Wrestling World 2001

Wrestling World 2001 was a professional wrestling television special event produced by New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). It took place on January 4 in the Tokyo Dome. It was the tenth January 4 Tokyo Dome Show held by NJPW. The show drew 52,000 spectators.^[1]

Wrestling World 2001
Masahiro Chono, who made it to the semi-finals of the IWGP Heavyweight Championship tournament.
Promotion	New Japan Pro-Wrestling
Date	January 4, 2001[1]
City	Tokyo, Japan
Venue	Tokyo Dome
Attendance	52,000[1]
Wrestling World chronology
← Previous 2000 Next → 2002
New Japan Pro-Wrestling events chronology
← Previous Do Judge!! Next → Wrestling Dontaku 2001

The focal point of Wrestling World 2001 was a tournament to crown a new IWGP Heavyweight Champion, which accounted for five of the nine matches on the show. No other championships were defended in 2001, marking the first year that only one title was on the line. The show saw Toshiaki Kawada wrestle twice; Kawada had previously been one of the main event wrestlers of NJPW's biggest rival All Japan Pro Wrestling.

Production

Background

The January 4 Tokyo Dome Show is NJPW's biggest annual event and has been called "the largest professional wrestling show in the world outside of the United States" and the "Japanese equivalent to the Super Bowl".^[2][3]

Storylines

Wrestling World 2001 featured professional wrestling matches that involved different wrestlers from pre-existing scripted feuds and storylines. Wrestlers portrayed villains, heroes, or less distinguishable characters in scripted events that built tension and culminated in a wrestling match or series of matches.^[4]

Results

No.	Results	Stipulations	Times
1	Kensuke Sasaki defeated Satoshi Kojima	Singles match: IWGP Heavyweight Championship tournament quarter-final	16:33
2	Hiroyoshi Tenzan defeated Yuji Nagata	Singles match: IWGP Heavyweight Championship tournament quarter-final	16:45
3	Koji Kanemoto and Minoru Tanaka defeated Shinya Makabe and Tatsuhito Takaiwa	Tag team match	18:02
4	Takashi Iizuka defeated Kendo Kashin	Singles match	06:12
5	Kensuke Sasaki defeated Masahiro Chono	Singles match: IWGP Heavyweight Championship tournament semi-final	11:28
6	Toshiaki Kawada defeated Hiroyoshi Tenzan	Singles match: IWGP Heavyweight Championship tournament semi-final	10:45
7	Keiji Mutoh and Shinjiro Otani defeated Jushin Thunder Liger and Manabu Nakanishi	Tag team match	05:44
8	Riki Choshu vs. Shinya Hashimoto ended in a no contest	Singles match	15:20
9	Kensuke Sasaki defeated Toshiaki Kawada	Singles match: IWGP Heavyweight Championship tournament final	10:30

IWGP Heavyweight Championship tournament bracket

	Quarterfinals				Semifinals				Finals
	Satoshi Kojima	Sub
	Kensuke Sasaki	16:33
					Kensuke Sasaki	Sub
					Masahiro Chono	11:28
									Kensuke Sasaki	Pin
									Toshiaki Kawada	10:30
	Yuji Nagata	Pin
	Hiroyoshi Tenzan	16:45
					Hiroyoshi Tenzan	Pin
					Toshiaki Kawada	10:45