IWGP United States Heavyweight Champion Will Ospreay is looking forward to many more years of working with New Japan Pro Wrestling.
Ospreay debuted for the promotion in 2016 and is a former IWGP World Heavyweight Champion and three-time IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion.
The leader of the United Empire stable, Ospreay is a former NEVER Openweight Champion, the winner of the Best of the Super Juniors in 2016 and 2019, and the promotion’s sixth Triple Crown Champion.
Ospreay in New Japan
Will Ospreay’s success in NJPW is undeniable, and the British star has no plans to leave in the near future.
Speaking to Fightful on New Japan World, Ospreay said that his deal with the promotion will end in a little over a year in early 2024.
Ospreay had previously confirmed that he signed a five-year deal with New Japan in early 2019 but currently has no plans to go elsewhere.
The IWGP U.S. Heavyweight Champion has been paid “very well” by NJPW, and his heart is still with the company.
Addressing a 2016 offer by EVOLVE, Ospreay believes that joining them could have opened a lot of doors for him, but in hindsight, working with New Japan has been the right call.
Ospreay in AEW?
In June of this year, Ospreay made his debut for All Elite Wrestling attacking Trent Barretta and FTR.
Three years ago, the British wrestler that he would not sign with AEW unless they had a partnership with NJPW, which has since happened.
Ospreay said that while he has a lot of anxiety about living and staying in the U.S. he was made to feel at home with his appearances for AEW.
The full interview with Ospreay and Fightful will be released December 30 at noon EST.
Before he was All Elite, Kenny Omega was “The Cleaner.”
In late 2014, Omega joined New Japan Pro Wrestling, aligning himself with one of professional wrestling’s most dominant factions — the Bullet Club. Throughout his tenure, Omega racked up an impressive collection of titles, starting with the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship, before leveling up to the company’s biggest prize.
Omega’s last appearance with the company came on January 4, 2019 at Wrestle Kingdom 13 where he lost his IWGP Heavyweight Championship to Hiroshi Tanahashi in a grueling 39-minute match. Later that month, Kenny Omega’s contract with NJPW ended, and he moved on to his next venture in the development of a startup promotion.
The former champion soon makes his long-awaited return to NJPW for a special appearance at Wrestle Kingdom 17 against a familiar foe, Will Ospreay. There, Omega will also vie for the IWGP United States Championship. In anticipation of his return, Kenny Omega spoke with NJPW about his 4-year absence from the company he once called home.
“We always hear like ‘you’re the best in the world,’ ‘greatest matches of all time’. But maybe somebody else is the best in the world to somebody else. But to me, to truly the best, you have to be the best in all styles,” he said. “And to me, I’d never truly challenged North American professional wrestling. Not whole heartedly. I thought ‘for all the people that think I’m the best now, all the people that think I’m talented now, just you wait, because I’m going to kill it in America.'”
“I’m going to show everyone exactly why they call me the Best Bout Machine. Going to show you exactly why I was able to take small promotions and make them global. I’m going to take an upstart promotion that nobody knows existed, and turn it into the greatest competition to the greatest pro-wrestling promotion that anyone has seen in America for the past 50, 60, 70 years.'”
The King Want His Keys Back
The upstart promotion — famously known as All Elite Wrestling — quickly turned into a major competition for the dominant global enterprise, WWE. Since singing with AEW in February 2019, Omega took on the dual roles as an Executive Vice President and in-ring performer. In the ring, Omega soared into success, racking up singles, tag team, and trios’ gold in the span of three years.
“I think I’ve already made a big enough statement,” Omega said. Now, “The Cleaner” returns home for a special occasion, with some grand ideas.
“My return to the Tokyo Dome is supposed to be astronomical. This is supposed to be a celebration, a real homecoming. For all of you fans, wrestlers that have struggled for so long through this difficult time. And I understand that you guys have struggled with this for years now.”
“I know what you’re thinking- that I mean the struggle with the pandemic, no, no, no. The struggle that I’m talking about is the struggle that you guys have had to incur without me running the ship! Without Kenny Omega running the show, there’s been an absolute lack of charisma, an absolute lack of magic, an absolute lack of eyeballs watching the product. We need people watching, talking, discussing. We need New Japan parties again, guys!”
Accordingly, Omega vowed to be the “resolution” for fans “after years of hardship” they experienced without him in the promotion. At the January 4th event, Omega believes his win against Ospreay will give the people “something to really, really look forward to.”
“There’s a shift coming,” Omega declared, “and unfortunately for you Will, we’re shifting away from this experimental project that was Will Ospreay. And you gave it your best shot, congratulations. I don’t know what else you want from me, I’ll give you a pat on the back, a fruit basket, you did great. But it just wasn’t good enough, and it was nothing compared to the real deal. I’m sorry, Will, but you’re going to have to move on.”
“The king is coming back for the keys to the castle,” Omega said.
Former AEW World Champion Kenny Omega’s long-awaited return to New Japan Pro Wrestling is almost here.
The former Bullet Club leader was one of the promotion’s top main event attractions from his G1 Climax 2016 win all the way up to his highly acclaimed Wrestle Kingdom 13 main event with Hiroshi Tanahashi. After months of online bickering and tag team showdowns in AEW, Omega will face Will Ospreay one-on-one for the IWGP US Championship at Wrestle Kingdom 17.
Omega was the inaugural IWGP US Champion. He is still widely argued to have had the finest reign in the title’s history. Will Ospreay, meanwhile, moved into the US title picture this year after failing to regain the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship at Wrestle Kingdom 16 in January.
For fans, Omega vs. Ospreay has been a dream match for years. Based on a recent interview with NJPW, however, Omega does not feel the same way. “The Best Bout Machine” was critical of Ospreay’s matches as well as New Japan’s decision to highlight “The Aerial Assassin” as one of their premier acts.
“But after seeing the way that Will has led the ship [NJPW], I started to become disgusted, And I didn’t understand why ‘why are you backing him, New Japan?’ And I get it. It’s just because you had no-one else. Until now.”
– Kenny Omega
“He Was Just Like Anybody Else”
(AEW)
Kenny Omega was then asked for his initial thoughts on Will Ospreay when the then-junior heavyweight star debuted in 2016.
“How did I feel about Will Ospreay when he first arrived in New Japan? He was just like anybody else,” Omega opined. “There are so many guys like him, who can do a bunch of flips and tricks. And it’s fun to watch them practice, and it’s fun to watch their matches. But did I ever feel anything from Will Ospreay? Hmm, not so much.”
Omega went on to essentially bury Ospreay’s work as a top star in NJPW. Omega widely dismissing it as a pale imitation of his own run on top in Japan’s premier wrestling promotion.
Considering the angle Omega and Ospreay have been running this year of trying to one-up each other, it’s likely that at least some of these comments are in kayfabe.
Considering Omega’s commendable drawing power in 2017 and 2018 in New Japan, there are likely plenty of Elite fans who agree with his considering himself the superior main event star in the Land of the Rising Sun.
Kenny Omega continues to make waves in the pro wrestling industry. The former IWGP World heavyweight champion challenged Will Ospreay for a match at Wrestle Kingdom on January 4th.
Immediately following Ospreay’s IWGP United States title defense against Shota Umino, the lights went out inside the Ariake Arena. Moments later, Kenny Omega appeared on a giant screen and took Will Ospreay to task.
Omega sighted that when he left the promotion to join AEW, Ospreay was the man who set to replace him as the top Gaijin (foreigner) in New Japan Pro Wrestling. Omega would go on to antagonize Ospreay, saying that
“The crowds have gotten smaller. We can’t hear them cheering. Oh, that’s because of the pandemic! That’s the line you trot out right? But is it really? You see, there’s only one real virus here. And that’s you Will.”
Kenny Omega vs Will Ospreay is a topflight dream match Worldwide. The two men have often been compared to one another over the last few years. When Omega mentioned that Ospreay was the performer groomed to replace him when he left New Japan, he wasn’t wrong.
Omega had been considered the best in-ring performer in pro wrestling over the last 2 years of his New Japan career. His last singles match was at Wrestle Kingdom 13. Losing the IWGP World heavyweight title to Hiroshi Tanahashi.
Will Ospreay has arguably taken that metaphorical title over the last couple of years. He put on incredible performances with Omega’s biggest NJPW rival, Kazuchika Okada. Also turning in masterpieces with Shingo Takagi, sparking an enthralling rivalry that traces back to 2019.
The two men recently competed on opposite sides of the ring in AEW. Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks defeated Will Ospreay and Aussie Open in the semifinals of the AEW World Trios championship tournament. A match that was lauded by many in the pro wrestling industry.
Omega and Ospreay have met once before in singles competition. Omega emerged victorious over Ospreay in 2015 at PWG’s “All Star Weekend” event. Both men have matured and grown as wrestlers since that encounter.
Buckle up folks. We are going to open up January 2023 with a match of the year candidate at Wrestle Kingdom 17. Kenny Omega and Will Ospreay are going to tear the house at the Tokyo Dome.
Could Will Ospreay step through the Forbidden Door and compete against some of WWE’s biggest stars?
Ospreay is currently signed to New Japan Pro Wrestling and is in his first reign as IWGP United States Heavyweight Champion.
In June this year, Ospreay made his debut for AEW and defended his title against Orange Cassidy at the AEWxNJPW: Forbidden Door event.
Stepping Through the Forbidden Door
In addition to New Japan and AEW, Ospreay has competed for Progress Wrestling, Rev Pro, and Ring of Honor, among other promotions.
Ospreay has yet to compete in a WWE ring, but as he told Tokyo Sports, it is something he’s considering.
“I’ve been approached by them, so I have a lot to think about.”
Will Ospreay.
This year has seen WWE work more with other promotions, including having Impact’s Mickie James at the Women’s Royal Rumble match in January.
AEW stars were allowed to appear on Raw in June to mark the 20th anniversary of John Cena’s debut, and it is reported that the Good Brothers will compete for NJPW up until Wrestle Kingdom in January.
Opponents
If Ospreay does compete for WWE, there’s no shortage of potential Superstars for him to face.
In the interview, Ospreay discussed possible opponents, including a first-ever match and reuniting with an old foe.
“I’ve mentioned Seth Rollins’ name many times… Also, considering my history, it would be a dream to fight Ricochet again. I think that because I think we have become completely different wrestlers than when we fought in the past.”
Ricochet and Ospreay have faced off a total of 13 times according to Cagematch, which their most recent bout being in August 2017.
Will Ospreay says that his current run with All Elite Wrestling has come to an end…for now.
The Aerial Assassin competed on last night’s Dynamite main event, where he and Aussie Open (known as the United Empire) took on The Elite (Kenny Omega & the Young Bucks) in a trios title tournament semifinal. The Elite would pick up the victory after Omega hit a One-Winged Angel, but Ospreay and Aussie Open would get the last laugh as they attacked Omega and the Bucks as the show went off the air.
Ospreay and Omega have been at each other’s throats for a while, taking shots at one another online and setting up a potential singles-bout somewhere down the line.
One Final Shot At The Cleaner
Ospreay took to Twitter this morning to announce that his current run with the promotion has come to an end for the foreseeable future. He credits Tony Khan for trusting his gut, but doesn’t shy away from taking one more jab at Omega. His tweet reads:
“For the foreseeable future my time with AEW is done thanks to TonyKhan for having your own mind and not listening to KennyOmegamanX attempts at blocking me from coming to do a few matches for ya. We are even for now Ken, keep your mouth shut & we won’t have any issues.”
The former IWGP World Heavyweight champion has been featured multiple times in AEW over the last few months. He had a marquee matchup with Orange Cassidy at Forbidden Door, and competed on several Dynamites. Ospreay’s tweet can be seen below.
For the foreseeable future my time with @AEW is done thanks to @TonyKhan for having your own mind and not listening to @KennyOmegamanX attempts at blocking me from coming to do a few matches for ya.
We are even for now Ken, keep your mouth shut & we won’t have any issues.
Omega and The Bucks will face either the Dark Order or the Best Friends & Orange Cassidy at ALL OUT depending on who wins the semifinal on this Friday’s Rampage.
This week’s edition of AEW Dynamite took place in Chicago, Illinois, and served as the go-home show for the All Out 2022 Pay Per View this Sunday.
Last night’s episode saw the main event of All Out be confirmed that AEW Undisputed World Champion Jon Moxley will defend against CM Punk.
In the main event of this week’s Dynamite, Kenny Omega and the Young Bucks defeated the United Empire to advance to the finals of the AEW Trios Tag Title Tournament.
The other finalists will be determined on tomorrow night’s Rampage, with the finals scheduled for All Out.
After the Show
Once AEW Dynamite went off the air, Kenny Omega and the Young Bucks remained in the ring to the delight of the crowd. He spoke about how great it was to be in Chicago, which he called the birthplace of AEW.
The former AEW World Champion also said that it had become a privilege and a purpose to provide an alternative (though didn’t reference WWE by name) in professional wrestling.
While speaking about the upcoming Trios Tournament finals, Omega and the Bucks were attacked by the United Empire.
Grabbing the microphone, Will O’Spreay said that things between himself and Omega aren’t over by a long shot, before continuing his attack with a steel chair.
Despite the best efforts of the Young Bucks to protect their tag-team partner, the two were attacked, and the United Empire only left after Ospreay relieved an elbow to Omega.
After the attack, Omega was helped to the back by officials at ringside.
In the latest installment of the Get to Know series, we bring you a special interview with UK wrestling podcast Wresthings.
The United States has seen many independent wrestling podcasts grow and expand their reach worldwide. However, it’s not as common to see international wrestling content creators gain popularity in the U.S.
Wresthings have slowly risen as one of the most popular United Kingdom podcasts in wrestling. They’ve already grown a fanbase in their hometown of London, England, but they are also gaining popularity in America. People are taking notice of the Wresthings group, whether it be other podcasters or wrestlers.
I recently spoke with Delboy, N.K, Anarfi, VRSYJNES, and Mekz of Wresthings about their growing successful media career. Sam Blackz and Laps were, unfortunately, unavailable at the time.
Here’s the video of our discussion, followed by written highlights.
How Did The Wresthings Podcast Start?
The Wresthings podcast started as a group of wrestling fans wanting to discuss current wrestling content without being judged and making it cool to watch. Finding people still watching present-day wrestling in the UK may not be easy, particularly in the inner city community.
Working as musicians, Delboy and Anarfi know each other and bonded in an Instagram group chat about wrestling. Having a common interest, both creators decided to start the Wresthings brand.
When talking about coming together as wrestling fans to discuss wrestling, Anarfi said, “…It’s crazy because back in the day, I’d speak to people about wrestling, and the first thing people would say is oh, isn’t that fake or they say something like oh, Stone Cold still wrestling and stuff and it’s like those were conversations there I didn’t really want to hear. For example, there was a moment in time when I didn’t watch wrestling, and Del was my go-to guy.”
He continued, “…It was just nice that we can have this sort of like this forum or community, or brotherhood or sisterhood or family or whatever that we can actually come through, post our wrestling content, speak about other stuff, check on up with mental health and life and stuff. So yeah, It’s gone from us being like wrestling fans and just talking about wrestling all the time to doing other stuff and caring for each other.”
Delboy would also contact VRSYJNES and Blackz to join them as they also bonded about wrestling. They officially launched their podcast on Jan. 11, 2019. As the podcast progressed over the years, other current podcast members joined, and the brand gained popularity.
Dealing with Fame as Content Creators
While the podcast is gaining success, the group members are getting more recognized among their peers. Although it can sometimes be overwhelming, the group takes pride in helping make wrestling popular among the black community in the U.K.
The group noted how they are getting noticed in public by fans and how much it meant to them to see people love their work. Delboy shared what it meant to see his brother watching Wresthings.
“…I’m tired of my siblings watching WhatCulture. I’ll be real, said Delboy jokingly. He continued, “I’m tired of them watching What Culture and Cultaholic and Wrestletalk, no disrespect to them. I love them. I watch them all the time, but it brings a smile to my face when I’m going downstairs, and I’m watching my brother watch my podcast. it makes me feel like, yeah it’s just as important as watching Simon Miller or an Adam Blampied. For him to look at us, yeah I want to listen to your podcast. I don’t agree with this, what Anarfi said here was rubbish or what Blackz said here I enjoyed, for me it’s like yeah this is why I do it.”
Delboy also added that “…The fact that there are black kids watching us and being able to have us as an alternative to the majors, for me, it’s like we are doing what we need to do. So we have to carry on and continue until we take over, and we have all these black kids watching us.”
Their Thoughts on Clash at Castle Taking Place in Cardiff, Wales
WWE will hold its next event, Clash at the Castle, on Sep. 3 at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Wales. Although the event is in the U.K, it’s not an easy trip to make if you live in England.
Wresthings shared that they wouldn’t be able to attend, and the travel would cost more than going to New York. The group is also confused about why the event is happening in Cardiff.
“…No disrespect to Wales, but London is the capital or at least if not London, you know we have big other cities here Manchester, Birmingham, like not too sure why they went to Wales. Maybe it’s availability of the stadium, but those that are going, they’ve done hard work to make sure they are going,” said Mekz. He continued, “…I know people that are going that aren’t staying in Cardiff, which is the city it’s happening in. They are staying in other cities in Wales, just because of availability of hotels and cheaper tickets and they are going to go from those other cities into Cardiff on the day. WWE hasn’t made this show as accessible as you would like really and truly. You know, hopefully it’s a successful show for them and they come back to the U.K somewhere closer to us in general.”
Clash at the Castle isn’t sold out, with tickets still on sale at Ticketmaster. The event also has tickets available for resale.
What Are Wresthings Future Plans?
The future for Wresthings seems to be promising. Each podcast member has goals they want to accomplish for the brand.
One of the biggest things they look to achieve is creating subscription services like Patreon to create more content and earn more financial growth. However, Anarfi shared that it won’t be happening just yet.
Outside of doing weekly wrestling content, they continue to have famous U.K wrestlers sometimes appear on their show, like Will Ospreay or Gabriel Kidd. They recently had Ava White on their Aug. 12 episode, who will be competing in the IWGP Women’s Championship Tournament at Royal Quest 2 Night two on Oct. 2.
The group also discussed doing more things creatively in wrestling, like having their wrestling event under their brand. Wresthings have shown great ambition to take the brand to new levels.
They hope to continue making discussing wrestling fun and entertaining as they flourish. While it started as friends discussing WWE, Wresthings has become a successful wrestling media brand.
Earlier this year, Will Ospreay made his AEW debut, alongside his fellow United Empire teammates Kyle Fletcher and Mark Davis.
So far, Ospreay holds a 2-2 record in AEW, including a singles win over Dax Harwood at the Road Rager episode of Dynamite in June this year
Ospreay’s Accusation
Will Ospreay has been impressive in AEW so far, but his time in the company could have come much earlier.
Speaking to Wrestle Inn recently, Ospreay accused a certain top AEW star of preventing him to come to the company last year.
“The rumor was that I was meant to be in AEW a year ago, just doing Forbidden Door stuff and somebody is putting the block on it. It doesn’t take two and two to realize who it is. One person who has not been there for a while and all of a sudden, I’m welcome in with open arms.”
Ospreay’s comments are aimed at Kenny Omega, as the former AEW World Champion had been out of action for months following last November’s Full Gear Pay Per View.
It was during Omega’s absence from AEW that Ospreay made his debut for the company.
Ready to Embarrass
Despite the alleged best efforts of Kenny Omega, Ospreay is now working with AEW, and is ready to embarrass the roster.
Speaking to SEScoops correspondent Samira last October, Ospreay spoke about several AEW stars including Bryan Danielson, Kenny Omega and Sammy Guevara calling him out for a match.
“Guys like Bryan Danielson made a living being one of the best wrestlers in the world. But if I showed up, he would not last in the ring with me.”
Ospreay added that the AEW roster don’t want him to show up, because he will “embarrass” them in the ring.
The war of words between Kenny Omega and Will Ospreay continued after tonight’s episode of Dynamite from Cleveland, OH went off air.
The main event of tonight’s show saw The United Empire facing The Death Triangle in a first-round match of the AEW Trios Championship tournament.
The match was won by Ospreay and his partners. After the bout, Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks came on stage, and the two teams had a stare-down to end the show.
After the show went off air, The Cleaner took on a mic and started taking shots at the NJPW star. Will responded to this by claiming that he has done everything Omega has done, just better.
Kenny Omega and Will Ospreay
Kenny Omega then mentioned Will Ospreay’s loss to Kazuchika Okada. He claimed that nobody even remembers all the 5 star matches Ospreay has had:
“You lost to Okada. Big deal, I’ve lost to Okada too, but I’ve also beaten Okada on the biggest stage of them all, something you could never do.
And guess what? The match that I’m talking about Will? That’s the one everybody calls the best of all time, something that no one says about your matches. In fact, no one can even remember your matches Will.”
The two teams came face to face at the ringside towards the end of this segment, but they ultimately refrained from fighting each other.
The United Empire and The Elite will get the chance to settle this rivalry when they meet in the semi-finals of the ongoing tournament.
Will Ospreay is one of New Japan Pro Wrestling’s most popular stars, in addition to being the reigning IWGP United States Heavyweight Champion.
Ospreay has amassed a huge fanbase who are willing to pay for merchandise, but one shirt is no longer available to them.
The Shirt
On Twitter, PW Tees announced that a shirt of Ospreay’s has been pulled, following a cease and desist being filed.
The front of the shirt depicts the British wrestler hitting the One-Winged Angel, while the back features the phrase ‘Better Than The Best Bout Machine,’ a nod to a nickname for Kenny Omega.
In response, Omega said that the shirt raised various legal concerns in AEW, and apologized to Ospreay’s fans.
Omega added that all orders already made for the shirt will be fulfilled.
This triggered various legal concerns within #Aew . Sincerest apologies to fans of Will. We’ve made it so all orders (up to today) will be honored. https://t.co/klHnk6XGL1
Will Ospreay is furious that his shirt has been taken down, and believes Omega is acting like a hypocrite.
In a video response, Ospreay referenced Omega’s own run-ins with C&Ds, noting that WWE filed a cease and desist when he and others were using the ‘Too Sweet’ hand gesture (via Fightful.)
“I have just exposed Kenny as an insecure little b*tch. It was fine when those guys were throwing up the Too Sweet and got hit with a cease & desist. They continued to poke the bear. When it is me doing it to you guys, you have a problem with it. It’s because Kenny is a miserable little pr*ck. He takes it out on me because I’m actually having fun with my life.”
“It was fine when those guys were throwing up the Too Sweet… When it is me doing it to you guys, you have a problem with it.”
Will Ospreay
Ospreay also claimed that Omega is unhappy that AEW has now “turned into something you don’t like.”
He noted that while AEW have portrayed themselves as the underdogs to WWE, they are now “the big boys, trying to look down on the little guys.”
At Sunday’s AEW x NJPW: Forbidden Door pay-per-view event from Chicago, Illinois at the United Center, Will Ospreay defended the IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship against Orange Cassidy.
The match opened with Ospreay beating Cassidy down. Orange had some offense after fighting out a stretch hold. Orange with a superkick then several head kicks. Orange with a stunner then a driver for 2. Orange rammed Ospreay’s face into the corner camera. There was a botch when Orange hit powerslam and the referee counted the three. Orange kicked out of Hidden Blade. Will won the StormBreaker.
Post-match, Ospreay beat down Cassidy. Best Friends tried to make the save, but were taken out. Katsuyori Shibata made the save.
AEW confirmed this bout during the Road Rager special edition of Dynamite when Ospreay defeated Dax Harwood in his AEW debut. Post-match, the United Empire group attacked Harwood. Roppongi Vice and Cash Wheeler made the save with Orange Cassidy making a surprise appearance to face down Ospreay.
Andrade El Idolo revealed while speaking to Hugo Savinovich of Lucha Libre Online that he was going to be Ospreay’s opponent before politics got in the way. He was not able to work the event due to the rivalry between CMLL and AAA as NJPW has a working relationship with AAA.
Ospreay beat SANADA in the co-main event of NJPW Dominion to win the IWGP United States Championship.
What are your thoughts on Will Ospreay retaining the IWGP US Heavyweight Title? Was this the right call by AEW officials? Sound off in the comment section.
There is some good news regarding the health of NJPW star Will Ospreay.
The former IWGP World Heavyweight Champion has been out of action as of late due to a nasty kidney infection. He was said to be in horrible shape just one week ago but things are going much better now.
Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer reports that Will Ospreay has been released from the hospital and is doing considerably better.
Numerous big names in the wrestling industry sent their well wishes to Ospreay. Even Minoru Suzuki sent Ospreay a “take care” message, followed by a “f*ck you,” naturally.
There’s no word on when Ospreay will be back in action at this time.
Will Ospreay has been making headlines with his comments about WWE recently. He has now called out WWE stars in a manner that is sure to get some attention.
Speaking about WWE stars, Ospreay told them that they aren’t wrestlers. Per the high-flying star, it’s not a dig but the reality of the situation:
“You guys aren’t wrestlers, you’re actors and you just do wrestling and I don’t think that’s a dig. You guys make way more money than me like, good on you, but I just feel like when I say proudly, ‘That’s a wrestler. I am a wrestler, I am not an actor,’
But I know you guys can wrestle, you’re just not really allowed to show it, I guess.” said Will Ospreay, “But other than you want to make a lot of money and retire, that’s what WWE is kind of for these days.”
Apart from this, the NJPW star also talked about the upcoming Forbidden Door PPV. He revealed which AEW star he would like to face on the joint show.
What do you think about Will Ospreay’s comments about WWE stars? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below.
Will Ospreay is guaranteed to be featured in a big match at the upcoming AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door PPV. If it’s left up to him, he would like to face someone who is an AEW original at the show.
The former IWGP Heavyweight champion recently spoke to Wresthings podcast. He mentioned how Bryan Danielson and CM Punk are ‘obvious’ opponents for him.
Though discussing what kind of opponent he would like to face, Ospreay said that he would like to compete against a homegrown AEW star on the show:
“I would like a challenge and what I mean by that is I would like a homemade guy, like someone that didn’t come from NXT, that didn’t come from New Japan,
Because I think that’s the challenge.” said Will Ospreay, “Can I do like a sick match with someone that was born and made in AEW? … Jungle Boy, I’d love to tear it up with him.”
The NJPW star praised AEW for its product saying that it makes him excited to be a wrestling fan. He then reiterated how he would love to face a ‘grassroots’ AEW name at the PPV event.
AEW x NJPW: Forbidden Door will be taking place from the United Center in Chicago, Illinois on Sunday, June 26. No matches have been announced for the event yet but fans expect the show to feature some dream encounters.
NJPW star Will Ospreay doesn’t plan on signing with WWE in the future and his explanation may come as a surprise.
Ospreay hasn’t been shy in expressing that he isn’t a fan of the WWE product. With that said, even though WWE may not be his cup of tea, his feelings aren’t the sole reason why he won’t be joining Vince McMahon’s empire.
The real reason comes down to lifestyle.
Not WWE Bound
During an appearance on WRESTHINGS, Will Ospreay detailed the truth behind WWE not being on his bucket list (h/t Fightful).
“I have no aspirations of going to WWE, at all. It’s not because of the product or anything. I’m not a fan of it, I will happily say, but my lifestyle. I never wanted to be the big star pro wrestler.
“Japan allows me to do a tour and come home and live my family life. If anybody has ever spent more than a couple of days with me, family to me is everything. I love my mom, I love my dad, no shame in saying it.
“Love my nan and granddad and will bend over backward and fold myself in half for those guys. If you are part of that friend circle that I consider family, I’ll do the exact same thing.
“It’s important for me to have those breaks away from wrestling to be able to live that life because one day I wish to be like my dad or granddad or even my mom because they are the people that made me. I want to do that one day.”
The former IWGP World Heavyweight Champion went on to say that he’s glad that he isn’t involved in WWE-esque storylines, allowing him to simply focus on perfecting his craft in the ring.
He also said he loves NJPW as a company because the locker room has always had his back.
Will Ospreay says that he is on bad terms with Kenny Omega.
As the AEWxNJPW: Forbidden Door approaches June 26, there has been talk of Ospreay vs. Omega happening.
The two butt heads on social media regularly, and trade shots at each other in interviews too. This time, in an interview with Wresthings, Ospreay has decided to call out Omega for cutting him off online.
Ospreay stated that Omega “buried” him to his “sh*tty” fans and wants Omega to stay away from him (transcription by Fightful):
“Obviously, people want Kenny Omega, we’re not on good terms right now. When you leave the building and leave New Japan and pull me aside and say, ‘You need to step up for this company, I believe in you,’ and gas you up and gas you up hard, and you put your heart and fucking soul in trying to make this…the bar was high.
“For both myself and [Jay White], the bar was high. I actually care and want the fans who watch New Japan to be like, ‘this is professional wrestling.’ I’m doing it and destroying my body to do it, and then you cut me off online? What type of a cunt is that? I look at you and actually hold you in high regard, actual high regard, and I respect everything you’ve done.”
Ospreay then added that he does not get along with Omega because he buries him to his fans. At this point, the current RevPro British Heavyweight Champion prefers Omega to stay away from him.
“Even when you did the barbed wire exploding match that went to fucking shit, I actually was the type of guy that was like, ‘I hope they’re alright.’ The bombardment of tweets, I was probably the only guy that did that, and instead, you retaliate by burying me to your shitty fans. I’m literally doing my fucking best.
“That’s why me and Kenny don’t get along. I’m sure he has something else to say, but it’s one of those things where I prefer him to stay away from me at this point. It’s not even funny. You can destroy guys like that. You’re saying this and you’re saying that, I don’t like two-faced people. Be real, just be real, that’s all I ask for,” Ospreay said.
Interestingly, Ospreay alluded to wanting Omega in the ring with him at the AEW-NJPW collaborative event Forbidden Door last month. When Ospreay tweeted about his upcoming match with Hiroshi Tanahashi at Wrestling Dontaku, he wrote that he will “pay homage to a wrestler that largely impacted my career, to show my appreciation for his contribution & sacrifice.”
Omega responded to the tweet, assuming Ospreay is talking about him. Omega seemed embarrassed by Ospreay, writing, “You’re making it way too obvious, but thanks, I guess.”
To this, Ospreay asked if he was going to be alright for June, which is when Forbidden Door will take place.
Omega hasn’t been wrestling since late 2021. His last match was at AEW Full Gear where he lost the AEW World Title to Adam Page. During his time off, he went through multiple surgeries. It remains to be seen if the match between the two can actually take place at the supershow.
Will Ospreay is making it known that he wants to face Kenny Omega at AEWxNJPW: Forbidden Door.
Omega has been out of action since late 2021. He worked through multiple injuries as AEW World Champion. Omega underwent multiple surgeries during his time off, including for his knee and a sports hernia.
Ospreay and Omega have exchanged a lot of trash talk on social media and in interviews. On Tuesday morning, Ospreay tweeted about his upcoming match against Hiroshi Tanahashi at Wrestling Dontaku (5/1/22). He wrote, “I will be paying homage to a wrestler that largely impacted my career, to show my appreciation for his contribution & sacrifice.”
Omega assumed Ospreay was talking about him, and said, “thanks, I guess.” Ospreay reacted with an inquiry about Omega’s health, and whether or not he’ll be healthy by June.
— Will Ospreay • ????????? (@WillOspreay) April 26, 2022
AEWxNJPW: Forbidden Door takes place Sunday, June 26th from Chicago, IL.
No matches have been announced as of this writing, but wrestlers from both companies are already making challenges and dropping hints about who they want to face. Omega vs. Ospreay would be a match worthy of this inter-promotional super-card.
A few months ago, Will Ospreay spoke to SEScoops and expressed his desire to work with AEW stars. To put it more bluntly, Ospreay expressed his desire to “embarrass” the likes of Kenny Omega, CM Punk and Bryan Danielson.
“If you guys really want it that bad, you know what to do,” Ospreay told SEScoops. “You just gotta call my number and I’ll show up. I’ll show up. But 9 times out of 10, these guys don’t want me to show up. Because A, I’ll embarrass them. I’ll embarrass them.”
“Guys like Bryan Danielson made a living being one of the best wrestlers in the world. But if I showed up, he would not last in the ring with me. Kenny Omega was THE guy in New Japan Pro Wrestling. He left. I took over. Nobody could compete with me in 2019. If I got in the ring with him, I’d embarrass him.”
Jon Moxley and Will Ospreay are set to face off for the first time ever under the NJPW banner.
Ospreay has been calling out Moxley, who responded today in a promo posted by NJPW. Moxley challenged Ospreay to face him at NJPW Windy City Riot on Saturday, April 16.
Moxley warned him in the promo that Ospreay’s words have consequences and while he may never have seen a wrestler more talented than Ospreay, it might be time for Moxley to beat some humility into him.
Ospreay first called out Moxley at a Revolution Pro Wrestling event last month and then again backstage on the New Japan Cup tour recently.
BREAKING@jonmoxley has responded to @willospreay– and has demanded a fight April 16 in Chicago!
Windy City Riot will air live on Fite TV as a pay-per-view from the Odeum Expo Center in Villa Park, Illinois. No matches have been officially confirmed for the show, but the following names are advertised to appear:
Don’t expect Will Ospreay to do business with any promotion outside of NJPW anytime soon.
Ospreay competed in the main event of Wrestle Kingdom 16 night two. The night prior, Kazuchika Okada captured the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship from Shingo Takagi.
The storyline going into WK was that Ospreay was the self-proclaimed “real” IWGP World Heavyweight Champion since he was forced to vacate the title due to injury. He considered the winner of Okada vs. Takagi an interim titleholder.
Will Ospreay Slams Forbidden Door Shut
Will Ospreay fell short in his title match with Okada. During the post-Wrestle Kingdom press conference, the former IWGP king made it clear to reporters that he has no interest in wrestling for another promotion (via POST Wrestling).
“I apologize to the fans that want to fantasy book but I’m not walking through no forbidden door seeing that door is firmly closed for me. And, I’m not signing my life away to someone else so I can get fired eight months down the line.
“I ain’t going anywhere. I’m back in New Japan Pro Wrestling and I’m going to stay here until I main event another Tokyo Dome because I will and I will hold this championship once more.
“Until then, you can have it back. I don’t need your help, I don’t need any friends, I’ve got my brothers [United Empire]. This isn’t the last you’ve seen of me.”
Just hours after Ospreay’s jab at WWE’s release sprees, the company announced a new wave of NXT cuts. Office workers, coaches, writers, and talents have been let go.
Time will tell what’s next for Ospreay following WK 16. The United Empire members went 0-3 on night two of NJPW’s biggest event of the year with Great-O-Khan losing to SANADA and Jeff Cobb falling short against Tetsuya Naito.
Wrestle Kingdom 16 is set to be a three-night event for the very first time in the history of New Japan Pro Wrestling’s biggest show.
The traditional January 4th show took place with Shingo Takagi defending his IWGP World Heavyweight Championship against Kazuchika Okada in the main event.
The winner of that bout, Okada, would then go on to face Will Ospreay as the main event of Night 2 on January 5th.
According to Eastern Lariat, the attendance for Wrestle Kingdom Night 2 compared to Night 1 can only be considered a disaster.
The attendance for Night 1 of the event was 12,047 and Night 2 of the event was 6,379.
Wrestle Kingdom Night 2 Poor Attendance
There’s a number of reasons as to why the number was so low, as mentioned it is traditional for January 4th to be the date of the big event for New Japan.
Much like you see ‘casual’ fans decide to go to WrestleMania in the US, there may be a number of fans in Japan that opted to go out for the traditional 04/01 show.
Another reason for the abysmal number (comparative to Night 1) may well be the main event itself; which when you look into it objectively, falls on the shoulders of Ospreay as Okada was in the main event of Night 1.
Whatever the reasoning may be, it will be interesting to see what the attendance is for the NJPW vs NOAH event that will be taking place on Saturday 8th January.
The attendance for the second day of Wrestle Kingdom is 6,379. HALF the number compared to day 1. #njwk16https://t.co/sg99KBW154
SEScoops has learned Will Ospreay is no longer scheduled to debut for Major League Wrestling (MLW).
Back in October, MLW announced Ospreay would be coming in some time this fall. Unfortunately, Ospreay’s MLW debut was not meant to be.
We reached out to the self-proclaimed “real” IWGP World Champion, who confirmed to us that the deal is off.
We have some additional details on why the booking fell through. According to a well-placed source, MLW’s working relationship with New Japan Pro Wrestling ended in mid-November.
MLW informed NJPW it was now also working with All Japan, which didn’t sit well with them. New Japan works with NOAH, but not All Japan.
Will Ospreay has commented on his status with MLW. In a tweet sent out on Tuesday, Big Match Billy says he does hope to eventually work with MLW.
Lads MLW will happen. Just not when it was meant too.
Luckily, there’s no shortage of talent available on the free agent market to help MLW keep its roster fresh with top-tier talent. The company recently announced an Open Door policy for free agents. The first high-profile name to utilize this policy is reigning ROH Women’s Champion Rok-c, who is set to make her MLW debut next month.
In recent weeks, we’ve seen several big names teasing involvement with MLW. Braun Strowman has been teasing a match with MLW World Champion Hammerstone.
Former MLW World champ Shane ”Swerve” Strickland, soon to be a free agent, was also among the many wrestlers to take notice of the Open Door policy on social media.
MLW’s next live event, Blood & Thunder, is scheduled for Friday, January 21st from Dallas, Texas. Tickets are now available at Eventbrite.
New Japan Pro Wrestling President Takami Obari has addressed Will Ospreay’s status for Wrestle Kingdom 16, which takes place from January 4-6, 2022.
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announced yesterday that the country is banning foreigners from enterting the country indefinitely. Japan also joins other countries that are trying to combat the new variant of COVID-19, Omicron.
Japan’s new travel restriction casts doubt on wrestlers like Will Ospreay participating in Wrestle Kingdom 16.
In an interview with Tokyo Sports, Obari addressed the situation. He shared that Ospreay should be able to visit Japan because he has a work visa. However, the situation in Japan can change.
“Under the current rules, foreign wrestlers who are regularly participating in the war are not expected to enter the country. I’ve heard that (regular foreign wrestlers) have visas to work in Japan, so they will be treated as re-entry. This has been confirmed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs,” said Obari.
Ospreay tweeted the following, reassuring fans that he’ll be there on January 5th.
Ospreay will return to Japan for NJPW since his match with Shingo Takagi at Wrestling Dontaku on May 4. It was also the last match that he defended the NJPW Heavyweight Championship before vacating the title due to a neck injury. After Ospreay relinquished the title, Takagi defeated Kazuchika Okada to win the vacant NJPW Heavyweight Champion at Dominion on June 7. To get back into the title picture, Okada won the G1 Climax.
It’s unclear if NJPW planned to have all three wrestlers involved, but the Ospreay injury helped build an eight-month storyline.
Wrestle Kingdom Three Night Event
Wrestle Kingdom 16 will be a three-night event. It is also the first three-night Wrestle Kingdom in NJPW history. The main event of Night One on January 4 will be Takagi vs. Okada for the NJPW Heavyweight Championship. The winner of Night One will also defend the championship against Ospreay in the main event of Night Two on January 5. It is unclear if the winner will defend the NJPW Heavyweight Champion on Night Three on January 6.
For now, it seems Ospreay will get his opportunity to reclaim the NJPW Heavyweight Championship on January 5. It is unclear if he is in Japan currently. However, with the new variant of COVID-19, NJPW may also need to have a backup plan just in case.
The NJPW Strong Showdown tapings were held from the 2300 arena in Philadelphia over the weekend. The tapings featured stars such as Will Ospreay, Jon Moxley, Minoru Suzuki and more.
SEScoops correspondent Samira was on hand for both nights and sent in these detailed results.
Showdown saw several big announcements, including the confirmation of the NJPW debut of former WWE star Buddy Matthews for an upcoming show in November.
The main event match of the first night of tapings saw Suzuki going up against Chris Dickinson. He defeated Dickinson using his signature gotch-style piledriver.
The second night featured a Philly street fight between the teams of Minoru Suzuki & Lance Archer and Jon Moxley & Eddie Kingston for the main event.
This extreme match was won by the team of Suzuki and Archer with the opponents shaking hands at the end. Here are the quick results from both nights of NJPW Strong Showdown tapings
NJPW Strong Showdown Night 1 Results:
Hikuleo defeated Kevin Knight
Bateman, Misterioso, and Barrett Brown, defeated Brody King, Karl Fredericks, and The DKC: Bateman pinned DKC to win the match for his team.
JR Kratos, Royce Isaacs, and Jorel Nelson defeated David Finlay, Alex Coughlin, and Yuya Uemura: Isaacs won the match for his team when he pinned Uemura with some help from Nelson. Kratos and Coughlin got into a fight after this match. Crowd chanted “F**k you Kratos” and in response, Kratos flipped everyone off.
Juice Robinson defeated El Phantasmo: After the match, Juice called out Impact Wrestling star Moose.
Alex Zayne defeated Ariya Daivari: The two showed respect to each other by shaking hands at the end.
Fred Rosser & Rocky Romero defeated Tom Lawlor & Danny Limelight: Rosser pinned Lawlor for the win. In response, Lawlor attacked him after the match. Danny then gave scissors to Lawler. Lawlor ended up cutting Rossers’ hair while the crowd chanted “you sick f**k”
Ren Narita & Clark Connors defeated Will Ospreay & TJP: Ospreay tried to attack Narita after the bout but Narita countered. He then got on the mic and expressed the desire to face Will Ospreay.
Jay White defeated Fred Yehi: post-match, Jay White issued an open invitation for anyone from any company to come and fight him for the Never Openweight title.
Minoru Suzuki defeated Chris Dickinson: After the match, Suzuki says tomorrow night: “Jon Moxley. Eddie Kingston. F**k you.”
NJPW Strong Showdown Night 2 Results:
Yuya Uemura & Kevin Knight defeated Juice Robinson & David Finlay
El Phantasmo & Chris Bey defeated Lio Rush & Ariya Daivari: Bey pinned Daviari for the win
Jonathan Gresham defeated Alex Coughlin: The two shaked hands after the match
Fred Rosser, Karl Fredericks, Rocky Romero, Ren Narita & The DKC vs. Tom Lawlor, JR Kratos, Royce Isaacs, Jorel Nelson & Danny Limelight: The match ended in DQ after everyone started attacking each other. Rosser showed up with a shaved head after last night. At one point, Tom got onto the mic and said that he was tired of Romero and Rosser who he called with his WWE name Darren. He said that Darren will be the next loser to the title.
Brody King, Daniel Garcia and Chris Dickinson defeated Bateman, Misterioso Jr and Barrett Brown: King picked up the victory for his team.
TJP defeated Clark Connors: Connors was holding the rope but the referee didn’t see it
Jay White & Hikuleo defeated Fred Yehi & Wheeler Yuta: White won the match by pinning Yuta. He grabbed the mic after the match but dropped it and then left without saying anything.
Will Ospreay defeated Alex Zayne
Minoru Suzuki & Lance Archer defeated Jon Moxley & Eddie Kingston: The brawl went all over the place including the parking lot. The opponents shook hands after the bout.
