Pioneer Senshi was the first-ever independent promotion

Independent circuit

In professional wrestling, the independent circuit or indy circuit refers to the many independent promotions which are much smaller than major televised promotions. They are roughly analagous to a minor league for pro wrestling, or community or regional theatre.Specific promotions on the...

 in Japanese wrestling history. It was established on November 11, 1988 by former AJPW wrestlers Ryuma Go, Apollo Sugawara and Masahiko Takasugi.

Pioneer Senshi's debut show took place on April 30, 1989 at Tokyo Korakuen Hall

Korakuen Hall

is an arena in Bunkyo, Tokyo, Japan, which has hosted many boxing, professional wrestling and mixed martial arts matches. Part of Tokyo Dome City, it is one of Tokyo's biggest attractions. It opened on April 16, 1962 and has a capacity of approximately 1,800 people. The venue hosted the boxing...

, in front of 1,600 fans. Due to its limited roster, the promotion would enlist the services of established NJPW wrestlers such as Tatsumi Fujinami

Tatsumi Fujinami

is a Japanese professional wrestler who is famous for his gimmick as "The Dragon." He is the one who is credited for inventing the Dragon Sleeper and the Dragon Suplex...

, Jushin "Thunder" Liger, Riki Chōshū

Riki Choshu

Mitsuo Yoshida , better known by his stage name Riki Chōshū , is a Korean-Japanese professional wrestler who is most known for his longtime work in New Japan Pro Wrestling as a wrestler and a booker...

 and Kensuke Sasaki

Kensuke Sasaki

is a Japanese professional wrestler who currently wrestles for various promotions through his own agency, Kensuke Office. He is the first of two men ever to hold all 3 of puroresu's major heavyweight titles , the other being Yoshihiro Takayama.-Early years :Kensuke Sasaki...

, as well as Atsushi Onita

Atsushi Onita

Atsushi Onita is a Japanese former politician and active professional wrestler best known for his work in Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling...

. Also, Akitoshi Saito

Akitoshi Saito

is a Japanese professional wrestler who currently works for Pro Wrestling Noah.-Before pro wrestling:Before pro wrestling, Akitoshi Saito was trained in karate by Masashi Aoyagi. Saito seconded Aoyagi in his matches against Atsushi Onita in Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling in 1989...

 and Kintaro Kanemura made their pro wrestling debuts against one another in Pioneer Senshi, on December 20, 1990.

However, the promotion folded a short time afterwards due to lack of funds as well as steep competition by the upstart FMW. Go, Sugawara and Takasugi migrated to Super World of Sports

Super World of Sports

Super World of Sports, more commonly known as SWS, was a Japanese professional wrestling promotion from 1990 to 1992. Its motto was "STRAIGHT AND STRONG".-Formation:...

, and most of the roster found work in various other independent promotions such as W*ING.

Go and Takasugi would go on to establish Oriental Pro Wrestling on July 26, 1992, but the promotion would only survive 4 months before closing its doors.