Zack Sabre Jr. Hungry for World Title Run in New Japan
The landscape of New Japan Pro-Wrestling has changed.
Gone are stars like Kazuchika Okada, Will Ospreay, and Jay White, all of whom departed the company for AEW. Hiroshi Tanahashi, now the company president, is no longer active in the world title picture.
Throughout the recent evolution and changing times, there have been stars who stayed committed to the company. One of the most prominent is Zack Sabre Jr., who is unrelenting in his pursuit of his first-ever run as IWGP world heavyweight champion.
Sabre’s list of accolades in New Japan over the past seven years is long and distinguished. He wore the IWGP tag titles on three different occasions, as well as held the TV title twice. But one feat that continues to elude him is a G1 Climax tournament victory. That would put him in position to challenge for the IWGP title at Wrestle Kingdom at the Tokyo Dome, the most coveted spot in New Japan.
Winning the G1 and crafting a run as IWGP world heavyweight champion are the two pieces missing from Sabre’s star-studded portfolio. If he has it his way, beginning with the G1 this summer, that will not be the case for much longer.
“It’s probably somewhat dramatic to say that my career will have been a failure if I don’t win both the G1 this year and the IWGP world heavyweight title, but that’s the gut feeling I have–and I’m vegan, so I have a great constitution,” said Sabre, a 20-year pro. “This is my eighth G1, and it’s undoubtedly the most prestigious tournament in all of pro wrestling–but to solely win it this year isn’t enough. I’ve failed to win the top IWGP heavyweight title three times, so in my mind, it’s really now or never if I’m going to truly reach the top of the industry.”
For Sabre, wrestling isn’t merely his profession. It is his livelihood, and embracing the craft is what feeds his soul. Even more than that, the British superstar relishes the opportunity to wrestle in Japan.
“I’m sure that, even in a digital age nowadays, discovering Japanese has a huge impact on people, but for me waiting for bootleg–ahem, definitely official–VHS tapes to come in the post when I was a teenager was a life-changing experience,” said Sabre. “The wrestling landscape was a completely different world in 2001. And I honestly don’t think I would have become a pro wrestler if I hadn’t discovered Japanese wrestling at that time. I’ve spent more of my adult life in Japan than anywhere else, so I owe more than just my career to the country. But pragmatically now, the environment and the infrastructure of the industry is still best suited to my style. New Japan is where I can be the best wrestler that I possibly can.”
Wrestling fans are also familiar with Zabre in North America. He won the PWG BOLA in 2015, the famed Battle of Los Angeles indie tournament for the Pro Wrestling Guerilla super indie. A year later, Sabre dipped his toes in WWE’s waters, wrestling in the Cruiserweight Classic–then focused nearly entirely on his work in Japan. He has also been part of AEW programming, where he returns this Sunday for a match against Orange Cassidy at the Forbidden Door pay-per-view.
Zack Sabre Jr. Feels his summer of greatness is just getting started, and it starts at Forbidden Door with “Orange Bollocks"
— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) June 20, 2024
Watch #AEWDynamite LIVE on TBS!@zacksabrejr | @orangecassidy pic.twitter.com/stNUiVQXWQ
Between New Japan, AEW, and CMLL in Mexico, Sabre is wrestling at a furious pace.
“I’m incredibly fortunate to be following my passion, so it naturally just leads you to strive for that,” said Sabre, who has spent the last week wrestling for AEW and CMLL. “It’s a wonderful aspect of the relationships NJPW has globally. Being a NJPW wrestler doesn’t restrict you to only Japan. I’m in the 20th year of my career, so to be heading over to CMLL for the first time is a new challenge. Wrestling in Arena Mexico for the first time is a real bucket list achievement.
This spot ruled #CMLL pic.twitter.com/cVUOWNOfka
— Donal オビエド (@D_Wrestlingifs) June 23, 2024
“To be able to wrestle on television for AEW, spend a week in Mexico for CMLL, go back to America for a pay-per-view, and then start the G1 Climax in the same month is the kind of schedule that inspires me. It’s probably revoltingly cliche to use the expression ‘Ikigai’, but that’s my motivation for waking up every morning.”
Ikigai is a Japanese term that roughly translates to “a reason to live”. In Sabre’s life, that is professional wrestling. He is his own harshest critic, holding himself to a standard very few can ever meet. Yet he does so because of what is at stake. When Sabre connects in the ring, it is a technical prowess unlike any other wrestler in the world.
Over the past nine months, Sabre has wrestled Bryan Danielson in two sensational bouts. The first emanated at AEW’s WrestleDream pay-per-view last October in Seattle, and the rematch took place in Japan this past February at The New Beginning in Osaka.
Sabre and Danielson split those two matches, opening the door for a modern trilogy. They have also wrestled one another in the past, as far back as 2008 in Coventry. That is a city in England known for its medieval Coventry Cathedral; yet, for one night in the spring of ’08, it was the wrestling capital of the world.
“I’m forever indebted to Bryan for the match he gave me back in 2008 in a little pub in Coventry,” said Sabre. “Few wrestlers have had the direct and indirect influence on my career as old dragon bollocks. There’s also no one else in the world that I can have those kinds of matches with, so I know that we are not done yet–even with Bryan winding down his schedule.
“We could wrestle every day of the week and it would never feel like enough. I’d love to take that bout truly around the world. We’ve got a couple of continents we haven’t hit yet. Both in and out of the ring, Bryan is one of a kind.”
💥THE NEW BEGINNING in OSAKA💥
— NJPW WORLD (@njpwworld) February 11, 2024
凄まじいテクニカルな攻防‼️
世界屈指のテクニシャン同士の至極の攻防💥
🆚 @bryandanielson × @zacksabrejr#njpwworld で配信中📡
視聴＆登録⏩https://t.co/CeQLGjTmZ5#njnbg #NJPW pic.twitter.com/cpYVDstqXy
Only 36, Sabre still has a lot left to give pro wrestling. He plans on helping establish the new core group of stars in New Japan, a position he will be far more equipped to flourish in after he establishes himself as world champion.
“We have an amazing group of young wrestlers in NJPW right now and a dojo busting at the walls with even more,” said Sabre. “But I have to reach the top myself before I can help usher in the next generation.”
JUSTIN BARRASSO
Justin Barrasso has been writing for Sports Illustrated since 2014. While his primary focus is pro wrestling and MMA, he has also covered MLB, NBA, and the NFL. He can be reached at JBarrasso@gmail.com and followed on Twitter @JustinBarrasso.