Former NJPW Star Wants To Face Will Ospreay Again

A former NJPW star wants to face Will Ospreay again.

As previously reported, former IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Kota Ibushi became a free agent this week with his NJPW contract expiring.

During his time with New Japan Pro Wrestling, Ibushi clashed with Will Ospreay several times in the G1 Climax tournament and over championship gold. At NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 13, “The Golden Star” suffered a concussion in a match against Ospreay for the NEVER Openweight Championship.

The two stars have not faced each other since Sakura Genesis in April 2021 when Ospreay defeated Ibushi for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship.

Speaking with Dark Puroresu Flowsion, Ibushi made it perfectly clear that he wants to face Ospreay again. He said:

“I want to fight Will Ospreay again. He is like me in the past and has some similarities. I wonder how the current Osprey has grown.”

Kota Ibushi hasn’t wrestled since going down with a serious shoulder injury in his match against Kazuchika Okada in the finals of the G1 Climax 31 tournament in 2021.

Ibushi will return to the ring during The Collective 2023 during WrestleMania 39 weekend in Los Angeles with appearances at Josh Barnett’s BloodSport 9 against Speedball Mike Bailey and at Joey Janela’s Spring Break 7.

Meanwhile, Ospreay continues to compete for NJPW and recently lost the IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship to Kenny Omega at Wrestle Kingdom 17.

Ospreay will next compete against Taichi at NJPW The New Beginning in Sapporo on February 4.

I spoke to Kota Ibushi about the idea of fighting Will Ospreay on the UK & US Indies in 2023 “I want to fight Will Ospreay again. He is like me in the past and has some similarities. I wonder how the current Osprey has grown” pic.twitter.com/usDEGmtLcZ

— Dark Puroresu Flowsion (@PuroresuFlow) February 3, 2023

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