Zack Sabre Jr. is officially a wrestling machine. Just one day after a grueling 44-minute war at Wrestle Kingdom, Sabre Jr. returned to the Tokyo Dome to defend his IWGP World Heavyweight Championship against Ricochet in the main event of AEW x NJPW Wrestle Dynasty. The result? Another notch on his belt and another page in wrestling history.
The Match: A Styles Clash for the Ages
The bout was a showcase of opposites, pitting Ricochet’s aerial acrobatics against Sabre Jr.’s elite technical wrestling.
- Opening Salvo: Ricochet wasted no time, launching himself with a tope suicida before the bell rang, almost stealing an early pinfall.
- Middle Rounds: Sabre Jr. countered Ricochet’s high-flying antics with surgical precision, grounding him with grappling that would make a contortionist wince.
- The Finish: Ricochet attempted a daring 450 Splash, only to crash and burn. Sabre Jr. capitalized with a Michinoku Driver before locking in a signature submission, forcing a verbal tap-out.
Historic Milestones: A Champion Among Champions
Sabre Jr.’s back-to-back title defenses at NJPW’s Tokyo Dome shows are the stuff of legend. With this victory, he joins an elite club as the first non-Japanese IWGP World Heavyweight Champion to dominate NJPW’s biggest stage since Brock Lesnar in 2006.
The Aftermath: What’s Next?
While Sabre Jr. basks in his double-Dome triumph, Ricochet heads back to AEW, where a simmering feud with Swerve Strickland awaits. Considering Ricochet’s recent scissors attack and Strickland’s cryptic Shakespearean clapback, sparks are guaranteed to fly.