Pro Wrestling Freedoms

Pro Wrestling Freedoms, commonly styled as FREEDOMS, is a Japanese professional wrestling promotion headquartered in Chigasaki, Kanagawa. The organization was established in 2009 by Takashi Sasaki after the closure of Apache Pro-Wrestling Army, where Sasaki had served as promoter. Its founding group also included Gentaro, Jun Kasai, Kamui, Mammoth Sasaki, and The Winger. The name expresses the promotion's founding philosophy: wrestlers should have the freedom to choose their own fighting style and presentation. FREEDOMS operates as a live-event wrestling promotion rather than as a conventional consumer-goods brand. Its principal activities are the production and promotion of professional wrestling cards, the development of wrestlers, the presentation of championship programs, and the distribution of recorded or live event content through digital media partners. The promotion stages events in Japanese venues including Korakuen Hall and Shin-Kiba 1st RING, two established locations in Japan's independent and specialist wrestling circuit. Over time, FREEDOMS became particularly associated with deathmatch wrestling, a style that uses highly physical match formats and specialized environments. This positioning placed it among Japan's best-known deathmatch-focused promotions, alongside Big Japan Pro Wrestling. Jun Kasai is closely associated with the promotion's deathmatch identity, while wrestlers such as Masashi Takeda, Toru Sugiura, and Daisuke Masaoka have also been identified as prominent performers connected with its contemporary roster. The promotion's appeal is built on intense live presentation, distinctive match stipulations, recurring rivalries, and a roster that includes wrestlers with strong identities in Japan's independent scene. FREEDOMS has also developed an international profile through relationships with overseas independent promotions. It formed an alliance with Game Changer Wrestling, or GCW, in the United States. That relationship enabled exchanges of talent and collaboration around events. FREEDOMS was scheduled to present its first United States event as part of GCW's Collective series during WrestleMania weekend in April 2020, but the show was cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The cancelled appearance nevertheless demonstrated the promotion's intention to extend its specialist Japanese wrestling brand to an international audience. In December 2020, FREEDOMS began a separate partnership with Japan's Active Advance Pro Wrestling, commonly known as 2AW. The relationship produced crossover programming, beginning with the Freedoms/2AW Versus event on December 13, 2020. Such collaborations broadened the promotion's event network while preserving its core identity within Japanese independent wrestling. FREEDOMS content is also distributed through IndependentWrestling.tv, an international streaming service carrying events from multiple independent promotions. Streaming availability complements the promotion's venue-based business by making its matches accessible beyond Japan, particularly to viewers interested in deathmatch wrestling and the wider independent wrestling ecosystem. The organization remains principally a Japanese promotion, with international reach created through partnerships, talent exchanges, event collaborations, and online distribution.

Pro Wrestling Freedoms was created in 2009 in the aftermath of Apache Pro-Wrestling Army's closure. On August 8, 2009, Apache Pro ended its operations, and its promoter Takashi Sasaki announced a new promotion. Sasaki was joined in the founding effort by Gentaro, Jun Kasai, Kamui, Mammoth Sasaki, and The Winger. The new organization adopted the name Pro Wrestling Freedoms, usually shortened to FREEDOMS. The name reflected the concept that wrestlers should be able to choose their own fighting styles, an idea that distinguished the promotion's identity from a more centralized or uniform wrestling model. FREEDOMS developed within Japan's independent professional wrestling sector. Its event business is based on staging live wrestling cards in established venues, including Korakuen Hall and Shin-Kiba 1st RING. These venues provide access to the Tokyo-area wrestling audience and to the broader network of Japanese independent wrestling fans. The promotion's roster and event formats have emphasized performers with pronounced characters and specialized wrestling identities. The organization gradually became recognized as one of Japan's leading deathmatch promotions. Deathmatch wrestling became a defining part of its public image, placing FREEDOMS alongside Big Japan Pro Wrestling among Japan's prominent companies in that field. Jun Kasai became one of the most recognizable wrestlers associated with the promotion, while Masashi Takeda, Toru Sugiura, and Daisuke Masaoka were also identified among its notable contemporary performers. The promotion's deathmatch orientation does not eliminate other forms of wrestling, but it gives FREEDOMS a clear specialist position in the Japanese market. FREEDOMS later expanded its relationships beyond Japan. It formed an alliance with Game Changer Wrestling, an American independent promotion. The partnership supported exchanges of wrestlers and joint event activity, connecting FREEDOMS' Japanese deathmatch scene with GCW's international independent-wrestling audience. GCW's Collective series, introduced as a set of showcases by partner promotions during WrestleMania weekend, provided a possible platform for FREEDOMS' first United States event. The promotion was scheduled to participate in The Collective 2020 in April 2020, but the planned show was cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The promotion also established a domestic crossover relationship with Active Advance Pro Wrestling, or 2AW. Beginning in December 2020, the two organizations promoted a series of joint events. The first identified show was Freedoms/2AW Versus, held on December 13, 2020. This collaboration allowed FREEDOMS to work with another Japanese promotion while presenting matches and talent combinations outside a standard FREEDOMS-only card. Digital distribution has become another part of the organization's reach. FREEDOMS airs programming through IndependentWrestling.tv, a streaming service that also carries events from several other independent wrestling promotions. Streaming helps the company reach viewers outside the venues where its events are staged and supports its international visibility, particularly among fans seeking specialist deathmatch content. FREEDOMS therefore operates across three connected areas: live Japanese professional wrestling, specialist deathmatch presentation, and international independent-wrestling collaboration. Its history is defined by its post-Apache origins, its founder-centered promotion model, its strong association with deathmatch wrestling, and its use of partnerships and streaming to connect a Japanese promotion with overseas audiences.

• 2020

  Planned first United States event is cancelled

  [1]Pro Wrestling Freedomsen.wikipedia.org

  FREEDOMS was scheduled to appear at The Collective 2020, but its planned first United States event was cancelled during the COVID-19 pandemic.

• 2020

  Partnership with 2AW begins

  [1]Pro Wrestling Freedomsen.wikipedia.org

  FREEDOMS began a series of crossover shows with Active Advance Pro Wrestling, starting with Freedoms/2AW Versus on December 13.

• 2018

  GCW launches The Collective concept

  [1]Pro Wrestling Freedomsen.wikipedia.org

  Game Changer Wrestling began The Collective, a WrestleMania-weekend showcase series for partner independent promotions, later providing a planned international platform for FREEDOMS.

• 2009

  FREEDOMS is established

  [1]Pro Wrestling Freedomsen.wikipedia.org

  Following the closure of Apache Pro-Wrestling Army, Takashi Sasaki announced Pro Wrestling Freedoms with Gentaro, Jun Kasai, Kamui, Mammoth Sasaki, and The Winger.

A Japanese independent professional wrestling promotion centered on deathmatch wrestling, strong performer identities, live-event intensity, and the freedom for wrestlers to pursue their preferred styles. FREEDOMS combines a domestic venue circuit with international partnerships and streaming distribution.

• Live entertainment · 2009

  FREEDOMS live wrestling events

  The promotion's core offering is a program of live professional wrestling events staged in Japanese venues such as Korakuen Hall and Shin-Kiba 1st RING. Cards may include standard matches, title contests, rivalries, and specialized deathmatch formats. The live-event model places the audience close to the action and supports FREEDOMS' identity as an independent wrestling promotion.

• Professional wrestling style

  Deathmatch wrestling

  Deathmatch wrestling is the specialist format most strongly associated with FREEDOMS. Its presentation emphasizes highly physical contests, unusual match environments, and wrestlers whose personas and techniques are built around extreme-match performance. This specialization has helped distinguish FREEDOMS within Japan's crowded independent wrestling market.

• Streaming content

  FREEDOMS digital programming

  FREEDOMS event programming is distributed through IndependentWrestling.tv, an online service focused on independent professional wrestling. Streaming extends the promotion's reach beyond its physical venues and makes its Japanese wrestling content available to an international specialist audience.

• 2020

  Cancel planned United States debutOther

  Background

  FREEDOMS was scheduled to participate in GCW's Collective 2020 during WrestleMania weekend.

  Action taken

  The planned United States event was cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

  Aftermath

  The promotion's first announced United States event did not take place, although its relationship with GCW remained an important part of its international profile.

  Source

• 2020

  Begin a crossover partnership with 2AWM&A

  Background

  FREEDOMS sought collaborative opportunities within Japan's independent wrestling network.

  Action taken

  The promotion partnered with Active Advance Pro Wrestling to present a series of joint shows beginning with Freedoms/2AW Versus on December 13.

  Aftermath

  The partnership expanded FREEDOMS' event collaborations and created crossover programming with another Japanese promotion.

  Source

• 2009

  Create a promotion centered on wrestler freedomStrategy

  Background

  Apache Pro-Wrestling Army had closed, leaving its promoter Takashi Sasaki and associated wrestlers to establish a new organization.

  Action taken

  Sasaki and the founding wrestlers launched Pro Wrestling Freedoms, adopting a name and philosophy based on allowing performers to choose their own wrestling styles.

  Aftermath

  The promotion developed a distinctive identity and became especially associated with deathmatch wrestling.

  Source

1. 1Pro Wrestling Freedomsen.wikipedia.org
2. 2FREEDOMS official websitepw-freedoms.co.jp