NJPW did it, Zack Sabre Jr is the IWGP World Heavyweight Champion!

 

Well, NJPW actually went and did it. They've taken the gamble and gone all in on Zack Sabre Jr. The Englishman prevailed at King of Pro-Wrestling, pinning Tetsuya Naito with a cross-legged fisherman driver to win the IWGP World Heavyweight Title. 

In my humble opinion, it is well deserved in the sense that he has long been one of NJPW's most consistent, stand-out performers. Truth be told, I had my doubts about him as far as his believability due to his size as a heavyweight, but he has since won me over with his eye-catching performances in the ring. It was rather heart-warming to hear a large portion of the Ryogoku crowd get behind him. 

Now comes the real test. The next few months will be crucial in determining whether this is a one and done deal or if Zack will be a mainstay in the main event scene for the foreseeable future. It all hinges on whether he has the drawing power, something which has let him down in the past, especially in regards to his main event at Royal Quest 3 with Will Ospreay. The match quality, I don't foresee any issues with as he's a top-tier performer and has been for quite some time. 

I am of two minds in regards to having SANADA being his first challenger. The duo have tremendous chemistry with their matches always delivering each and every time they face off. No issues there, I expect their Royal Quest 4 match to deliver big time. My issues with the match stem from it being another big loss for SANADA, potentially pushing him down the card again for a while. Then there's Shingo Takagi waiting in the wings, another guy that could use a major win and deserves the main title. Shota on the other hand, got heavily booed when he came out to interrupt SANADA and Zack and so, maybe he'll be turned heel and could have a run at the top that way. 

There's also the teased Okada match that could take place at the Tokyo Dome on either night. 

In any case, I'm very interested in seeing just how long Zack's reign with the title lasts. Also, Hirooki Goto remains the only person to win the G1 Climax and not win the title, sadly.