Zack Sabre Jr.

[Control21]

13 minutes ago, Ma Stump Puller said:

I think body-part work in a wrestling match can be done to a EXTREMELY high standard if it's taken to the natural conclusions. Guys like GENTARO/Ogawa pushed the envelope for how long you could really go just attacking a leg/arm and for the most part it was pretty damn good, even going 15+ minutes long at points with that same dynamic. Even Kenny Omega when he's actually forced to pace himself has some astonishingly strong leg selling if you give the room for that to breathe.

I kinda get what Zack is doing now though, submission workers don't really work for the Kings Road-ish style NJPW have adopted so he's a bit less focused than he could be. It definitely makes them more watchable as opposed to his NOAH stint where he would spend obnoxious amounts of time submission-chaining for no apparent benefit.

 

Oh yeah, there are definitely great matches that involve targeting certain limbs over extended periods. Like you said, it has to be done extremely well. Unfortunately, there's a lot of "limb work" today that is pointless and goes nowhere. Nothing is more frustrating than seeing someone like Ospreay forget to sell a leg that just got attacked and somehow summoning the strength to do one of his high-spot moves.

[Boss Rock]

I've been tuned out of NJPW for a few years now, but I honestly think Zack has been one of the most consistently great wrestlers of the last decade. He'll rank for me.

[HeadCheese]

Making my list could see him making the top half of my list. Has been consistently good from I proabably got info watching more of him in 2014 (hoping to watch more of his work).

My pick for wrestler of the year in 2025. 

I think Zack Sabre Jr is interesting wrestler because my favorite work of his is when he is wrestling in less really fun mid card matches (Kyle O'Riley at BOLA, him and TMDK vs. Roderick Strong, Luke Gallows, and Bobby Fish in NOAH, the All In 2024 Casino Gauntlet) and out of his comfort zone (his GCW matches with Nick Gage and Mance Warner). His is in one of my all time favorite matches with him vs. Daniel Garcia vs. Katsuyori Shibata vs. Orange Cassidy at Forbidden Door 2023.

I think sometimes he can try to be a bit over ambitious, try to force an epic. I think sometimes his work/aura doesn't come across in bigger arenas. He's a really great small room wrestler.

Something I think that is really cool about ZSJ is how adventurous he is there feels like he has a sense of joy exploring pro wrestling all over (his Jake De Leon singles and tag matches in the Philippines) in the world and settings (doing no ring shows like Baka Gaijin + Friends).  I think Zack Sabre Jr is great at being a great foil for wrestlers to break out against (Will Ospreay at EVOLVE and A-Kid/Axiom at White Wolf Wrestling).