Zack Sabre Jr. retained the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship in the primary occasion of AEW x NJPW Wrestle Dynasty. Only a day after he had accomplished his third title protection towards Shota Umino within the virtually 44-minute foremost occasion of NJPW Wrestle Kingdom, Sabre Jr. as soon as extra defended the title within the Tokyo Dome towards AEW’s Ricochet, who was returned to Japan for the primary time since 2017.
The bout began quick with Ricochet wiping the champion out with a tope suicida earlier than casting him again into the ring, trying a pinfall because the match received formally underway. From there, it was very a lot a conflict of types as Ricochet sought to attach with fast-paced and high-flying offense compared to Sabre Jr.’s try and floor his opponent with technical grappling.
That remained the theme all through the bout, capped off within the closing stretch as Ricochet sought to win the title with a 450 Splash, just for Sabre Jr. to keep away from the transfer, observe up with a Michinoku Driver, and tie his opponent up for the verbal submission. His title retention on Friday night time noticed Sabre Jr. make historical past as the primary non-Japanese wrestler since Brock Lesnar — defeating Shinsuke Nakamura in 2006 — to stroll out and in of NJPW’s annual Tokyo Dome present because the World Heavyweight Champion. To take action as soon as once more only a day later is a milestone unto itself.
Ricochet, in the meantime, has a feud with Swerve Strickland ready for him in AEW. Final week’s episode of “AEW Dynamite” noticed Ricochet assault his foe with scissors, and Strickland has since responded with a cryptic Shakespearian quote.
