in the process. Kanemura lost the Ironman Heavymetalweight Championship six days later to Chocoball Mukai. Kanemura would then team with Futoshi Miwa to participate in the 2002 KO-D Tag League, in which the two managed to score eight points. Kanemura lost the KO-D Openweight Championship back to Sanshiro Takagi on September 7.