Zack Sabre Jr.
Lucas Eatwell is an English professional wrestler better known by his ring name Zack Sabre Jr. He is currently signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling, where he is currently one-half of the IWGP Tag Team Champions in his first reign, alongside fellow Suzuki-gun stablemate Taichi. Outside of NJPW, Sabre performs for Pro Wrestling Guerrilla, Ring Of Honor, Revolution Pro Wrestling, and Progress Wrestling.
Sabre is a former NWA United Kingdom Junior Heavyweight Championship winner and a product of the NWA-UK Hammerlock training school. He started training with NWA-UK Hammerlock at the age of 14, under the guidance of Jon Ryan and Andre Baker. His offense includes various technical wrestling holds and pinning combinations, along with hard hitting strikes, which stems from his love of puroresu. The readers of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter voted Sabre the Best Technical Wrestler for six consecutive years from 2014 to 2019.
Sabre is also a regular participant in tag team competition, notably teaming up in 2008 with Marty Scurll where they were two-time RPW Undisputed British Tag Team Champions. Sabre also held the aforementioned belts alongside Suzuki-gun stablemate Minoru Suzuki, and was a two-time GHC Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champion with Yoshinari Ogawa, and a one-time wXw World Tag Team Champion with Big Daddy Walter. Sabre has also formed a tag team with other Suzuki-Gun stablemate Taichi, calling themselves “Dangerous Tekkers”.
Elsewhere, in NJPW, he is the winner of the 2018 New Japan Cup, and together with Taichi, they are 1 time and current IWGP Tag Team Champions. In PWG, he is a former PWG World Champion and the winner of the 2015 Battle of Los Angeles.
Professional wrestling career
NWA UK Hammerlock (2005–2007)
On 22 October 2005, Sabre won the NWA United Kingdom Junior Heavyweight Championship and held the title until 1 June 2008 when it was vacated.International Pro Wrestling: United Kingdom (2006–2012)
At , Sabre most notably won the twice along with Marty Scurll in 2009 and 2010.Pro Wrestling Noah (2008–2015)
At Pro Wrestling Noah, Sabre most notably won the GHC Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship twice with Yoshinari Ogawa in 2013 and 2014.Westside Xtreme Wrestling (2006–2018)
At Westside Xtreme Wrestling, Sabre won both the wXw World Lightweight Championship and the wXw World Heavyweight Championship in 2010 unifying the titles to become the inaugural wXw Unified World Wrestling Champion. He lost the championship in the same year to Big van Walter. Sabre also won the 2015 World Tag Team Tournament for the vacant wXw World Tag Team Championship together with Big Daddy Walter.Progress Wrestling (2012–2018)
Sabre appeared for London-based Progress Wrestling on their debut show, in a losing effort to Marty Scurll, in a match voted UK Match of the Year by Alternative Wrestling Magazine, and was lauded by critics.In 2015, Sabre took part in the first ever Progress Wrestling Super Strong Style 16 tournament, competing in four matches over the weekend – defeating Zack Gibson, Tommaso Ciampa and Scurll before losing to Will Ospreay in the final. Sabre had a rematch with Ciampa in November at the first ever Manchester Progress show, which Ciampa won. In March 2016, Sabre and Ciampa teamed up to face The Origin for the Progress Tag Team Championships but failed to capture the titles. Following the loss, Ciampa beat down Sabre. The two faced each other at Progress' biggest show to date, held at the Brixton Academy in London, in a Two Out of Three falls match which Sabre Jr won.
At Chapter 40, Sabre unsuccessful challenge Pete Dunne for the Progress World Championship. He then entered to Super Strong Style 16 defeating David Starr in the first round, Jack Sexsmith in the second by losing to Travis Banks in the semi-final. Sabre entered to the Super Strong Style 16 2018, defeating Chuck Mambo in the first round, David Starr in the second round, Keith Lee in the semi final and Kassius Ohno in the final, thus winning the tournament for the first time in his career.
At Chapter 77, Sabre was defeated by WALTER for the Progress World Championship.
Pro Wrestling Guerrilla (2014–2018)
Sabre made his debut for Pro Wrestling Guerrilla at the 2014 Battle of Los Angeles on night 1 teaming with Chuck Taylor and Kenny Omega and defeating Adam Cole and The Young Bucks.In April 2015, he returned to the promotion, answering the challenge from PWG World Champion Roderick Strong in a title match at Don't Sweat the Technique in a losing effort. He then entered the 2015 Battle of Los Angeles which he eventually won.
On Night 2 of All Star Weekend 12, Sabre defeated Strong to win the PWG title for the first time. He entered his third Battle of Los Angeles tournament in September 2016, losing to Will Ospreay in the quarterfinals. On 7 July 2017, Sabre lost the PWG World Championship to Chuck Taylor. In September, Sabre entered the 2017 Battle of Los Angeles tournament, where he was eliminated by Rey Fenix in the quarter finals.
WWE (2016)
On 31 March 2016, Sabre was announced as a participant in WWE's upcoming Global Cruiserweight Series tournament, which was later renamed the "Cruiserweight Classic". His name was taken down shortly after as he would have a qualifying match at Progress Wrestling's Chapter 29 event in London to earn his spot, where he defeated Flash Morgan Webster. On 23 June, Sabre defeated Tyson Dux in his first round match. On 14 July, Sabre defeated Drew Gulak in his second round match. On 26 August, Sabre defeated Noam Dar to advance to the semifinals of the tournament, where he was defeated on 14 September by Gran Metalik. Afterwards, it was reported that Sabre's loss was due to him not agreeing to a contract with WWE unlike the two tournament finalists.New Japan Pro-Wrestling (2017–present)
On 21 February 2017, it was announced that Sabre would be making his debut for New Japan Pro-Wrestling at the promotion's 45th anniversary show on 6 March, where he would challenge Katsuyori Shibata for the RPW British Heavyweight Championship. Sabre won the match with help from Minoru Suzuki and Davey Boy Smith Jr., joining the Suzuki-gun stable in the process. The following day, Sabre pinned NEVER Openweight Champion Hirooki Goto in an eight-man tag team match. This led to Sabre unsuccessfully challenging Goto for the title on 9 April at Sakura Genesis. Sabre was left out of the 2017 Best of the Super Juniors as NJPW had decided to categorize him as a heavyweight wrestler going forward. Instead, he was announced for NJPW's premier singles tournament, the 2017 G1 Climax. Prior to the G1 Climax, Sabre took part in a tournament to crown the inaugural IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship at G1 Special in USA, where he made it to the semifinals, before losing to Tomohiro Ishii. On 17 July, Sabre scored a major win in his first G1 Climax match by submitting the reigning IWGP Intercontinental Champion Hiroshi Tanahashi. Sabre went on to finish the tournament with a record of five wins and four losses, failing to advance to the finals. On 16 September at Destruction in Hiroshima, Sabre failed in his attempt to capture the Intercontinental Championship from Tanahashi.On 28 February 2018, Sabre was announced as one of the competitors in the 2018 New Japan Cup. Sabre defeated Tetsuya Naito in the first round, Kota Ibushi in the second round and Sanada in the semi-finals, on his way to the final. On 21 March, Sabre defeated Tanahashi in the final, becoming the second gaijin to win the tournament after Giant Bernard in 2006. After the match, he challenged IWGP Heavyweight Champion Kazuchika Okada for a title shot at Sakura Genesis. On 1 April at Sakura Genesis, Okada defeated Sabre to retain the title. Zack Sabre Jr. competed in the 2018 G1 Climax where he finished with 12 points, failing to advance due to his losses against Kenny Omega & Kota Ibushi. At Wrestle Kingdom 13 he defeated Tomohiro Ishii to regain the British Heavyweight Championship. On March 2019, Sabre entered to the 2019 New Japan Cup, defeating Evil in the first round, Kota Ibushi in the second round but losing to Hiroshi Tanahashi in the quarter final. At G1 Supercard, Sabre defeated Hiroshi Tanahashi to retain the RPW British Heavyweight Championship.
Sabre was announced as a participant of the 2019 G1 Climax. He walked away with 8 points after winning four matches, beating Bad Luck Fale, Will Ospreay, fellow Suzuki Gun stablemate Lance Archer, and Kenta, whilst suffering losses to Kazuchika Okada, Sanada, Hiroshi Tanahashi, Kota Ibushi, and Evil.
At Royal Quest, Sabre lost the British Heavyweight Championship to Hiroshi Tanahashi. At Destruction in Beppu, Sabre tapped Tanahshi out to regain the RPW British Heavyweight Championship for the fourth time.
After retaining against Sanada, at Wrestle Kingdom 14, and Will Ospreay, at New Beginning in Sapporo, Sabre lost the title to Ospreay at RPW's High Stakes event. Since then, he has started teaming up with fellow Suzuki Gun stablemate Taichi in pursuit of the Golden Aces' IWGP Tag Team Championships. In the 2020 New Japan Cup, Sabre was eliminated in the first round by Ibushi. His partner Taichi, however, eliminated both Tanahashi and Ibushi from the tournament before being eliminated himself by Sanada. On July 12, at Dominion, Sabre and Taichi defeated Tanahashi and Ibushi to win their IWGP Tag Team Championships, marking Sabre’s first title win in NJPW.
Ring of Honor (2018–2019)
On 5 November 2018, it was announced that Sabre will make his Ring of Honor debut at Final Battle 2018. He defeated Jonathan Gresham.Personal life
Eatwell is a vegan.Championships and accomplishments
- Alternative Wrestling Magazine
- * UK Match of the Year vs. Marty Scurll on 25 March
- AM Wrestling
- *Round Robin Tournament
- DDT Pro-Wrestling
- *Ironman Heavymetalweight Championship
- Defiant Wrestling/What Culture Pro Wrestling
- *Defiant/WCPW Internet Championship
- Evolve
- * Evolve Championship
- German Stampede Wrestling
- *GSW Breakthrough Championship
- '
- * – with Marty Scurll
- *UK Super 8 Tournament
- *Tag Team Tournament - with Jimmy Havoc
- New Japan Pro-Wrestling
- *IWGP Tag Team Championship – with Taichi
- *New Japan Cup
- NWA-UK Hammerlock
- *NWA United Kingdom Junior Heavyweight Championship
- *Hardcore Lottery Tournament
- Premier Promotions
- *PWF Middleweight Championship
- *Ian Dowland Trophy
- *Ken Joyce Trophy
- *Worthing Trophy
- Pro Wrestling Guerrilla
- *PWG World Championship
- *Battle of Los Angeles
- Pro Wrestling Illustrated
- *Ranked No. 24 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 2018
- Pro Wrestling Noah
- *GHC Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship – with Yoshinari Ogawa
- Progress Wrestling
- *Super Strong Style 16
- Revolution Pro Wrestling
- *British Heavyweight Championship
- *Undisputed British Tag Team Championship – with Marty Scurll and Minoru Suzuki
- Solent Wrestling Federation
- *One Night Tournament
- Triple X Wrestling
- *Triple X Wrestling Heavyweight Championship
- Westside Xtreme Wrestling
- *wXw World Heavyweight Championship
- *wXw World Lightweight Championship 1
- *wXw World Tag Team Championship – with Big Daddy Walter
- *wXw World Tag Team Tournament – with Big Daddy Walter
- Wrestling Observer Newsletter'
- *Bryan Danielson Award
- *Best Technical Wrestler of the Decade
Footnotes