WITHIN THREE MONTHS of becoming a free agent, Will Ospreay was exactly where he wanted to be: Holding the IWGP U.S. and U.K. belts aloft, planning for Wrestle Kingdom, and making headlines in each of the world’s top four promotions. The 30-year-old international star had come a long way from Essex and stood poised to revolutionize the game.
Consider the first weekend in November: That Friday, IMPACT Plus aired Turning Point, held at the Walker Dome in Newcastle, England, where Ospreay faced perennial IMPACT player Eddie Edwards. Following one signature move after another, and just as it looked as if both men were spent, they dug into the trenches. Ospreay and Edwards traded headbutts and punches, and the former repeatedly kicked the latter. The IMPACT mainstay sliced Ospreay with a series of chops, then delivered a clothesline, a Tiger Driver, and knee strikes. Moments later, Ospreay retaliated with a Hidden Blade (sliding back elbow) and his Storm Breaker slam for the pin.
By Sunday, Will Ospreay was at the Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium for New Japan Pro-Wrestling’s Power Struggle 2023, defending the IWGP U.S. (or, as he calls it, U.K.) title against . Touting the end of his contract with New Japan, Ospreay challenged Umino to the bout, so, if he lost, he’d be leaving NJPW “in safe hands.”
