NJPW returns to the UK for Royal Quest IV this weekend (October 20, 2024). New IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Zack Sabre Jr will make his first defense on home soil against SANADA to headline the show.
The previous three additions of Royal Quest have all featured huge moments, and five-star matches on loaded cards.
Here, we take a look at the biggest moments from the past three NJPW Royal Quest shows.
Historic Inaugural Royal Quest
The inaugural Royal Quest took over the Copper Box Arena on August 31, 2024. Despite having no TV programming in the UK, NJPW practically sold out the 7,000-capacity arena.
It was a historic night as the IWGP Heavyweight Championship was defended in the UK for the first time.
The 69th IWGP Heavyweight Champion Kazuchika Okada had the honor of defending the gold in London against Minoru Suzuki.
The British crowd cheered and chanted for both Japanese megastars. In an arena created for the 2012 Olympic Handball events, Suzuki drew huge roars when he ran the length of the entrance ramp and hit a penalty kick on Okada.
Suzuki clearly remembered the Fencing events from the London 2012 Olympics and promptly launched Okada into the crowd fence.
The full match has been added for free to the NJPW YouTube channel to promote this year’s event. So enjoy.
Royal Quest 2
London had to wait until 2022 for Royal Quest to return. Housed at the smaller Crystal Palace National Sports Centre it was packed full of big moments.
Royal Quest II began on October 1, 2022, a mere hours after NJPW Founder Antonio Inoki had passed away with a 10-bell salute to the legend.
History was made with the first opening round match in the tournament to crown the inaugural IWGP Women’s Champion. Jazzy Gabert defeated Ava White.
But the biggest moment of the two-night Royal Quest II was the Match of the Year contender for the IWGP Tag Team Championship.
FTR took on Aussie Open in a five-star classic*. Again, NJPW has been kind enough to put the full 32-minute match on its YouTube channel for free. So enjoy, again!
*According to Wrestling Observer Newsletter. But also according to the writer of this article who was in attendance at the show.
Sensational show tonight by @njpwglobal Royal Quest II. Stick FTR vs. Aussie Open on any card and it’ll be match if the year candidate.
Brilliant card from top to bottom! pic.twitter.com/THHt0AGGpU
— Laurence Gibbons (@GibbonsGob) October 1, 2022
Royal Quest III – Sabre Jr Kisses Ospreay Goodbye
Royal Quest III took place on October 14, 2023, as NJPW showcased its two biggest British stars.
In late 2016, WWE announced a United Kingdom tournament which led to it signing up a lot of the UK talent.
Two of the UK’s hottest young stars shunned WWE to focus on a career with NJPW. Will Ospreay had signed with NJPW earlier in 2016.
Sabre Jr turned down a WWE contract to sign with NJPW in early 2017.
Ospreay and Sabre Jr have battled throughout their career for PROGRESS and RevPro in the UK but also overseas in the wXw 16 Carat Gold and the PWG Battle of Los Angeles tournaments.
Leading up to Royal Quest III, the two men had shared a NJPW ring in the G1 Climax 2019 and the 2021 and 2022 New Japan Cup tournaments.
They walked into the Copper Box Arena knowing – with Ospreay AEW-bound – it would be their final NJPW match, and their final match on home soil.
They blew the roof off the arena in a phenomenal match for the IWGP US (UK) Heavyweight Championship. The matchwas followed by a heartfelt goodbye on the mic from both men, and Sabre Jr kissed Ospreay on the forehead.
A year on, Ospreay has enjoyed a run as AEW International Champion. Sabre Jr is now the IWGP World Heavyweight Champion. Safe to say both men continue to have fantastic careers.
More From LWOS Pro Wrestling
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