In the semi-main event of night 1 of NJPW “Road to DESTRUCTION 2023” held at Tokyo’s Korakuen Hall, Zack Sabre Jr. successfully defended his NJPW WORLD TV Championship (V13). His opponent, Ryohei Oiwa, was a one-night replacement, filling in for the originally scheduled Oleg Boltin, who had to withdraw due to a left wrist injury. ZSJ showcased his dominance, making the young lion submit (11:34) using the Clarky Cat submission hold, ensuring he retained the coveted title.
Following this impressive victory, Zack Sabre Jr. couldn’t resist provoking Kaito Kiyomiya, who had taken Ryohei Oiwa under his wing in NOAH. Sabre flaunted the TV belt, teasing potential future confrontations. When asked about his future plans by English commentator Chris Charlton at ringside, Sabre chose to keep his next steps a mystery, declining to comment on what lies ahead for him.
Then ZSJ went on retain the NJPW WORLD TV Championship (V14) for the second consecutive night during the “Road to DESTRUCTION 2023” event at Tokyo’s Korakuen Hall. In an unexpected turn of events, ZSJ faced Satoshi Kojima in an ‘impromptu match’ for the coveted title. This unique challenge came about after ZSJ amusingly appointed Kojima as the challenger, based on a backstage comment segment in which Kojima happened to be the first to enter the restroom.
In a hard-fought battle, ZSJ emerged victorious by submitting the 3rd Generation Star (12:07) when he countered Kojima’s Western Lariat with a precise Armbar, securing his championship reign once again.
Author: Rohit Singh Karir