COLLECTIBLES COLUMN: A Guide to Zack Sabre Jr. Trading Cards

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For several years, Zack Sabre Jr. has been considered by many to be the best technical wrestler in the world. His rise to the top in New Japan Pro Wrestling over the last month has only increased his popularity.

Sabre, like many other independent stars of his generation, is featured in a handful of small independent trading card sets. Most of them aren’t super expensive, but they can be difficult to track down. With Sabre’s star on the rise, some of these cards could become very hot items within the next few years.

If you’re looking to add any of these cards to your collection, your best bet is to check eBay. Most of them don’t surface often, but they do pop up from time to time. It’s also worth looking at Facebook groups dedicated to wrestling trading cards in general and, more specifically, all wrestling collectibles. Also be sure to check the forum at blowoutcards.com, and visit Check Out My Cards at comc.com.

One of the best resources for obscure wrestling trading cards is huskerhavswrestlingcards.com. The owner of the site has a very extensive collection of cards for sale from the 1950s through 2018. Most of the Sabre cards he had for sale are sold out, but keep watching the site for more cards to be added.

Here’s a list of Sabre’s trading cards. If you know of any others, feel free to send them to michaelmoorewriter@gmail.com, or on Twitter by tagging @MMooreWriter.

2014 Resurrectionmagazine trading cards #33. The British pro wrestling magazine Resurrection included a limited number of trading cards in its publications since the magazine was launched in 2014. This card features the wrestlers against a Union Jack background. Collector Michael Labbe provided a picture of this card that he got signed at a Limitless Wrestling Under Fire event in Maine in 2016, when Sabre took on Chris Hero.
“Sabre was impressed that I had the card and I told him I ordered it from the UK when he asked where I got it from,” Labbe wrote on his website, thewrestlinginsomniac.com. “He signed it for free because he said I already paid for the card.”
2016 ResurrectionMagazine #34. Sabre’s second card from Resurrection magazine was produced in 2016 in very limited supply, featuring Sabre against a red background. There is some dispute as to how many cards were made; some sites say 50, others say 200. Either way, this is a very tough card to find.
2016 Pro Wrestling Guerrilla Battle of Los Angeles #21. Wrestling fan and artist Brian Ubben produced his own set of PWG trading cards to hand out at the 2016 BOLA event; he had no idea just how popular they’d become. The 28-card set was designed as an homage to the 1991 WCW cards from Impel, with a neon yellow border around a color picture of each wrestler. Sabre was in the midst of a near 500-day run as PWG World Champion when this card was released. The card features a Mikey Nolan picture of Sabre being covered in streamers. This is a tough card to find, with the most recent eBay auction ending at $15.
2016 Golden Stars Autograph. Wrestling fan Ruben Cabral independently produced a set of 15 signed cards of several top British wrestling stars in 2016. The crown jewel of the set is Sabre, who was competing in WWE’s Cruiserweight Classic tournament around the time these cards were released. These cards feature a color photo of each wrestler against a background with a golden sepia hew. A limited number of this card can still be purchased from golden-stars.kong365.com for just £2.95, or about $4.14 in U.S. dollars.
2017 Pro Wrestling Guerrilla Battle of Los Angeles #11. Ubben followed up his debut set with another retro design, this one resembling the 1991 WCW trading cards from Championship Marketing. This card is a favorite with fans and collectors, as it features Sabre pinning his opponent and flipping off the crowd. Ubben distributed a limited number of these sets himself, and Highspots.com sold a limited number of signed sets. The signed version of the Sabre card is currently listed on eBay for $29.99 or best offer.