Will Ospreay On His Final NJPW Match: I Never Thought That This Day Was Ever Going To Come

Will Ospreay discusses his emotions ahead of his final match in NJPW. 

Will Ospreay signed with AEW back at AEW Full Gear 2019 but he was allowed to finish his run in NJPW on his terms. His final match takes place on February 11, at NJPW New Beginning in Osaka, in what will be a 5-on-5 Steel Cage Match between United Empire (Francesco Akira, HENARE, Jeff Cobb, TJP & Will Ospreay) and Bullet Club: War Dogs. (Alex Coughlin, Clark Connors, David Finlay, Drilla Moloney & Gabe Kidd).

Speaking at the press conference ahead of the big match, Ospreay opened up about his love for the New Japan brand and his belief that his final match would have never come. 

“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. 

“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.” 

Fans can read about Will’s decision to sign with AEW at this link. 

While no official date has been given for Will’s debut he has promised to be a part of AEW programming on the road to AEW Revolution on March 3. 

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