Wrestling On FanNation

Zack Sabre Jr. Finally Wins The Title That's Eluded Him For Eight Years

Say hello to the new IWGP Champ.

Dariel Figueroa

IMAGO / AFLOSPORT

It took eight attempts for Zack Sabre Jr. to reign triumphantly over the G1 Climax tournament, New Japan Pro Wrestling's annual summer grind for a shot at the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship. When Sabre Jr. stood tall at the end of the final tournament match, one got the sense that this might be the year that Sabre wins the biggest prize in Japanese professional wrestling.

MORE: A Look at How Zack Sabre Jr. Winning the G1 Impacts New Japan

On Monday (October 14) morning, Zack Sabre Jr. finally won the belt that's eluded him for eight years.

At NJPW's King of Pro Wrestling event at Ryōgoku Sumo Hall, Sabre Jr. won the strap off reigning champ Tetsuya Naito. Normally, the G1 Climax tournament winner challenges for the IWGP Championship at Wrestle Kingdom, NJPW's biggest event of the year, held at the legendary Tokyo Dome. Sabre Jr. instead elected to challenge Naito a few months earlier.

The strategy paid off. Sabre Jr. pinned Naito after three Zack Drivers, becoming only the second British wrestler to win the coveted IWGP Championship. Will Ospreay was the only British IWGP champ before him.

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Following the match, a trio of challengers met the new champ in the ring: former champions SANADA and Shingo Takagi, and rising star Shota Umino. SANADA gets his shot at Sabre Jr.'s title at Royal Quest on October 20, in Sabre Jr.'s homeland of England.

Sabre Jr. clarified that Umino and Takagi would get their shot at his newly won IWGP Championship if he gets through SANADA. SANADA captured the IWGP Championship in 2023 after winning the New Japan Cup tournament and successfully challenging then-champion Okada. Will he repeat his previous success this Sunday at Royal Quest?

For now, though, let's all appreciate Shingo Takagi's underrated mannerisms.

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Dariel Figueroa
DARIEL FIGUEROA

Dariel Figueroa joined On SI and The Takedown in 2024. He previously served as senior features writer at Uproxx, and has written for Heavy, Fansided, and Paste. Figueroa graduated with a double bachelor’s from Rowan University in journalism and multimedia production, respectively. You can follow him on X (fmr. Twitter) @figgyflow.

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