Over the past few years, master technical wizard Zack Sabre Jr has developed a bit of a pattern. He would frequently lose the RevPro British Heavyweight Championship to one of his many New Japan contemporaries, and then win it right back from them a few months later. He’s been trading this title back and forth instead of ever winning any of New Japan’s own native gold for his entire run. So it wasn’t crazy, atleast I don’t think so, to assume that when he came into Wrestle Kingdom 14 with the gold, he was liable to lose it once again and repeat the cycle anew.
But no, he managed to make a key defense here at the biggest show of the year instead. Zack Sabre Jr defeated recently established rival Sanada in a very technical, mat-based match. Sanada proved a rare worthy opponent to test ZSJ’s famed mechanical skills, but ultimately ZSJ was able to catch him long enough to pick up the win. This leaves Sanada as the only member of LIJ not holding a title after this legendary weekend.
You can see an excerpt of my recap of this match below:
ZSJ catches Sanada with a pele to the arm, tries to lock in a hold but Sanada counters with the Cold Skull! He goes up top for the moonsault but ZSJ evades it, dropkick to the face! Standing 10 count. European Uppercut exchange, Sanada wins out, goes for a springboard, ZSJ evades, sunset flip, cradle exchange here… Sanada with a jackknife at the end of it that allllmost gets the win! Sanada knocks ZSJ away, second rope back flip into a Cold Skull attempt but ZSJ avoids it, ZSJ with a jackknife nearfall of his own but Sanada counters into another Cold Skull attempt, Zack wrestles out of it, cinches in an Octopus Stretch! Sanada hoists him onto his shoulders to counter, body slam into the Cold Skull, another cradle exchange, ZSJ with the deep bridge on the roll-up – and gets the pin!
Winner: Zack Sabre Jr.
