Former WWE Star Makes Surprise NJPW Return, Attacks IWGP Champion Zack Sabre Jr

At NJPW Power Struggle 2024, former WWE star Ricochet has issued a challenge to NJPW’s Zack Sabre Jr. for the IWGP World Heavyweight Title.

Zack Sabre Jr. defeated Shingo Takagi to retain the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship in the main event of NJPW Power Struggle.

Post match, Shota Umino came out to huge boos from the Osaka crowd and challenged Sabre Jr. for his title. Umino said that he will leave it up to ZSJ when that title shot will go down before leaving the ring.

Just when Zack Sabre Jr. was going to close out the show, AEW star Ricochet’s music hit and he came out of the crowd to hit a springboard clothesline on ZSJ.

Ricochet then got on the microphone and challenged Sabre Jr. for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship on January 5, 2025 at Wrestle Dynasty in the Tokyo Dome.

Ricochet looked to hit his new finisher when Shota Umino came back out to save Zack, but ZSJ attacked Umino, which led to Shooter hitting the Death Rider on the IWGP World Heavyweight Champion and stood tall with his title.

During the post match comments, Sabre Jr. accepted Ricochet’s challenge and teased facing Shota Umino at Wrestle Kingdom 19 on January 4 for double Dome main events.

This appearance was Ricochet’s first for NJPW since leaving WWE in June. Ricochet previously wrestled in the NJPW Junior Heavyweight division from 2013 to 2017, notably winning the 2014 Best of the Super Juniors tournament, and holding the IWGP Jr Heavyweight Tag Team and NEVER Openweight Six Man Tag Team titles during his tenure.

#AEW‘s Ricochet makes his #NJPW return! 👇

Ricochet attacked IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Zack Sabre Jr following his title defence against Shingo Takagi at NJPW Power Struggle.pic.twitter.com/7jAM957ddK

— WrestleTalk (@WrestleTalk_TV) November 4, 2024