The chances of Zack Sabre Jr leaving Japan to join WWE and AEW have dropped drastically after a recent interview before Wrestle Kingdom 19 dropped.
The Englishman has wrestled in both US promotions in the past. He competed at AEW All In 2024 this year, appearing in the Casino Gauntlet match that was won by Christian Cage.
It was a good move. He has been a staple in the company for years and this year found his best success yet. Zack Sabre Jr won New Japan’s G1 Climax Tournament, before going on to win the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship from Tetsuya Naito.
While he dropped the title to Hirooki Goto on his second defence, Zack Sabre Jr promised that he would not be going anywhere.
Zack Sabre Jr wants to wrestle in Japan for the rest of his career
The former IWGP World Heavyweight Champion spoke with New Japan Pro Wrestling for an interview before that show and revealed his future plans in wrestling.
Zack Sabre Jr sat down on a rooftop above Tokyo and revealed that his plan is to wrestle in Japan until the end of his career.
He has found huge success in New Japan since his debut in 2017 and wants to continue that momentum into 2025 and beyond. However, this admittance will strike a blow for WWE and AEW, who have been rumoured to be interested in the technical wizard.
“This is the end goal for me. I will wrestle in Japan for the rest of my career, or I won’t wrestle at all. Failure has never been an option.”
“It might have taken me slightly longer than I initially envisioned when I started my New Japan career, but I’ve reached this level now—mostly through sheer stubbornness and desire.” Zack Sabre Jr said.
“Walking out as the first foreigner to win in the main event is an achievement I think others will speak about in the future.”
— Explore Tokyo Dome City【official】 (@E_TokyoDomeCity) February 5, 2025
“But for me, the desire to win the main event at the Tokyo Dome is about personal success. Japan feels like home. I’ve been welcomed here from the beginning, but I’m fully aware that I’m not Japanese. At the same time, I’m very proud to be a British wrestler.”
“It’s a balance between the two. I wouldn’t have made it to Japan without my British wrestling background, and I want to make everyone back in the UK proud. But my adult life and career are in Japan. Ultimately, it’s about being the best wrestler I can possibly be and continually challenging myself.”
“The main goal is to be at the top of New Japan. The fact that I’m foreign is secondary. I am the champion—the top champion of New Japan. That has been the goal from the beginning, and it will remain the goal moving forward: to stay champion for as long as bloody possible.”
Despite wanting to stay in Japan, Zack Sabre Jr also wants to wrestle in RevPro until he retires
While his love for Japan is clear, Zack Sabre Jr also wants to keep RevPro as his home promotion in the United Kingdom until his retirement.
The former Undisputed British Heavyweight Champion appeared in the documentary “RevPro: How To Start A Revolution“. He spoke to the camera, talking about how he wants RevPro to continue to grow, calling it “home for me in Britain”.
Zack Sabre Jr finished by saying that he wants to keep wrestling for RevPro for the rest of his career, which based on his style could be another two decades or so.
“But I feel like this is the beginning. I want RevPro to be the biggest company in Europe, not just the UK.” Zack Sabre Jr told the cameras.
RevPro will be delighted that Zack Sabre Jr holds the promotion in such high regard.
“I mean, RevPro’s home for me in Britain. The first RevPro show was at the Wyvern Hall in Sittingbourne. Those shows felt like they were, at the time, the most important shows in the country.”
“But obviously, the reality was it was a function hall with 150 people, but we never treated it like that.”
“I wouldn’t be the wrestler that I am without coming from here and being given the start. I’ll be at RevPro ‘til the day I wrestle in some capacity, as much as I can.”
Zack Sabre Jr’s loyalties are clearly split between RevPro and NJPW. Hopefully he can fulfil both his wishes and wrestle for both companies until the end of his incredible career.
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