(NEW JAPAN/NOAH) Zack Sabre Jnr participates in his former home Noah for the first time in about 8 years, talks passionately about his feelings for his mentor, Yoshinari Ogawa, and Ryohei Oiwa

2nd September 2023

Tokyo Sports

New Japan Pro Wrestling's Zack Sabre Jnr (36) revealed his thoughts on participating on hos old home mat for the first time in about eight years. On the 3rd at Noah's Osaka event, he will form a "master-pupil tag" with Yoshinari Ogawa (56), and will compete against Kaito Kiyomiya and Ryohei Oiwa. In order to repay Noah, with whom he spent about four and a half years since 2011, he plans to show off how he has grown into the world's best technician. 

It's been about eight years since November 2015 that he has returned to his home mat. Zack expressed his gratitude to the place where he studied abroad when young by saying, "The four and a half years I spent at Noah was the most important period not only in my career, but in my life. I would like to thank Noah for treating me so kindly, even though I was only 23. I will be forever grateful. I feel blessed to be back at Noah again and it feels so natural." 

In the match in Osaka, the stage has been set to reward as as the "Japan-UK Technician Team" with Ogawa has been revived. "It goes without saying that Mr. Ogawa is not only one of the greatest wrestlers of all time, but also one of the greatest professional wrestling minds who continues to be relevant and inspirational for generations. Outside of the ring, we ate together, traveled around Japan, and I learned a lot. I'm looking forward to that match the most this year."

His opponents include Oiwa, who will be joining Noah from New Japan as an usual domestic excursion training, and has attracted attention that goes beyond the scope of the promotion. Zack said of Oiwa, who has committed himself to to the same promotion that gave him the same opportunity to make great strides as a wrestler, "He won't have time to gain experience or change his style, but I'm going to watch Oiwa stop acting like Young Lion and make the most of this opportunity. This is the first time that New Japan has sent him to another promotion in Japan, so he has to prove to the entire industry who he was chosen."

Pro wrestling fever in the UK is at an all time in high, with the American promotion, AEW, successfully holding a mega event at Wembley Stadium in August. "Traditional technique is at the heart of British wrestling. My motivation has always been to show the world that British wrestling is still the strongest in the world, and to that end I have dedicated my career to preserving the traditional style. I feel that my work has only just begun." Enthusiastic, Zack makes a triumphant return with the techniques he has honed over the years.

Translated from Tokyo Sports

Picture credits: Tokyo Sports