Will Zack Sabre Jr. win back the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship?
Hirooki Goto shocked the world when he beat the 37-year-old back in February at the New Beginning in Osaka show. Since then, Zack has been trying to get a rematch against the newly crowned world champion. He failed to win the 2025 New Japan Cup, but the former IWGP World Heavyweight Champion earned his title shot this past weekend.
On May 9th, Goto and Zack will have their rematch at the upcoming Resurgence show. But this match will determine the official world title match at Dominion next month as Shingo Takagi was also confirmed as the next challenger for the prestigious belt at New Japan’s annual pay-per-view.
Goto has successfully defended the title five times since beating Sabre Jr. for the belt. The New Japan veteran had just beaten Callum Newman before the former world champion challenged Goto for a rematch at Resurgence.
Zack held the title previously for 120 days. He defended it four times, even beating the 2025 G1 Climax winner at Wrestle Kingdom 19. He also defeated Ricochet, Shingo Takagi, SANADA, and the prior champion, Tetsuya Naito. The IWGP World Heavyweight title match completes a stacked card that features the return of the Young Bucks, and five championship matches including Mercedes Mone vs. AZM vs. Mina Shirakawa.
Check out the advertised card for New Japan’s Resurgence show:
- IWGP World Heavyweight Championship match: Hirooki Goto (c) vs. Zack Sabre Jr.
- NEVER Openweight Championship Match: Konosuke Takeshita (c) vs. ELPH
- STRONG Openweight Championship match: Tomohiro Ishii (c) vs. Drilla Maloney
- STRONG Women’s Championship Triple Threat Match: Mercedes Mone (c) vs. AZM vs. Mina Shirakawa
- STRONG Openweight Tag Team Championship Match: Jorel Nelson & Royce Isaac (c) vs. Templario & TJP
- The Bullet Club (Gabe Kidd, Clark Connors, Gedo, & David Finlay) vs. The Young Bucks (Matt & Nick Jackson) and two mystery partners
- Fred Rosser vs. Matt Vandacriff
- Alan Breeze vs. CJ Tino