Will Ospreay will battle Alex Zayne at Night 2 of NJPW’s New Japan Showdown event, which takes place Sunday night from Philadelphia, PA.

SEScoops correspondent Samira spoke with Ospreay earlier this month about what this match means to him and how he’s been preparing for their showdown.

“Big Match Billy” says that he’s been watching the man formerly known as Ari Sterling for a long time. “I used to watch Alex Zayne when I was a backyard wrestler,” he began. “When it was frowned upon to be called a backyard wrestler, because we were the dirt underneath everyone’s feet in the wrestling industry. But it does make me laugh now seeing how the world is with professional wrestling and all the backyarders I used to wrestle with are now on top of the world.”

Ospreay said Zayne is “just getting back from his excursion over in Orlando.” He’s curious if Zayne learned anything in NXT, or if he’s the same guy he grew up watching that he just outgrew.

This is a big challenge for the self-proclaimed Real IWGP World Heavyweight Champion, so we were curious what he’s doing to prepare for such a unique opponent.

“I’m trying to drop a little bit of weight, because I do know Alex. He’s very unorthodox. He reminds me of myself when i was a Junior Heavyweight, so i’m trying to drop down some weight, so that way I can move a bit quicker. I think we’re roughly about the same height and the same build, but if I outpace him and I know I can strike harder than him. His strikes aren’t nearly as polished and clean as mine.”

• Will Ospreay Ready to Embarrass AEW’s Top Stars (Exclusive)

Alex Zayne’s Speed Advantage

Opsreay questions if Zayne will be able to fight ‘dirty enough’ to hang with him, because he remembers Zayne as being a clean cut wrestler who just wanted to be liked by the fans. “I mean, I was in that position a long time, I’m just not that guy anymore,” he said. “If I get a shot to give you an elbow to the back of the head, I’m going to do it.”

Ospreay really wants to pick up a victory here and knows that he’ll have to be ready for Alex Zayne’s high-flying move-set.

“He can do the same tricks that I used to be able to do when I was 15kg’s lighter and I think we’re roughly the same body weight, so his acrobatics are going to have more impact behind them. So, I’m definitely going to keep me eye on when he does ascend to the top rope, because that’s when i’m going to be at my most vulnerable.”

• Will Ospreay Set To Make MLW Debut This Fall

Check out Samira’s full interview with Will Ospreay:

Will Ospreay continues to make his mark in NJPW and RevPro, but now MLW has entered the fray.

That right, the self-proclaimed “real” IWGP World Heavyweight Champion will be making his debut for MLW. The announcement was made during an MLW Embedded segment on the MLW FIGHTLAND special.

Will Ospreay will make his MLW debut sometime in the fall.

MLW boss Court Bauer had teased on social media, “Someone is coming to MLW and it has a certain billionaire tripping over himself to undermine it.”

Back in August, Ospreay made his surprise return to NJPW. He had been out of action with a neck injury and was even stripped of the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship. Will Ospreay showed up at Resurgence in Los Angeles.

Ospreay declared himself to be the real IWGP World Heavyweight Champion. This is despite the fact that Shingo Takagi is the actual titleholder. Don’t tell that to the leader of the United Empire, however, as he considers Shingo to be an “interim” champion.

Ospreay, who also holds the British Heavyweight Championship in RevPro, said he’d make NJPW Strong his home. He vowed not to come back to Japan until NJPW apologizes and recognizes him as the true IWGP World Heavyweight Champion.

Perhaps the MLW announcement shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise. After all, Ospreay did warn fans that you never know where he might show up.

SEScoops recently interviewed Ospreay, who took shots at AEW stars CM Punk, Bryan Danielson, and Kenny Omega.

The sky is the limit for Ospreay just about anywhere he goes, and MLW is no exception. Who will he target first? Could he be looking to recruit an MLW talent for the United Empire?

Will Ospreay is fed up with people like CM Punk, Kenny Omega, Bryan Danielson and others dropping his name.

The self-proclaimed “real” IWGP World Heavyweight Champion is gearing up for a clash against Alex Zayne. That match will take place at NJPW Showdown, a 2-night event taking place October 16th & 17th from Philadelphia’s historic 2300 Arena.

Ospreay spoke to SEScoops correspondent Samira this week about his preparation for that event, why he can’t stand American wrestling fans, and much more.

When asked who he wants to wrestle in the months ahead, ‘Big Match Billy’ named Kazuchika Okada as the only person he cares about from Japan. “The guy’s been ducking me for a while now,” he said.

However, there are several other people on his radar. Ospreay tells SEScoops that he’d “love” to wrestle CM Punk, as well as some of the other AEW stars who have called him out in recent months.

Ospreay Ready to Embarrass AEW’s Top Stars

CM Punk named Will Ospreay as someone he’d like to work with during a March 2020 appearance on the Swing & Mrs. Podcast. Punk is now an active competitor for AEW, bringing this potential dream match one step closer to reality.

“I would still love that match with CM Punk,” he began. “He’s the one that called me out. He said, ‘I want to wrestle Will Ospreay.’ So with that, Bryan Danielson, he said ‘I want to wrestle Will Ospreay’ and I get it. Kenny Omega wants to wrestle Will Ospreay. Take a ticket and I’ll get to you when I get to you guys. They called me out. Sammy Guevara, he’s another one that called me out.”

He continued, “There’s a list that goes on and on and on. They all call me out and there’s a reason why. Because when Big Match Billy is in town, their stock goes up. Everyone that wrestles me – and you can’t deny it – every single person that wrestles me ups their game because they know they’re going to be in the ring with one of the best wrestlers in the world right now. So, I completely understand it.”

These Guys Don’t Want Me To Show Up

Ospreay continued railing against Punk, Danielson, and Omega.

“If you guys really want it that bad, you know what to do. 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.”

Best in the World

“CM Punk called me out when he wasn’t a wrestler. So in that case, he was keeping an eye on me the entire time, looking at me and thinking I’m a challenge – and damn right, I’m a challenge. I’m THE challenge. So, if those guys want it, I’m ready. But, you guys hit me up. I didn’t hit none of you guys up.”

Ospreay took offense to the notion that CM Punk could still be considered the best in the world. “Is he though? He says he’s the best wrestler in the world. When was he saying that, 2011? Was he the best in the world, or was he the best of the bad bunch? Maybe you were the best at that time. Are you the best now? No. You’re nowhere near Will Ospreay’s level. So step up, brother. I’m ready for you.”

Matches for Will Ospreay and Minoru Suzuki have been added to the NJPW Strong Showdown tapings.

On Oct. 16 and 17, NJPW will be holding its Strong Showdown tapings. The action will take place inside the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia, PA.

NJPW has announced that Suzuki and Ospreay will be in action at the tapings in separate matches. Suzuki will meet Chris Dickinson on Oct. 16, while Ospreay will do battle with Alex Zayne on Oct. 17.

“A first time ever singles encounter will see the Dirty Daddy Chris Dickinson go toe to toe with Minoru Suzuki. At one point scheduled for independent events before the COVID pandemic disrupted the entire wrestling world, NJPW STRONG can now bring about this fated dream match. Dickinson is as respected as they come as a striker and grappler, but can he match up with the King? This is an encounter you will need to witness live and in person at the 2300 Arena next month!

“Night two in Philadelphia will see Alex Zayne in singles action against “IWGP World Heavyweight Champion” Will Ospreay. Alex Zayne was a viral sensation when he first got the opportunity to compete in NJPW STRONG, and after a brief sojourn to WWE, returns to STRONG with a huge test awaiting him. Whether his title claims are legitimate or not, Ospreay is indisputably one of the best wrestlers in the world, but could Zayne surprise the Commonwealth kingpin in Philly?”

Ospreay returned to NJPW at Resurgence after being away due to injury. Ospreay brought an IWGP World Heavyweight Title belt with him. He claimed to be the real world champion and said Shingo Takagi is an interim titleholder. Ospreay said he’ll be wrestling on Strong for a while.

As for Suzuki, he will miss out on this year’s G1 Climax in Japan. This has freed the Japanese wrestling legend to work dates in the United States.

AEW Champion Kenny Omega reportedly wants to face two major New Japan Pro Wrestling stars in Jay White and Will Ospreay.

This news was reported in the latest issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter amid both Ospreay and Omega going back and forth on social media.

Although AEW does not actually have any plans to have the Kenny Omega vs Will Ospreay match in the company at this time, both men are eager to get the ball rolling and get the contest confirmed.

It remains to be seen if All Elite decides to bring in Ospreay, as clearly there is a want from the EVP and Champion of the promotion to have the match.

Jay White is also an intriguing proposition, as the leader of Bullet Club has more of a storyline intertwined with The Elite ‘leader.’

White has also been working for IMPACT Wrestling over the past couple of months, so there is potentially scope for him to make the move to All Elite based on the ‘Forbidden Door’ concept bringing AEW, IMPACT and NJPW together in a working relationship.

IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Will Ospreay has teased that there will potentially be more members added to his United Empire stable.

The Revolution Pro Heavyweight Champion appeared on a card today in London for the promotion, teaming with the tag team of the Young Guns to take on Sunshine Machine and Ricky Knight Jr.

“These Young Guns better be the real deal,” Will Ospreay wrote on social media ahead of the match. “They have an opportunity to join me and the UE if they impress enough. Today at the 229 Next Week, York Hall!!!”

Will Ospreay on Young Guns

It has not been confirmed if Ethan Allen and Luke Jacobs of Young Guns and NorthWest Strong will be joining the United Empire, or if they will be making their way to New Japan Pro Wrestling.

Young Guns are regarded as one of the best up and coming tag teams on the British scene, with the duo having appeared for Rev Pro as well as Futureshock and PROGRESS Wrestling on Peacock and WWE Network.

Ospreay is due to return to the United States shortly for NJPW STRONG tapings ahead of a potential return to Japan for a unification bout against Shingo Takagi to crown the ‘true’ IWGP World Champion.

That match will hopefully be taking place at Wrestle Kingdom in January, which is set to be a three-day event for the first time in New Japan Pro Wrestling history.

Former IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Will Ospreay is teasing a new member of his United Empire faction will debut soon. He teased that his “buddy” will debut on the NJPW shows in Texas on September 25th and 26th.

Ospreay is scheduled to face Karl Fredericks on the 25th and is then scheduled to team with a mystery partner to face Fredericks and Clark Connors on the 26th.

The former Buddy Murphy, now using the name Buddy Matthews, seemingly responded to Ospreay’s comments.

Matthews was released from his WWE contract on June 2nd and is now believed to be free to sign with other promotions. The 32-year-old had been with WWE since 2013. In his time with the company, Murphy won the NXT tag-team championships once along with Wesley Blake, the Cruiserweight Championship once, and also held the RAW tag-team titles on one occasion along with Seth Rollins.

Ospreay debuted the United Empire faction last October. Current members included Jeff Cobb, who recently defeated Kazuchika Okada at Wrestle Grand Slam, Aaron Henare, and Great-O-Khan. Bea Priestley was previously a member of the group as well.

Ospreay last appeared for NJPW at the Resurgence PPV in Los Angeles. He brought out his IWGP World title belt and claimed to still be the champion despite being stripped of the title earlier this year.

Will Ospreay called out Kenny Omega on Wednesday after the AEW World Champion was named the #1 pro wrestler the world on this year’s PWI Top 500 list.

Omega topped the list, while Ospreay charted at the #7 spot (behind Roman Reigns, Bobby Lashley, Drew McIntyre, Kota Ibushi and Jon Moxley.)

Ospreay was so put off by his placement on the list that he said, “I’d beat up number 1 any day of the week and twice on Wednesdays……just saying.”

This did not sit well with Kenny Omega. He replied by telling Ospreay that “his promotion” (New Japan Pro Wrestling) has been so “ice cold” since he left that not even Dave Meltzer can convince his followers that Ospreay should be in the conversation for Best in the World.”

“It hurts me, bruv,” said Omega. “One of you dorks should have been the guy. Turned out a bigger dog was my only competition.”

Will Opsreay vs. Kenny Omega

Will Ospreay wasn’t done. He followed up by tweeting a recent clip of himself threatening to walk through the ‘Forbidden Door.’

He also touted New Japan Pro Wrestling’s accomplishments since Omega left. “A pandemic put the breaks on & you know it. Open that door, let’s have this conversation.”

Needless to say, Kenny Omega and Will Ospreay would be a banger of a match. With NJPW talent already wrestling on AEW programming, this is high on the light for potential ‘Forbidden Door’ dream matches we could see in the months ahead.

Will Ospreay has been added to Chris Jericho’s upcoming Rock N’ Rager cruise but don’t expect him to wrestle.

Ospreay has taken the wrestling world by storm over the years. He has gone from a high-flying junior-heavyweight to a heavyweight main eventer. Ospreay is the former IWGP World Heavyweight Champion. In storyline, he has taken issue with NJPW brass for stripping him of the gold due to injury.

Here’s the press release hyping up Ospreay’s appearance on Jericho’s cruise.

“The hotshot Assasin is currently signed with New Japan Pro Wrestling and holds their former IWGP World Heavyweight Champion title, and he’s also the reigning British Heavyweight Champion of Revolution Pro Wrestling in addition to many other impressive career feats.

“While Will won’t be wrestling on board, he will be making special appearances throughout the cruise!

In addition to this HUGE lineup announcement, we’re also excited to share that the legendary Madusa will be taking on the role of Guest Cruise Director and Bully Ray is joining Brad Williams to tag-team as Guest Hosts! With the fate of the Triple Whammy’s activities in these hands, you don’t want to miss out on the best experience of your life!”

As mentioned in the press release, Bully Ray will be serving as a guest host on the cruise. Medusa is the Guest Cruise Director. Kurt Angle is set to be the Guest of Honor. AEW talent such as Britt Baker, Orange Cassidy, Lance Archer, and more will also be featured on the cruise.

It has been a tough few months for Will Ospreay. After reaching the pinnacle of his career, capturing the IWGP Heavyweight Championship in April, injury forced him to vacate the title in May. After several months on the shelf, he made a shocking return at NJPW Resurgence to announce he was once again cleared to wrestle. However, now, the British superstar finds himself laid low once more after confirming he has tested positive for COVID-19.

Will Ospreay took to Twitter to confirm the news, adding that he was double vaccinated and that fans should not worry.

“I’ve got COVID, but I’m fully vaccinated, I’ll be fine. I’ll just rest for these 10 days, keep you updated and I’m sure I’ll be back in no time soon.”

Ospreay looked tired in his video but reassured fans he was going to be back soon promising to beat Covid as he was on another level to the illness.

“I’m going to beat COVID. Why? Because I am on another level!”

Will Ospreay

Will Ospreay went on to confirm his isolation will mean he misses two upcoming Revolution Pro Wrestling shows. This was also confirmed by Revolution Pro Wrestling who also broke the news via social media.

Will Ospreay Expected Back for Rev Pro High Stakes on September 19th

Will Ospreay was scheduled to appear at two upcoming Rev Pro Shows in both Sheffield and London. However, there is no reason to believe he won’t be back in time for their High Stakes show. That event is set for September 19^th and will see Ospreay look to unify the Rev Pro British Heavyweight and Southside Heavyweight belts in a match against Ricky Knight Jr.

Will Ospreay is also back on the NJPW scene. However, has adamantly stated he will not be returning to Japan in the near future. Instead, he will make appearances for their spin-off brand NJPW Strong. NJPW Strong airs out of California. It is not known if this is part of a longer-term story angle with him and Shingo, or something deeper-seated. There has been no shortage of talk surrounding the happiness of gajin talent in Japan since COVID hit.

New Japan Pro Wrestling announced the talent involved for their New Japan Showdown event. The talent includes big names like former IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Will Ospreay and the Never Openweight Champion Jay White.

“October 16 & 17 will see NJPW STRONG taped in Philadelphia, as Showdown 2021 emanates from the legendary 2300 Arena across two nights. An already hot ticket is set to get hotter, as big names have been added to this landmark event,” said NJPW.

Tickets for the event have gone on sale.

All Elite Wrestling Talent Involved at Showdown

While New Japan Showdown will be an NJPW event, they have also acquired an All Elite Wrestling talent to appear. The former NJPW United States Heavyweight Champion Lance Archer participate in the event. NJPW also added Archer to NJPW’s Autumn Attack in September.

Archer lost his championship to Hiroshi Tanahashi at NJPW Resurgence on August 14th. It is unclear if Archer will get a rematch for the title. Although plans can change, NJPW hasn’t advertised Tanahashi for the event.

What’s Next for Will Ospreay

While Ospreay vacated the IWGP Heavyweight Championship in May, he now claims he is still the champion. He is also in the New Japan Showdown poster with the championship. However, NJPW hasn’t officially acknowledged Ospreay as their champion.

It’s unclear at this time if NJPW will make Ospreay the IWGP Heavyweight Champion for their NJPW strong brand. Ospreay, in his return to NJPW, said that NJPW Strong would be his new home. He also has issued an open challenge for contenders to face him for “his” IWGP Heavyweight Championship under the NJPW strong brand. While the matches are unknown for New Japan Showdown, Ospreay will likely want to defend “his” title.

.

Three big names have been added to the NJPW Strong Autumn Attack cards.

NJPW Strong will be making its way to the Curtis Culwell Center in Garland, TX. NJPW will be holding tapings on Sept. 25 and 26. NJPW has announced that three major names will be making their appearances.

One of those names is former IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Will Ospreay. The leader of the United Empire made a surprise appearance on the Resurgence show this past Saturday (Aug. 14). He cut a promo proclaiming himself to be the real IWGP World Champion and Shingo Takagi as just an interim titleholder. Takagi defeated Kazuchika Okada for the gold when Ospreay was forced to vacate it due to an injury.

Another name added to the NJPW Strong Autumn Attack card is Minoru Suzuki. Suzuki is a legend in Japanese wrestling. He is a former GHC Heavyweight Champion as well as a former IWGP Intercontinental and NEVER Openweight titleholder. He hasn’t wrestled in the United States in nearly two years.

The third name is Lance Archer. Archer recently lost the IWGP United States Championship against Hiroshi Tanahashi at Resurgence. After the match, Archer said he hopes to see Tanahashi in AEW.

New Japan Pro Wrestling has announced that multiple wrestlers have been pulled from upcoming shows due to COVID-19 protocols. IWGP World Champion Shingo Takagi and BUSHI were both pulled after presenting with fevers. They are awaiting the results of PCR testing for COVID-19.

It was originally reported that the 6 wrestlers who were in the same match as Bushi and Takagi on Saturday would miss upcoming shows as well. Those 6 wrestlers are Tetsuya Naito, SANADA, EVIL, Yujiro Takahashi, Gedo and Dick Togo. Naito, SANADA, EVIL and Takahashi all ended up working the Sunday show despite this, however.

Will Ospreay returned to NJPW at Resurgence in Los Angeles on Saturday. He commented on Takagi missing a show while he is now cleared to return.

“REAL champ returns. Interim champ has to miss a show. Coincidence. Just say the word NJPW,” Ospreay Tweeted. ““Interim” I’ll be on the first flight over.”

At NJPW Resurgence, Ospreay criticized NJPW for stripping him of the title when he only needed 4 months off. He unveiled his IWGP World Championship belt and claimed to still be the champion. He referred to Shingo Takagi as an “interim” title holder. Ospreay also announced he will not be participating in the G1 Climax tournament this year.

Will Ospreay crashed NJPW Resurgence and he dropped a bombshell.

Ospreay appeared following the strong style clash between Tomohiro Ishii and Moose. Ospreay, who is never one to hold his tongue, had a lot to say on the mic.

The former IWGP World Heavyweight Champion revealed that he is medically cleared to return. Despite this, he said he will not be participating in the G1 Climax. In fact, he claimed he isn’t going back to Japan until NJPW negotiates with him.

Ospreay’s issue with NJPW is that they forced him to vacate the gold. He’s upset that Jon Moxley was never stripped of the IWGP United States Championship despite not being able to head to Japan.

Ospreay then pulled out another IWGP World Title and said that he’s the real champion, not Shingo Takagi. He claimed he’s willing to defend his version of the title against anyone. Ospreay also proclaimed that NJPW Strong is his home going forward.

Eventually, Ospreay took aim at Shibata and his Dojo wrestlers. He ended up being chased out of the ring by TJP, Karl Fredericks, and Clark Connors.

Ospreay had been inactive due to a neck injury. Now that he’s cleared to return to action but won’t be in Japan anytime soon, it’ll be interesting to see what’s in store for him in the coming weeks.

New Japan Pro Wrestling star Will Ospreay recently spoke to Booker T on “The Indies” podcast. The former IWGP World Heavyweight Champion discussed several topics during the show, including his relationship with WWE Superstar AJ Styles.

“I remember sitting down with AJ” Ospreay noted on the show. “I had a match with him and when I found out I was wrestling AJ Styles, a tear rolled down my eye. It was the greatest night of my life.”

“He’s the sole reason I got into wrestling” Will Ospreay revealed. “AJ was it for me. I started crying, I was so thankful. How genuine he was and he took the time to explain why we were doing things.”

“I told him I was going to Japan. He was leaving for WWE. I told him I was going to Japan in April and he was like, ‘I’m proud of you, you’re going to do so well there'” Ospreay revealed.

Will Ospreay on AJ Styles

“I won the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship and he dropped me a message like, ‘Bro, I’m so proud of you.’ It gets me every single time because that’s my hero and is such a big deal to me,” the Aerial Assassin concluded.

Will Ospreay is currently back in the United Kingdom following an injury that caused him to relinquish his IWGP World Heavyweight Championship. Ospreay is still the current Rev Pro British Champion, and he will reportedly be appearing at a Rev Pro show at some point to talk the status of the title and he has not been stripped.

Kenny Omega was the top North American talent to work in NJPW, but when he left the promotion for AEW, NJPW had to find someone to fill that role and they decided on Will Ospreay. 

Ospreay rose up the ranks and eventually became the IWGP Heavyweight Champion. However, after winning it earlier this year, Ospreay had to vacate it due to an injury. 

Omega did an interview with Sports Illustrated and spoke about Ospreay no longer being the champion. He started out by noting that he pulled aside Ospreay and Jay White when he left to tell them it’s in their hands to represent “at least the western expansion and the pride of the foreigners” because he knew NJPW would look to them to carry it. 

The reason he told them was that he knew it was a likely scenario and also hoping to light a fire under both of them. He continued by noting that Ospreay really came into his own and made a complete career shift, and he was going to be a fantastic champion. Omega thinks Ospreay became the person that he needed to be the champion of the company.

“Unfortunately, becoming champion wasn’t enough for him. He tried to fill my shoes. Physically, even though he is one of the most gifted performers to ever step foot in the ring, there is only one Kenny Omega—and you can’t fill those shoes. 

Thus, now his belt is vacant, so perhaps it was always meant to be my belt and my belt alone. That’s not me making a firm statement as to whether I’ll make a venture out there, just that there is no one there that can fill my shoes or override my legacy. When Ospreay comes back, he’ll have to re-analyze who he is and who he’s meant to be, because he’s not meant to be me.”

Omega will defend the AEW World Heavyweight Championship against PAC and Orange Cassidy this Sunday at Double Or Nothing.

Will Ospreay has had a rough month. It started with an injury that ended up forcing him to relinquish the IWGP heavyweight title. Now it appears that the damage may be more serious than first thought.

NJPW had not revealed a lot of details about his condition when they announced that the title is being vacated. They only confirmed that the former champion is dealing with a neck injury.

The high-flying star has now provided an update on his condition himself. Ospreay made a tweet earlier today revealing that the doctors fear that his back may have similar issues as to his neck:

Though the good news for fans is that the former ROH star seems determined to make a wrestling return before the end of the current year. So it appears that his issues are not career-threatening.

Will Ospreay had reached the peak of his NJPW journey recently when he formed a new United Empire stable. He then went on to defeat Kota Ibushi at Sakura Genesis to become the new IWGP heavyweight champion.

Since an exact timeframe for his return is not known at the time, it’s hard to say if the young star will continue his NJPW run when he returns to the ring. We will keep you posted on his status.

As recently reported, Will Ospreay had to recently relinquish his IWGP World Heavyweight Championship due to injury. NJPW1972, New Japan’s English language website, revealed that the British star was suffering from neck related issues and therefore had to relinquish the title.

“On May 4’s night two of Wrestling Dontaku in Fukuoka, Will Ospreay sustained a neck injury” NJPW1972 wrote. “As a result, Ospreay will not be participating in the next series of events and will instead return to the UK for treatment and rehabilitation.”

In an update to the story, British based promotion Revolution Pro Wrestling have made a statement regarding Ospreay’s status. Ospreay is currently the Rev Pro British Heavyweight Champion; it was believed that he would also be relinquishing the title in his home country’s promotion.

Will Ospreay Returning To The UK

“Too early to say. Our situation is very different to NJ” was the initial response from Rev Pro regarding the status of Ospreay. “No immediate changes need to be made as we hadn’t factored any title defences for first shows back. Time will tell. But we’ve spoken to Will & he will likely address the situation in person at one of our first shows back.”

It is believed that Will Ospreay is already, will be shortly, back in the United Kingdom to undergo treatment for his neck injuries.

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.

• Will Ospreay Comments On Wrestling Dontaku & World Title Run

NJPW announced today that they have postponed both Wrestle Grand Slam events scheduled for later this month. The events were to have taken place May 15th in Yokohama and May 29th from the Tokyo Dome. Kazuchika Okada was to have challenged Will Ospreay for the IWGP World title on the 29th.

The promotion is working on determining new dates for the event. Tickets for the event will be valid for the new date. Refunds will be available for ticket-holders unable to attend on the rescheduled date.

6 wrestlers were taken off the Wrestling Dontaku Night 2 show on May 3rd. Kazuchika Okada, Minoru Suzuki, El Desperado, Yoshinobu Kanemaru, SHO, and YOH were all removed due to health and safety protocols. It was later revealed that 2 of those wrestlers then tested positive for COVID-19.

NJPW Statement On Postponed Events

“On Friday May 7, the Japanese government announced an extension to the state of emergency currently in place in Tokyo and other prefectures,” reads an update from NJPW1972.com.

“In light of this announcement, as well as current COVID-19 infection status, and in order to prevent any potential further spread of the virus,  New Japan Pro-Wrestling has arrived at the decision to postpone the Wrestle Grand Slam events in Yokohama Stadium and the Tokyo Dome previously scheduled for May 15 and 29 respectively.”

Will Ospreay Reacts

IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Will Ospreay posted a video reacting to this news. While he understands the issue of safety, he is convinced this is all a conspiracy orchestrated by Kazuchika Okada to avoid getting in the ring with him.

Will Ospreay is set to defend his IWGP World Championship on night 2 of Wrestling Dontaku tomorrow against Shingo Takagi. He recently sat down with NJPW1972.com and spoke about his run as champion.

Ospreay was asked how he feels being called the IWGP World Champion.

“It sits with me. It sits well with me. It’s all about the journey. Years ago I saw what was then the IWGP Heavyweight Championship on a guy I admired in AJ Styles, and he said to me ‘if you want this, you’ve got to come to Japan’,” Ospreay said.

Ospreay was also asked about his United Empire faction and what he enjoys about having them with him.

“I enjoy having them there. You see a lot of shenanigans from seconds in New Japan. But I’m different. I don’t need Jeff Cobb and Aaron Henare to help me win a singles match. We work together in tags of course, and we’re training hard together to help improve there. But I never need help in singles matches.”

Whoever comes away from Wrestling Dontaku as IWGP World Champion will face Kazuchika Okada on May 29th at Wrestle Grand Slam. Ospreay spoke about the importance of that match and facing Okada once again.

“The history with Okada is against me. I only beat him once, and that was the one and only time I needed help to win a match. If, when I beat Shingo, Tokyo Dome is May 29. It’ll be my third big singles match in under two months, and Okada has had a lot of rest.”

The full interview with Will Ospreay can be read here.

Jim Ross recently discussed IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Will Ospreay on the Grilling Jr podcast. JR discussed that while Ospreay is a ‘very good hand’ he still has a long way to go before he can be classed as one of the best in wrestling history.

“He’s now the greatest champion in the history of wrestling and nobody’s been better, are you sh*tting me?” Ross began on Grilling Jr. “Come on. He’s a very good hand. I called some of his matches back in the day, he’s very good and very unique, he creates his own style with a lot of British stuff.”

Jim Ross then discussed the former top Champions of New Japan, questioning whether Will Ospreay even ranks up to them at present.

“I think Will Ospreay is a great talent, but all of a sudden, because he did have a fantastic NJPW experience, is he the greatest ever?” Ross asked. “Is he even the greatest NJPW champion? It’s hard to say he’s better than [Hiroshi] Tanahashi, it’s hard to say he’s better than [Kazuchika] Okada or the list of all luminaries that held that title. I do think he’s very good, it might be a little early a week after his win to consider him the greatest ever.”

Jim Ross on Will Ospreay

JR finished by saying that he wants to see Ospreay appear for AEW at some point in the future. “I wish he wrestled in AEW, he’d do great here,” Ross noted. “He’s not from here you know, I don’t know if that means a lot to him or not. I know he could probably make more money than he’s making where he is, that’s my guess.”

“We know he’d have more creative freedom if he wrestled for Tony Khan than if he wrestled for Vince McMahon” Jim Ross added. “I think that’s one of the attractive things about our company that’s ever growing, you get to have a bigger influence on your creative. I know guys here in AEW that outline their whole program, I think that’s cool as hell. It gives them some creative release and wrestlers are creative by nature.”

Would you like to see Will Ospreay appear in AEW? Let us know in the comments

New IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Will Ospreay has made an official challenge to CM Punk. The British wrestler appeared at a post-show press conference for Sakura Genesis and relayed a number of topics for fans regarding the future of the Championship and his stable the United Empire.

“Before I was champion, a man who sparked a whole lot of interest in pro-wrestling, CM Punk said he’d like to face Will Ospreay” The new IWGP Champion noted. “Now I have the biggest prize in pro-wrestling, so if you really want to prove you were the best in the world and not the best of a bad bunch, come over here and try and take this.”

CM Punk did once say that Ospreay was an opponent he would consider facing IF he were ever to return to the squared circle. Punk made the comments during the Swing and Mrs. radio show back in March 2020.

CM Punk on Will Ospreay

“For people I haven’t ever wrestled before? I think Will Ospreay” CM Punk noted on the show. “I would listen to your idea. But there’s — like, I said, there’s a lot of moving parts. But I’m busy doing other stuff.”

“And nobody, I think, has found the right combination of ways to approach me” Punk continued. “It’s not all up to me, ladies and gentlemen. It’s up to the people who actually run the companies.”

Do you want to see Will Ospreay vs CM Punk? Let us know in the comments

New Japan Pro Wrestling’s latest big event Sakura Genesis took place today from Ryogoku, Japan.

The main event of the show saw Kota Ibushi defend his IWGP World Heavyweight Championship against NJPW Cup winner Will Ospreay. Ibushi was 2-1 heading into the match against the British sensation.

Will Ospreay defeated Kota Ibushi to become the second IWGP World Heavyweight Champion in the company’s history. The IWGP Heavyweight and Intercontinental Championships were ‘retired’ earlier this year and made way for this new top belt in NJPW.

Will Ospreay – New Champion

Ospreay took the win after hitting a Hidden Blade and Stormbreaker to get the pinfall and win his first singles IWGP Championship in New Japan.

Following the match, Will Ospreay called out Kazuchika Okada. The former IWGP Champion appeared but before he could speak Shingo Takagi demanded that he get a shot at the champion first.

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Takagi defeated Okada in the first round of the New Japan Cup, so he asked why Okada would deserve the title shot over him. Ospreay agreed and said that he would defend the belt against Shingo first and then come for Okada.

New Japan Pro Wrestling’s latest big event Sakura Genesis will be taking place on Sunday 4th from Ryogoku, Japan.

The main event of the show sees Kota Ibushi defend his IWGP World Heavyweight Championship against NJPW Cup winner Will Ospreay. Ibushi is currently 2-1 in their overall record.

There following preview for the massive bout comes from NJPW1972.com:

Ospreay’s number one contendership status was earned after a 30 minute war with Shingo Takagi. That bout showed off the Commonwelath Kingpin’s effortless ability to change gears between high flying high risk offense and intense, focused punishment.

It’s an ability that has evolved within Ospreay since making the transition to heavyweight; a transition that arguably began with the first ever in ring meeting between these two men.

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Here’s the full card for the event this weekend:

• IWGP World Heavyweight Championship Match – Kota Ibushi (c) vs. Will Ospreay
• IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Championship Match – El Desperado and Yoshinobu Kanemaru (c) vs. SHO and YOH
• DOUKI, Zack Sabre Jr., and Taichi vs. Jado, Tanga Loa and Tama Tonga
• YOSHI-HASHI, Tomohiro Ishii, Hirooki Goto, Toru Yano, and Kazuchika Okada vs. Dick Togo, Taiji Ishimori, Yurijo Takahashi, KENTA, and EVIL
• Shingo Takagi, SANADA, and Tetsuya Naito vs. Jeff Cobb, Great-O-Khan, and a mystery partner
• Satoshi Kojima and Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Bad Luck Fale and Jay White