Zackly

Zack Sabre Jr vs Flash Morgan Webster, Cruiserweight Classic Qualifying Match (WWE)

There can't be a wrestler in the world within 40 pounds of Zack Sabre Jr.'s 181 who doesn't crave and fear a match against the guy.

Nobody wrestles like Zack. The 28-year-old may not be the most charismatic mic jockey or the most stereotypically macho. So what? He is all technique, and splendidly so, head and shoulders above anybody I can think of in working an opponent. I mean really working him down to a nub before destroying him, after a series of dumbfounding and humiliating feints, with a killing riposte at the end.

He can't be classified simply as heel or babyface. He defies categorization even in the "gray area" much touted in contemporary ring gimmickry. Somehow it never seems about winning or crowd-pleasing with Zack. It's like he has some other hidden and uniquely Zack-like agenda. As a fan for over six years, I'd say it's "art for art's sake." ZSJ is a genuine wrestling maverick.

He shows little to no emotion before, during, or after a contest. I can't think of another pro wrestler who exhibits Zack's high level of concentration during a match. Even his emotion at the end of this qualifying match shows restraint, especially when compared with Webster's volumes, especially in the context of WWE, which churns out emotion and personality like Big Macs.