After shooting his shot at Hiroshi Tanahashi in New Year Dash!! and following it up with a tag team match alongside The Chosen Bros tag team partner Jeff Cobb at Battle in the Valley in San Jose, Matt Riddle made his much-anticipated debut at The New Beginning in Sapporo to challenge NJPW company president Hiroshi Tanahashi for the NJPW World Television Title.

Winning the bout on the same show fellow former WWE Superstar Nic Nemeth became the IWGP Global Champion, Riddle didn't have to wait long to find his next challenger, as the “King of Bros” declared he wants a shot at the original holder of the NJPW World Television Championship, Zack Sabre Jr.

“The King of Bros finally made his way to Japan to wrestle for the best company, New Japan, then to wrestle the president of the best company, Tanahashi. Not only did I wrestle [him], not only did I beat him, but I took the Television Championship. Seems like I’m just winning titles a lot lately, and I can’t wait to defend this sooner than later. I feel like I’m on kind of a roll here. I feel good. I feel like a rude dude, if you know what I mean,” Matt Riddle told fans after his NJPW World Television Champion win via Fightful.

“You know what? I can’t defend this title just against anybody. I think I want to defend it against the man that won it in the first place, the man that I wrestled last time I was here in New Japan, Zack Sabre Jr, bro. I think last time you said my name, you called me, instead of the ‘King of Bros,' you called me the ‘King of D**kheads.' Well, you’re the d**khead, bro. I don’t like you, I don’t like where you come from, I don’t like the way you look, I don’t like the way you talk. I don’t your teeth. So Zack, bro, I can’t wait to get my hands on you and slap the taste out of…. The Mighty Don’t Kneel? You’ll kneel to the ‘King of Bros.' Where are you? You gonna make me wait? You gonna make me beg? Is Zack anywhere to be found?”

Fortunately for Riddle, ZSJ emerged and renewed their rivalry, vowing to send another member of TMDK at the “King of Bros” to challenge for the title as he sets his sights on another title, the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship. All things considered, a pretty great start to Riddle's reign with the TV Title, especially since it should lead to more fast-paced matches down the line

Zack Sabre Jr. has bigger fish to fry than Matt Riddle.

While Matt Riddle firmly wants to take a shot at Zack Sabre Jr. in an attempt to prove himself a worthy contender for the title of best technical wrestler in the world, the leader of The Mighty Don't Kneel isn't looking to remain firmly entrenched in the mid-card, as he's looking to take advantage of the exits of Kazuchika Okada and Will Ospreay to become the new face of New Japan Pro Wrestling as the IWGP World Heavyweight Champion.

“Moving on, New Beginning. There’s not really that many new beginnings in this series, is there? Same old bollocks. But one thing that’s gonna be very new from next month, we’re gonna have ourselves a new challenger because I’m gonna win the New Japan Cup for the third time, for the third bloody time. Third time’s a charm. Who am I gonna be facing? Will it be SANADA, the most handsome man in New Japan Pro-Wrestling? A much more interesting, technically proficient, and skilled wrestler? That will be much more exciting for me. But I’ll take immense satisfaction from taking the championship from Naito. I’ve beaten Naito more than he’s had dodgy haircuts. But I’ve never beaten him for an IWGP Championship, let alone the top championship in all of, not only Japanese professional wrestling, but all of professional wrestling,” Zack Sabre Jr. noted via Fightful.

“I don’t really care if it’s SANADA or Naito. The most important thing is, things are gonna bloody change. Ospreay, he’s out of here. Bye-bye, Okada. You’re gone this weekend. We’ve got a lot of young talented wrestlers, but they’re babies. They’re little puppies. They’re not f**king ready yet. Who’s ready? Zack Sabre Jr. This is my year. This is everything my career’s been building up to. I’m gonna become IWGP World Heavyweight Champion, and I’ll lead New Japan, not only into a new era, but new Strong Style.”

On paper, ZSJ isn't the prototypical face of New Japan Pro Wrestling, as he doesn't have the sort of flashy style that made performers like Kenny Omega, Will Ospreay, Jay White, and Kazuchika Okada into fan favorites. Still, if the goal is to take the promotion towards a more strong style approach, then giving the belt to Sabre Jr. is an ideal way to make that happen, as few performers can match his in-ring mastery of the technical submission style.