[After the match] Tetsuya Naito vs Zack Sabre Jr. - IWGP World Heavyweight Championship Match: NJPW KING OF PRO-WRESTLING 2024 (October 14, 2024)
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00:00There's no way I'd rather cap things off here tonight, and new IWGP World Heavyweight Champion.
00:07All of Iowa's Sheppies, they're out there, in the streets.
00:13Naito, Naito-san, don't worry. I took the belt, but I'll always be in the New Japan ring.
00:27Don't worry, Tetsuya Naito, I might have won the belt, but I will always, always be here in New Japan.
00:57SHOPPING! SHOPPING! SHOPPING! SHOPPING!
01:11Everyone in New Japan, I beat you again. That's a bit lame, isn't it?
01:19But I beat you!
01:22I hate to repeat myself, but I won it.
01:25RYUGOKU, RYUGOKU, I really love you. RYUGOKU is my favorite ring.
01:32RYUGOKU, it's been a while.
01:35Oh, wait. Someone else likes this place, mocha.
01:39Please, come on in.
01:41ZACK, today's match was so amazing.
01:48ZACK'S LAST CHANCE TO BE A CHAMPION
01:54Cool, huh?
01:58As for me, it's my last chance to become champion this year.
02:08ZACK'S LAST CHANCE TO BE A CHAMPION
02:16And, yes, next week in London, Sunday, in Crystal Palace, me and Zack Sabre Jr.
02:23ZACK'S LAST CHANCE TO BE A CHAMPION
02:27So, since it's on, why don't we make it to the World Heavyweight Championship?
02:32This Sunday?
02:33I think next week.
02:35Let's do it.
02:37Let's do it. It's on.
02:39Wow.
02:43Royal Quest Sunday, the IWGP World Heavyweight Title will be on the line.
02:48It doesn't look good.
02:50It doesn't.
02:52That could be it.
02:56Wait a minute. What's this now?
02:59Well, that's...
03:02And listen to this reaction.
03:05Listen to this reaction.
03:07Well, it's so soon, you know.
03:09It's kind of raining on the parade a little bit.
03:12I mean, this man did defeat Zack Sabre Jr. back in this year's G1, but...
03:17It's a time and a place, Walker.
03:20This is neither.
03:24It's okay. It's okay. Relax. Relax.
03:27TANAHASHI HAS ANNOUNCED HIS RETIREMENT
03:32It's Tanahashi's retirement.
03:40It's okay. It's okay. Wait a minute.
03:44I can't wait for the next step.
03:52I'm the main body of New Japan.
03:57HONTAI IS IN DANGER OF BEING WORN DOWN
04:01I'll make sure that Zack, who's always in the limelight, will challenge for the belt.
04:07HONTAI NEEDS TO BE PEPPED UP
04:09AND THAT'S WHY I AM CHALLENGING FOR THAT WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP
04:13But this week is a little bit busy.
04:17I got it. But this week is a little hard.
04:20Maybe next week.
04:22He's a good challenger, but he's a bit busy.
04:25Wait a minute. Wait a minute. Now what is going on here?
04:29We know who that is. That's...
04:33Oh, wow. Hey, come on. This is...
04:35SHINGO TAKAGI
04:39Shingo's not waiting for anything.
04:42Why didn't you come out today?
04:47Why didn't you two come out in Kobe?
04:51Why did you have to come out today?
04:57Congratulations.
05:00Thank you very much.
05:02In G1, we're one win, one loss.
05:06Next time, it'll be a title match.
05:09We're one by the end of it, so...
05:11How about we have a rubber match for that title?
05:14Everybody wants that gold.
05:16If you're talking about G1, I beat you and Zack.
05:19Yeah, but Soichiro Umino said he beat Shingo and Zack in the G1.
05:23It's true. You can't argue with it.
05:25You're lying.
05:26I forget all the bad things when I see them on the internet.
05:30I mean, this is all getting too chaotic.
05:33It's too on top for me to translate here.
05:35Wait, wait, wait.
05:37Everybody, calm down.
05:39Zack just won the damn title.
05:41I'm tired.
05:44And this is a pain in the ass.
05:46So, first, Sanada.
05:55So, I'll wrestle Sanada first.
05:58After that, I don't know.
06:01Give me a day to think about it.
06:05And in the meantime, shut up for a second.
06:09Get the hell out of the ring.
06:22See you guys later.
06:25Do I get a bonus for keeping on top of all of that, by the way?
06:28Thank you very much.
06:31Get out of here, Sanada, as well.
06:35I'm sorry.
06:38I'm sorry.
06:40It's really hard.
06:42I don't know any Yamanashi pen.
06:44I don't know any Yamanashi pen.
06:46So, everyone...
06:48Zack's summer...
06:50It's over.
06:52Zack's era is beginning!
06:54Zack's era is beginning!
06:56The era of Zack has begun!
06:58But, everyone, I'm sorry.
07:00It's not just me.
07:02It's not just me.
07:04It's not just my era.
07:06The absolute top is...
07:08T.M.D.K.!
07:10T.M.D.K. will be right on the top.
07:13The New Japan Pro-Wrestling.
07:18Because...
07:20T.M.D.K. is mighty.
07:22And the mighty...
07:24Don Neil!
07:34The winner of G1 Climax 34...
07:36T.M.D.K.
07:38The frontman...
07:40Zack Silver!
07:42Johnny Owens!
07:53The mad lad only went and bloody did it!
07:57The gold is raining down...
07:59and the gold is wrapped around the waist...
08:01of no longer the best...
08:03technical wrestler in the world...
08:05but the best professional wrestler...
08:07bar none...
08:09Zack Sabre Jr.
08:11is on top of the sport.
08:18We've got...
08:20a hell of a lot...
08:22to digest and...
08:24get through...
08:26coming out...
08:28of what we've just seen...
08:30with Shingo Sakagi...
08:33with Shota Umano...
08:35but we do know...
08:37the main event Sunday...
08:39Crystal Palace...
08:41NJPWUK.com
08:43World title on the line...
08:45Zack Sabre Jr. and Sonata.
08:47And so much more still to come folks...
08:49this has been an incredible...
08:51I mean this very well may be...
08:53my favorite night of professional wrestling...
08:55I've ever had the pleasure of being a part of.
08:57It is the honor of my career...
08:59to sit next to you Chris Charlton...
09:01of Zack Sabre Jr.
09:03An incredible night for professional wrestling...
09:05TMDK stands on top...
09:07in the end.
09:14Oh and once again...
09:16in amongst them...
09:18this time it's not...
09:20Hubris Walker.
09:25Well earned and well deserved.
09:32A championship reign...
09:34thrusted forward by the people...
09:36Zack Sabre Jr. has done it tonight...
09:38for the people.
09:43And for all the doubters and naysayers...
09:45all 6,211...
09:47on deck here tonight...
09:49in Ryokoku Sumo Hall...
09:51will tell you what for.
09:53The world is Zack Sabre Jr.'s...
09:55and the World Heavyweight Championship...
09:57just the same.
10:02Zack Sabre Jr.
10:26Chris it's going to be...
10:27an incredibly intriguing scene...
10:29going in to Royal Quest IV.
10:31going to have their eyes set on the IWGP World Heavyweight Title Match just now
10:35made official. Zack Sabre Jr. versus Tsunada. No longer a special single
10:40situation and all this momentum built for the culmination of this moment here
10:44tonight. There is a complete opportunity. It could be squandered in just seven
10:49days time. Well we'll see about that. Certainly Tsunada feels that he needs to
10:57beat Zack Sabre Jr. on home turf Sunday in London. Well we'll find out.
11:04NJPWUK.com will be live in English. Red Bull On Demand and coming up on
11:10NJPW World as well. But for tonight, for right now, let's just drink it in.
11:20Because as he said Morgan, nobody deserves this moment more. Nobody has done more
11:27for professional wrestling and deserves this moment in the sun like Zack Sabre Jr.
11:32A sea of orange. It's unbelievable.
11:42I think we should get a tin of orange on the St. George's Cross. How about that?
11:47How about it? TMDK is not just a unit Chris Charlton. It is a movement.
11:57Folks, so much still to come beyond Royal Quest. We will be joining you.
12:08New Japan Strong. November 8th Lowell, Massachusetts. More international dates.
12:13Long Beach, California December 15th. But before all of that and following Royal
12:19Quest, we will be coming back. NJPW World will be live once again for this
12:24year's Super Junior Tag League.
12:28The Mad Max did it!
12:31The crowd is chanting Zacku, Zacku, Zacku, Zacku.
12:39We love him. We love him. I don't use him on my end. I'm bringing him on my end.
12:44But it's for him. Yeah.
12:47TMDK has walked away tonight with all the W's.
12:54And they are.
13:24You need some water, brother.
13:35It's not time for water, Chris. Zack Sabre Jr. just won the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship.
13:41And the only waterworks I see are coming out of the eyes of Harley Jackson and Mikey Nichols.
13:46And for a damn good reason.
13:48We might be here, Walker, till King of Pro Wrestling 2025 at this rate.
13:53Zack's got a flight to London to catch. You've got a bus to catch.
13:57I do. I know you've got to get out of here.
13:59I'll stay around for backstage comments, see what comes out of it.
14:02Folks, it has been an absolute pleasure. My name has been Walker Stewart.
14:06And I'm heading back to the United States. I will see you all live in about a week's time for Super Junior Tag League.
14:12All right. And in the meantime, I'll stick with you.
14:20Some of Shane Hastings dancing with Wai Nabe.
14:30Children crying and not just Hiroki Goto's kids.
14:45All of the 6200 will forever remember this one.
14:53Congrats, man.
14:55Incredible.
15:06The main event of the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship is 24.41 seconds.
15:12The winner is the new champion, Zack Sabre Jr.
15:19Zack Sabre Jr. is the IWGP World Heavyweight Champion.
15:42Stick around. We'll get words on tape.
15:47I know. It was the last time.
15:57There you hear it. Zack Sabre Jr. now goes for the treble in the main event of the Tokyo Dome.
16:04And a long, long list of contenders in between, perhaps.
16:09But for now, ZSJ is IWGP World Champion.
16:39All right. We're going to see.
16:53Eventually, I think Zack Sabre Jr. wants to celebrate and shake the hands of all 6200 plus on hand here tonight.
17:10Well, I do hope we get some words on tape from the new champion.
17:15If we do not, then they'll be made available if we run out of TV time.
17:21And then ZPW World social media and YouTube tomorrow.
17:43My goodness, what a ride it was here in Iwagaki tonight.
17:52All started with Yomi Takahashi tapping out mystical.
17:58Motions made perhaps for hair versus mask somewhere down the line.
18:02We'll wait more news on that one.
18:05New IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champions Kushida and Kevin Knight, the Intergalactic Jet Setters.
18:13Shane Hayes, Mikey Nichols retain the IWGP Tag Team Championships.
18:19Shingo Takagi emerged from a roar with young Ryohei Oiwa, still with an ever openweight championship.
18:28Ren Narita snuck in through the back door, but left through the front with the NJPW World Television Championship.
18:36Hiroshi Tadahashi victorious in his 25th anniversary matchup.
18:41But then the shocking announcement that next year will be his last.
18:47And he will indeed retire January the 4th, 2026 in the Tokyo Dome.
18:55Doki is still IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion, having defeated Sho and all the return of Master Wato,
19:05who wants next for that junior heavyweight gold.
19:09And our semi-main event saw David Finlay retain the global championship.
19:14The challenge right after, Finlay wanted Yuya Uemura, knowing Uemura was on the shelf.
19:20Taichi stepping up for his young friends on it, and wants to take Finlay on for global gold.
19:31And will be on the high of Zack Sabre Jr. as World Heavyweight Champion for a long, long time.
19:39That is if he can keep the gold against Tsunada Sunday in London.
19:45NJPWUK.com for the last tickets, and now here is Zack Sabre Jr.
20:09Thank you, gentlemen. Thank you.
20:16It's not just me.
20:22We have always and are always together.
20:30No, he's not a young man.
20:38He's a young one.
20:41Yeah, he's the only young one.
20:44Where's Roy?
20:47I mean, it looks...
20:50Roy!
20:52Roy the mullet.
20:55His wrestling nickname is Zagrippu, but his Tomodachi nickname is Roy the mullet.
21:02Roy the mullet.
21:05Has been summoned.
21:08Yeah, yeah, Fuji.
21:10Fuji Death.
21:12Make us get Roy the mullet on to you.
21:15I mean, I would guess he got hurt.
21:18No? Ah.
21:20Here he comes.
21:22Come on, Roy.
21:24Bittersweet.
21:27Evening for him.
21:32One who needs an ice pack is me.
21:37Congratulations.
21:41Cheers.
21:43Cheers.
21:45Let's pass them around.
21:47Good food.
21:49This is Australian recovery beverage.
21:53Japanese-made, Australian-style recovery.
21:56To the BCAs.
21:58Lots of amino acids.
22:06Oh, I slipped. I'm sorry.
22:09Force out.
22:15Who's going to make a speech, Roy?
22:18Speech.
22:20Japanese?
22:22Yeah, Japanese. I'm just speaking English right now.
22:30It's not been the best result for me tonight,
22:33but the TMDK era is now in effect.
22:38Cheers.
22:44Well deserved.
22:49Quit showing off with the cameras, man.
22:55I like to drink with Fuji because Fuji is my mate.
22:59He drinks it down in eight, seven, six, five, four,
23:03three, two, one.
23:09That'll wash straight down.
23:11I like to drink with Roy because Roy is my mate.
23:15And when I drink with Roy, he drinks it down in eight,
23:19seven, six...
23:22Listen, you might have lost the championship match today,
23:25but you won the drinking competition.
23:27Roy, you did very good tonight.
23:30Don't beat yourself up. We will get you a championship.
23:33Very soon.
23:35We kept the tag titles.
23:36A couple of them.
23:38Don't say that.
23:44Maybe Junior Tag League might be next, but...
23:49There is one thing...
23:55One thing...
23:56I don't want to...
23:59piss on the chips, so to speak, because Zack Sabre Jr., but...
24:03Gabe...
24:05Kid...
24:07You threw up an open challenge for the...
24:11strong openweight championship.
24:13And since that is an openweight championship...
24:16November 8th...
24:19Lowell Mass...
24:21November 8th...
24:24Lowell Mass...
24:28Kosei Foodster has answered Gabe Kid's open challenge.
24:32November 8th...
24:34Lowell Mass, Massachusetts, fighting spirit unleashed.
24:37And then one more time for those...
24:39We did introduce Big Jack.
24:41For those of you who don't know...
24:43This is an original TMDK member.
24:46An Australian professional wrestling legend.
24:48This man...
24:49took the brunt for all of us in these championship matches...
24:51these last two weeks.
24:52Took a beating for us so that we're fresh in these championship matches.
24:55This man is TMDK through and through.
24:58And you will be seeing a lot more of him...
25:01a lot sooner.
25:03Dear God.
25:05He barely broke a sweat.
25:06Any match could be my last, so...
25:08Just enjoy it while you can.
25:10Jack, that's supposed to be the joke, mate.
25:11Let's not publicize that.
25:13Let's not publicize that.
25:17There's some mileage...
25:18There's some mileage on the man.
25:19There's some mileage on the man.
25:20You're a bit in the ring and he's genki as hell.
25:22Genki as hell.
25:23They don't want to talk to us.
25:24Okay, well, I just wanted to...
25:26This is not...
25:28Like I said before...
25:30The era has changed.
25:31There is a new era.
25:33And it's definitely Zack Sabre Jr.'s era.
25:35But TMDK are with me every step of the way.
25:40We've got a brand new New Japan.
25:41And it's fucking orange.
25:44It's fucking orange.
25:46Because somehow...
25:47Somehow for a man that's worn...
25:48entirely black for the last two decades...
25:51I've been fucking tangoed.
25:53Hell yeah.
25:54But orange.
25:55Orange you are.
25:56Yeah, yeah.
25:57That's a good...
25:58That's a nice bright orange.
26:00And this orange?
26:01That orange is yellow.
26:03But it's also magnificent.
26:04This orange.
26:08I would say the color is not the issue.
26:11You know what?
26:13Hey, camera's up here.
26:19You can go now.
26:21Don't try to speak Japanese.
26:22No.
26:25Congratulations, man.
26:28Fire.
26:31You deserve that.
26:32You deserve that one.
26:41All right, boys.
26:42Everyone together.
26:43Just how I envisaged.
26:45It took me a couple of years.
26:46But I wanted both these boys at the same time.
26:48And everything is in its right place.
26:50Go on.
26:51Get out, you little scamps.
26:52Get out, you little scamps.
26:58It's been 20 years, hasn't it?
27:008 years in New Japan.
27:0420 years in wrestling.
27:05Everything happens...
27:068 years in New Japan.
27:07...at the right moment.
27:11Let's start with Naito.
27:13So, first of all, to Tetsuya Naito.
27:16With all due respect.
27:18With all due respect.
27:20Naito is in the condition that he is in now.
27:22Because he is going to be a champion.
27:24Naito is in the condition that he is in now.
27:26Because he has given every part of his body, soul and mind to New Japan Pro Wrestling.
27:33And I can only respect that.
27:38The G1.
27:39Winning the G1.
27:42Was solely about winning by submission.
27:45To prove that my style of wrestling is the best style of wrestling.
27:49I sacrificed, I guess, somewhat of my ideology today.
27:54To win with an impact move.
27:56But...
27:58That is...
27:59I guess that is the sign of also my respect to Naito.
28:03Because I could tell today that Naito refused to give up.
28:07And with my respect for Naito.
28:09I knew that the only way to beat him by submission was to break his arms or break his legs.
28:12I think Naito's days in the top of New Japan are over.
28:15But Naito was champion for a reason.
28:17Naito is still incredibly strong.
28:19Naito is going to have a very long and successful career.
28:22But now I am at the top.
28:24So I chose to beat him with an impact move.
28:27To save having to nigh on killing.
28:30Naito is a stubborn, stubborn bastard.
28:33I thought I had him multiple times via multiple submissions.
28:37I wanted Naito to be able to walk out with dignity today.
28:41Naito is the only man...
28:42Naito is the only man that is more respectful to drop him on his head a hundred times.
28:48Than beat him with a submission.
28:49Because he is that stubborn.
28:51And still...
28:52Still...
28:53Still...
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