Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Hirooki Goto IWGP World title match confirmed for NJPW Resurgence

New challengers have emerged for Hirooki Goto’s IWGP World Heavyweight Championship.

Goto successfully defended the title against Callum Newman on night two of Wrestling Dontaku in Fukuoka on Sunday. After the match, he was confronted by Zack Sabre Jr., followed by Shingo Takagi.

ZSJ, who Goto defeated for the belt at New Beginning in Osaka, was the first to appear, challenging the champion to a rematch at NJPW Resurgence this Friday May 9, in Ontario, California. NJPW has since officially confirmed the match. Before Goto could respond, Shingo Takagi made his entrance and said he would face the winner of Goto vs. ZSJ at NJPW Dominion on June 15 in Osaka.

“You have a title, a beautiful wife and kids and Hontai behind you. I have no title, no family and now no faction,” Takagi said to Goto, referring to the state of LIJ following Tetsuya Naito’s NJPW departure. “But that means I’m looking at the top.”

Goto wasn’t the only champion confronted on the show. After Yota Tsuji’s successful defense of the IWGP Global title, he was challenged by Bullet Club War Dogs member Gabe Kidd for a potential title match at Dominion.

NJPW Resurgence lineup for Friday, May 9, 2025:

  • IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Hirooki Goto defends against Zack Sabre Jr.
  • NEVER Openweight title: Konosuke Takeshita defends against ELP
  • Strong Openweight title: Tomohiro Ishii defends against Drilla Moloney
  • Strong Women’s title: Mercedes Mone defends against AZM and Mina Shirakawa
  • Strong Openweight Tag Team titles: World Class Wrecking Crew defend against Templario and TJP
  • Eight-man tag match: Gabe Kidd, David Finlay, Clark Connors, and Gedo vs. The Young Bucks & TBA
  • Fred Rosser vs. Matt Vandagriff
  • Strong Survivor match: Allan Breeze vs. CJ Tino