Zack Sabre Jr. has spent years building a case as one of the most distinctive submission wrestlers of his era, but he is not prepared to make the biggest possible claim about his standing just yet. Ahead of his CMLL World Heavyweight Championship challenge against Hechicero at Lucha Kingdom, Sabre addressed the question of whether he considers himself the greatest technical wrestler of all time with a response that was both modest and revealing.
The CMLL and New Japan Pro-Wrestling event is set for November 16 at Arena México, with Sabre Jr. challenging Hechicero in one of the show’s marquee matches. It is a fitting stage for a bout built around technique, counters and grappling ingenuity, as both men have made complex mat wrestling fundamental to their identities.
During an appearance on Esto es Lucha Podcast, Sabre Jr. was asked directly whether he believes he is the greatest technical wrestler ever. Rather than declaring himself the standard, the British star said he wants more time before he can offer that answer.
“Uh, ask me in 20 years time, and hopefully I can say yes,” Sabre Jr. said with a laugh. “The thing that drives me every match is that I want to be the greatest technical wrestler of all time. It’d be self-indulgent for me to say. But yeah, that’s the driving force.”
For more background on this topic, read Alice Crowley Targets Arena México Milestone as CMLL Women’s Grand Prix Begins.
The answer captures the tension at the heart of Sabre Jr.’s body of work. His reputation has been forged through an unusually intricate approach to professional wrestling, one in which a wrist control can become a route to an armbar, a leg entanglement can create an escape into a pinning predicament, and a small positional error can determine a match. Yet Sabre’s own assessment is that the pursuit matters as much as the current acclaim.
For Sabre Jr., the claim of being the greatest is not presented as a finished achievement. It is a target that continues to shape his preparation and performance. His comments suggest that, regardless of the recognition he has already received, he sees every bout as another chance to refine the style that has defined him.
A Technical Collision at Arena México
The November 16 championship match places that ambition in front of one of lucha libre’s most historic audiences. Arena México is a venue with immense importance to CMLL, and Lucha Kingdom brings together CMLL and NJPW for a card designed to spotlight the relationship between the promotions. Sabre Jr.’s challenge of Hechicero adds a particularly compelling stylistic element to that collaboration.
Hechicero enters as the CMLL World Heavyweight Champion and as a wrestler with his own deeply recognizable technical foundation. His work blends traditional lucha libre movement with holds, leverage-based control and sudden transitions that can change the direction of a match without warning. That makes him an especially intriguing opponent for Sabre Jr., whose own offense is built on finding openings before most wrestlers would consider them available.
Rather than a straightforward clash between a visiting challenger and a home-promotion champion, the match carries the possibility of a sustained battle for control. Both men are known for turning escapes into attacks and attacks into traps. In a championship environment, the ability to remain composed while navigating those exchanges may be as important as any individual hold.
Sabre Jr.’s remarks also add another layer to the contest. If his driving force is to become the greatest technical wrestler of all time, challenging a champion such as Hechicero on CMLL turf is exactly the kind of test that can strengthen his case. The result will not settle a subjective, era-spanning debate by itself, but the match offers a major opportunity to demonstrate the qualities Sabre Jr. values most.
Sabre Jr. Refuses to Make the Final Declaration
Professional wrestling is filled with sweeping self-assessments, and competitors regularly use bold declarations to frame the stakes of major matches. Sabre Jr. took a different route. He did not dismiss the idea that he could eventually be regarded as the greatest technical wrestler ever, but he did not frame that designation as something he already owns.
His reference to being asked again in 20 years leaves room for the long view. Greatness, particularly in an area as broad and subjective as technical wrestling, is measured through more than a single run or a single championship. It is shaped by longevity, adaptability, the level of opposition, the influence of a wrestler’s work and the ability to remain compelling as the sport changes.
Sabre Jr. made clear, however, that the goal is not abstract. He identified it as the force behind his approach every time he steps into the ring. That is an important distinction: he is not merely accepting praise for his technical ability; he is actively chasing a standard that he believes requires continued growth.
The upcoming bout with Hechicero gives that mission a direct competitive setting. A championship match demands urgency, but it may also reward patience. Sabre Jr. and Hechicero are both capable of making a contest feel like a sequence of problems to solve, with every counter creating a new question. At Arena México, the CMLL World Heavyweight Championship will be on the line, but the match will also serve as a showcase for two wrestlers whose strengths are rooted in precision.
Dangerous Tekkers Reunite for a Victory
Before turning full attention toward Lucha Kingdom, Sabre Jr. was also in action at Taichi’s NJPW event held at Taichi’s old middle school. The event featured a reunion of Dangerous Tekkers, bringing Sabre Jr. and Taichi back together as a team.
Dangerous Tekkers earned a win over Naomichi Marufuji and Yoshinobu Kanemaru. The result gave Sabre Jr. a successful outing alongside one of his most familiar partners as his major CMLL title challenge approaches.
The reunion was notable because the Dangerous Tekkers name carries a clear connection to the same technical and hard-edged sensibilities that have surrounded Sabre Jr.’s career. Teaming with Taichi again allowed Sabre to return to a pairing that has long been associated with a calculated approach inside the ring. Against Marufuji and Kanemaru, the team came away with the victory in a match that added momentum to Sabre Jr.’s schedule.
While the tag-team win does not change the singles championship stakes awaiting him in Mexico City, it does provide a reminder of the range of environments in which Sabre Jr. operates. He can move from an NJPW event tied to Taichi’s personal history to a high-profile CMLL title match at Arena México, all while maintaining the same core objective he described on the podcast.
The Championship Opportunity Ahead
Hechicero will have home-field advantage, championship status and the responsibility of representing CMLL’s top heavyweight title when he meets Sabre Jr. on November 16. Sabre Jr., meanwhile, arrives as a challenger whose career has made him a natural fit for a match centered on grappling excellence.
That alignment of styles is what makes the contest stand out. This is not simply a title opportunity for Sabre Jr.; it is a chance to compete against a champion whose wrestling philosophy can meet his own on highly technical ground. Fans expecting a conventional power struggle may instead see a contest defined by control of the limbs, balance, positioning and the ability to anticipate an opponent’s next adjustment.
Sabre Jr. has not claimed the title of greatest technical wrestler of all time, and he does not believe he should do so at this point. But he has plainly stated that the pursuit of that distinction is what motivates him. At Lucha Kingdom, that pursuit will take him into one of wrestling’s most iconic buildings against Hechicero and with the CMLL World Heavyweight Championship at stake.
Whether Sabre Jr. leaves Arena México with the championship or not, his comments make his mindset clear. He is still chasing the highest possible level of technical mastery, and he views the years ahead—not the praise already received—as the place where his ultimate legacy will be decided.
Darryl Polo
Darryl Polo is a passionate wrestling fan covering WWE, AEW, TNA and beyond. He loves great rivalries, breakout stars and the moments that keep fans talking long after the bell. How we work.