Will Ospreay Admits He Never Expected to Leave NJPW

Will Ospreah is a name that has become synonymous with high-flying. With moves that any ordinary wrestler could only dream of, Ospreay captivated audiences around the world.

During his time at NJPW, Ospreay became a household name. In the absence of Kenny Omega and the Young Bucks, Ospreay took over and became NJPW’s best bout machine.

By the end of 2023, at the age of 30, Ospreay had already accomplished all there was to accomplish in NJPW. Hence, it was finally time for him to move and he announced last year that he was signing AEW. He then mentioned that he would join the AEW roster after finishing up with NJPW in 2024.

Now, Will Ospreay is set to have his final NJPW match where the United Empire take on Bullet Club: War Dogs at NJPW New Beginning in Osaka. Ahead of this monumental match, Ospreay spoke at the press conference about what NJPW meant to him. He also mentioned that he never thought he would ever leave the company.

“This has been the greatest eight years of my life. I cannot express to you all how thankful I am that I got to grow up in Japan. I am so thankful that I’ve got to become a man in front of all of you guys,” he began.“I never thought that this day was ever going to come I could have sworn that I was going to be here for the rest of my life and I would have had no problem with that. As tradition would normally go, I would normally be in a single match or do something traditional, but I mean, let’s be real. Look at the five of us, there’s nothing traditional about us.“

Will Ospreay continued to remind everyone how they had stepped up in NJPW during the COVID-19 era. He also fired some shots at his upcoming opponents.

“We were never meant to get to this position. We broke every single barrier that we physically could,” he continued. “Everyone said at first, ‘These guys don’t fit well together. What’s the look? What’s the image?’ Allow me to tell you what the image was. In 2020, when COVID hit and all of us, every single one of us, not just at this table but backstage, all we wanted was to hear your voices.”

“I can’t tell you how many years that COVID era took off my life, man. All I wanted to hear were your voices. It’s funny, we’ve only heard your voices officially now since May 2023. We got your voices back but throughout [that time], we were your voice. When you needed the best professional wrestlers that New Japan has to offer, we stepped up and those posers back there benefited off of our backbreaking work. I refuse to let some five slobs that are trying to live up to the name Bullet Club try and take this night away from me.”

Although it’s a bit sad to see Ospreay leave NJPW, the potential matches he could have on AEW television are enough to get any fan excited.

What are your thoughts on Will Ospreay’s final NJPW match? Are you sad to see him leave NJPW? Sound off in the comments section.