NJPW has announced that the current IWGP heavyweight champion Will Ospreay will be vacating the championship due to a neck injury.
The company announced the news on their website early Thursday morning. The high flying star suffered the injury during his title defense against Shingo Takagi on the night two of Wrestling Dontaku in Fukuoka on May 4.
Due to the injury, Ospreay will be returning to UK for his treatment and rehabilitation and he will not be able to participate in upcoming NJPW events.
Since a timetable for his return to action is not known, the company officials have made the decision to vacate the title. An announcement about the future of the championship will come at a later date.
Will Ospreay In NJPW
Will Ospreay has been with NJPW since 2016. He started his career in the company as part of their junior heavyweight division and won the junior heavyweight title for the first time in October 2017.
The English star found his own United Empire stable in 2020. He went on to win the 2021 New Japan Cup, which also earned him the right to challenge Kota Ibushi for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship.
Ospreay then defeated Ibushi for the title at Sakura Genesis in April earlier this year to become the new heavyweight champion before being forced to vacate it. We will keep you posted about his health and the future of the title.
