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.
Meanwhile, he was a part of WWE’s Cruiserweight Classic Tournament in 2016. He made it to the semi-finals of the tournament, but refused to sign a contract with the WWE to work more in New Japan Pro Wrestling.
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.
The British star is set to defend his belt at the Tokyo Dome as he takes on Shota Umino in the main event of Wrestle Kingdom 19. He sat down 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. 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.”
Zack Sabre Jr will defend his IWGP World Heavyweight Championship against Shota Umino on January 4th. If he wins, he will put it on the line again versus Ricochet at Wrestle Dynasty.
