Zack Sabre Jr.

**Article** Talk

**Lucas Eatwell** (born 24 July 1987) is an English professional wrestler better known by his ring name **Zack Sabre Jr.** (Katakana: ザック・セイバーJr, *Zakku Seibā Jr.*). He is currently signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling(NJPW). And currently participate in the 2017 Super X Cup Tournament in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling. Outside NJPW, Sabre performs for Pro Wrestling Guerrilla (PWG), Ring of Honor(ROH), Revolution Pro Wrestling (RPW), and Progress Wrestling (Progress).

 Birth name
 Born
 Billed weight
 Trained by
Andre Baker
Jon Ryan
 Debut

Sabre is a former NWA United Kingdom Junior Heavyweight Championship winner and a product of the NWA-UK Hammerlock training school. He started training with NWA-UK Hammerlock at the age of 14, under the guidance of Jon Ryan and Andre Baker. Sabre's offensive moveset includes a wide array of intricately complex technical wrestling holds and pinning combinations, harsh strikes (stemming from his love of puroresu), explosive athleticism and dazzling acrobatics. The readers of the *Wrestling Observer Newsletter* voted Sabre the Best Technical Wrestler of the year for seven consecutive years (2014–2020) and was voted Best Technical Wrestler of the Decade (2010s).

Though primarily known for his solo performances, Sabre is also a tag teamwrestler. In his early career, he made a name for himself as part of the "Leaders Of The New School" with Marty Scurll, holding the IPW:UK Tag Team Championships twice. He would later win the same title (now called RPW Undisputed British Tag Team Champions) alongside Suzuki-gun stablemate Minoru Suzuki. In Pro Wrestling Noah, he was a two-time GHC Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champion with Yoshinari Ogawa and, in World Xtreme Wrestling, a wXw World Tag Team Championwith Big Daddy Walter. Sabre has also formed a tag team with other Suzuki-Gun stablemate Taichi (the "Dangerous Tekkers"), who are three time IWGP Tag Team Champions.

In NJPW, Sabre also won the 2018 New Japan Cup. In PWG, he is a former PWG World Champion, and the winner of its 2015 Battle of Los Angeles.

## Professional wrestling career

Sabre wrestling Katsuhiko Nakajima at Pro Wrestling Noah's European Navigation in 2011

### NWA UK Hammerlock (2005–2007)

On 22 October 2005, Sabre won the NWA United Kingdom Junior Heavyweight Championship and held the title until 1 June 2008 when it was vacated.

### International Pro Wrestling: United Kingdom (2006–2012)

At International Pro Wrestling: United Kingdom(IPW:UK), Sabre most notably won the IPW:UK Tag Team Championship twice along with Marty Scurll in 2009 and 2010.

### Pro Wrestling Noah (2008–2015)

At Pro Wrestling Noah, Sabre most notably won the GHC Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship twice with Yoshinari Ogawa in 2013 and 2014.

### Westside Xtreme Wrestling (2006– present)

At Westside Xtreme Wrestling, Sabre won both the wXw World Lightweight Championshipand the wXw World Heavyweight Championship in 2010 unifying the titles to become the inaugural wXw Unified World Wrestling Champion. He lost the championship in the same year to Big van Walter. Sabre also won the 2015 World Tag Team Tournament for the vacant wXw World Tag Team Championship together with Big Daddy Walter.

### Progress Wrestling (2012– present)

Sabre facing Marty Scurllin January 2017

Sabre appeared for London-based Progress Wrestling on their debut show, in a losing effort to Marty Scurll, in a match voted UK Match of the Year by Alternative Wrestling Magazine, and was lauded by critics.

In 2015, Sabre took part in the first ever Progress Wrestling Super Strong Style 16 tournament, competing in four matches over the weekend – defeating Zack Gibson,Tommaso Ciampa and Scurll before losing to Will Ospreay in the final. Sabre had a rematch with Ciampa in November at the first ever Manchester Progress show, which Ciampa won. In March 2016, Sabre and Ciampa teamed up to face The Origin (El Ligero and Nathan Cruz) for the Progress Tag Team Championships but failed to capture the titles. Following the loss, Ciampa beat down Sabre. The two faced each other at Progress' biggest show to date, held at the Brixton Academy in London, in a Two Out of Three falls match which Sabre Jr won. At Chapter 40, Sabre unsuccessful challenge Pete Dunne for the Progress World Championship.

### Pro Wrestling Guerrilla (2014– present)

Sabre made his debut for Pro Wrestling Guerrilla at the 2014 Battle of Los Angeles on night 1 teaming with Chuck Taylor and Kenny Omega and defeating Adam Cole and The Young Bucks (Matt and Nick Jackson).

In April 2015, he returned to the promotion, answering the challenge from PWG World Champion Roderick Strong in a title match at *Don't Sweat the Technique* in a losing effort.He then entered the 2015 Battle of Los Angeles which he eventually won.

On Night 2 of *All Star Weekend 12*, Sabre defeated Strong to win the PWG title for the first time. He entered his third Battle of Los Angeles tournament in September 2016, losing to Will Ospreay in the quarterfinals. On 7 July 2017, Sabre lost the PWG World Championship to Chuck Taylor. In September, Sabre entered the 2017 Battle of Los Angeles tournament, where he was eliminated by Rey Fenix in the quarter finals.

### WWE (2016)

On 31 March 2016, Sabre was announced as a participant in WWE's upcoming Global Cruiserweight Series tournament, which was later renamed the "Cruiserweight Classic". His name was taken down shortly after as he would have a qualifying match at Progress Wrestling's Chapter 29 event in London to earn his spot, where he defeated Flash Morgan Webster. On 23 June, Sabre defeated Tyson Dux in his first round match. On 14 July, Sabre defeated Drew Gulak in his second round match. On 26 August, Sabre defeated Noam Dar to advance to the semifinals of the tournament, where he was defeated on 14 September by Gran Metalik. Afterwards, it was reported that Sabre's loss was due to him not agreeing to a contract with WWE unlike the two tournament finalists.

### New Japan Pro-Wrestling (2017–present)

On 21 February 2017, it was announced that Sabre would be making his debut for New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) at the promotion's 45th anniversary show on 6 March, where he would challenge Katsuyori Shibata for the RPW British Heavyweight Championship. Sabre won the match with help from Minoru Suzuki and Davey Boy Smith Jr., joining the Suzuki-gun stable in the process. The following day, Sabre pinned NEVER Openweight Champion Hirooki Goto in an eight-man tag team match. This led to Sabre unsuccessfully challenging Goto for the title on 9 April at Sakura Genesis. Sabre was left out of the 2017 Best of the Super Juniorsas NJPW had decided to categorise him as a heavyweight wrestler going forward.Instead, he was announced for NJPW's premier singles tournament, the 2017 G1 Climax.Prior to the G1 Climax, Sabre took part in a tournament to crown the inaugural IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship at G1 Special in USA, where he made it to the semifinals, before losing to Tomohiro Ishii.On 17 July, Sabre scored a major win in his first G1 Climax match by submitting the reigning IWGP Intercontinental Champion Hiroshi Tanahashi. Sabre went on to finish the tournament with a record of five wins and four losses, failing to advance to the finals. On 16 September at Destruction in Hiroshima, Sabre failed in his attempt to capture the Intercontinental Championship from Tanahashi.

### Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (2017–present)

On April 13, 2017 at TNA Lockdown 2017 in Osaka-jo Hall, NJPW’s **Zack Sabre Jr.** announced his decision to participate in the 2017 Super X Cup Tournament by coming down to the ring at TNA Lockdown and saying that **Zack Sabre Jr.** is here TNA Wrestling and will become the Best X Division Star In The World. One day later it was revealed that **Zack Sabre Jr.** was part of the 2017 Super X Cup Tournament thanks to working partnership between NJPW and TNA. And that **Zack Sabre Jr.** will be part of Block A.

#### 2017 Super X Cup Tournament Block A (2017–present)

**Zack Sabre Jr.** defeated Marshe Rockett By Submission in the main event of first night of the 2017 Super X Cup Tournament A Block Match in 12 minutes 24 seconds to take the early in lead in A Block. With getting 10 points for the submission victory.

## Championships and accomplishments

* **Alternative Wrestling Magazine**
	+ UK Match of the Year (2012) vs. Marty Scurll on 25 March
* **AM Wrestling**
	+ One Night Tournament (2008)
* **DDT Pro-Wrestling**
	+ Ironman Heavymetalweight Championship (1 time)
* **What Culture Pro Wrestling**
	+ WCPW Internet Championship (1 time)
* **Evolve**
	+ Evolve Championship (1 time)
* **German Stampede Wrestling**
	+ GSW Breakthrough Championship (1 time)
* **International Pro Wrestling: United Kingdom**
	+ IPW:UK Tag Team Championship (2 times) – with Marty Scurll
	+ UK Super 8 Tournament (2014)
	+ Tag Team Tournament (2017) – with Jimmy Havoc
* **NWA-UK Hammerlock**
	+ NWA United Kingdom Junior Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
	+ Hardcore Lottery Tournament (2008)
* **Premier Promotions**
	+ PWF Middleweight Championship (1 time)
	+ PWF Light Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
	+ Ian Dowland Trophy (2010)
	+ Ken Joyce Trophy (2011)
	+ Worthing Trophy (2012, 2013)
* **Pro Wrestling Guerrilla**
	+ PWG World Championship (1 time)
	+ Battle of Los Angeles (2015)
* ***Pro Wrestling Illustrated***
	+ Ranked No. 26 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the *PWI 500* in 2017
* **Pro Wrestling Noah**
	+ GHC Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship (2 times) – with Yoshinari Ogawa
* **Revolution Pro Wrestling**
	+ British Heavyweight Championship (4 times)
	+ Undisputed British Tag Team Championship (3 times) – with Marty Scurll (2) and Minoru Suzuki (1)
* **Solent Wrestling Federation**
	+ One Night Tournament (2012)
* ***Tokyo Sports***
	+ Best Tag Team Award (2021) with Taichi
* **Triple X Wrestling**
	+ Triple X Wrestling Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
* **Westside Xtreme Wrestling**
	+ wXw World Heavyweight Championship(1 time)
	+ wXw World Lightweight Championship (1 time)1
	+ wXw World Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Big Daddy Walter
	+ Ambition 4 (2013)
	+ 16 Carat Gold Tournament (2016)
	+ wXw World Tag Team Tournament (2015) – with Big Daddy Walter
* **WhatCulture Pro Wrestling**
	+ Pro Wrestling World Cup English Qualifying (2017)
* ***Wrestling Observer Newsletter***
	+ Bryan Danielson Award (Best Technical Wrestler) (2014–2016)

## External links

* **New Japan Pro-Wrestling**
	+ IWGP Tag Team Championship (3 times) – with Taichi
	+ New Japan Cup (2018)

**Progress Wrestling**

* Super Strong Style 16 (2018)