Big Japan Pro Wrestling Big Japan Pro Wrestling ( BJW ) is a Japanese - based promotion , based around the ' ultraviolent ' style of professional wrestling . 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 . BJW is credited for being one of the founding promotions of " deathmatch " wrestling . 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 the promotion in 1999 ; while Shinya Kojika still serves as president of the company to date . The promotion followed in the footsteps of organisations such as Frontier Martial - Arts Wrestling ( FMW ) and the International Wrestling Association of Japan ( IWA Japan ) , who helped popularize 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 main - stream 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 it early years , BJW was unable to directly compete with the budgets of its competition . This led to the innovation of a number of unique gimmick matches , many of which helped hide its monetary shortcomings . These include : Away from the Deathmatches , BJW also has had well - established traditional 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 World Women ' s Championship , a World Tag Team Championship , and a World 4 - Man Tag Team Shuffle Championship . Currently , the BJW roster is split into " Deathmatch BJ " and " Strong BJ " . The deathmatch workers wrestle for the BJW Deathmatch Heavyweight Championship and the non - deathmatch workers for the BJW World Strong Heavyweight Championship . 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 in order 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 was in need of 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 .