Part-time AEW star on why NJPW is the best wrestling company
AEW's working relationships with promotions like NJPW and CMLL allow the roster to feature several top talents who work part-time with the company. One veteran star has just shared his unique insight on NJPW and its championships, and why they are at the top of the wrestling world.
Zack Sabre Jr. began wrestling in April 2004. The UK native has worked six AEW dates and all three Forbidden Door events since 2022, most famously losing to Bryan Danielson at WrestleDream 2023. He was the inaugural NJPW World Television Champion and has also held the IWGP Tag Team Championship on three occasions. The 2024 G1 Climax winner also won the New Japan Cup in 2018 and 2022. Sabre's long-term NJPW goals were to win the G1 and the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship.
The British Master secured a title shot by winning the G1 earlier this month. Sabre will challenge for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship on October 14 at NJPW King of Pro-Wrestling, against current champion Tetsuya Naito, or Great-O-Khan, who is due to challenge two weeks earlier. Speaking to the NJPW website, Sabre was asked about the importance of the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship. He used the opportunity to praise New Japan for being above the rest.
"This current championship is somewhat new, but the letters IWGP carry the same lineage as all the top champions of the past. To me it’s the most important championship in the world; we might not be the biggest promotion in the world, but we are at the top of the world when it comes to quality, when it comes to being a true pro-wrestling company and when it comes to in ring focus. Being the champion here makes you the highest level in the world as a professional wrestler, and that’s where I’ll be in October. The summer of Sabre isn’t over," Zack Sabre Jr. said.
Sabre's last AEW appearance came in the Casino Gauntlet at All In on Sunday. He was the fifth entrant. Before All In, Sabre defeated Kyle O'Reilly on the June 26 edition of Dynamite.
AEW and NJPW announce Forbidden Door 2025
All Elite Wrestling and New Japan Pro-Wrestling have officially announced the fourth annual Forbidden Door pay-per-view. The big event will take place on Sunday, August 24, 2025, at an arena in London, England to be revealed at a later date.
AEW teased in the Forbidden Door teaser promo that there may be involvement from UK promotions, perhaps such as RevPro. AEW and NJPW joined forces with Stardom and CMLL for the 2024 Forbidden Door.
AEW confirmed Forbidden Door 2025 during the All In pre-show on Sunday. This will be the first Forbidden Door to be held in August as the first three were held in the month of June.