AEW Star Will Ospreay Recalls Winning Top NJPW Title During Pandemic

At the 2021 Sakura Genesis event, Will Ospreay defeated Kota Ibushi to capture New Japan's top prize, the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship. Unfortunately, his post-match celebration didn't pan out exactly as he would have liked.

According to Ospreay, that can be attributed to the hazardous state of the world and Japan's corresponding limitations at the time. "[The title win] was great, but it was during COVID," he told "Marking Out". "COVID was not a good time for any of us in Japan. I was living there at the time. I was severely beaten up and they had restrictions. So it was like all the restaurants would close at 8:00 p.m. You can have fans in attendance, but it was half full, and they wasn't allowed to make any noise. So they would wear the mask [and clap]."

Osprey first learned of his IWGP World Heavyweight Title victory from NJPW head booker Gedo, who added that "The Aerial Assassin" would initially win the 2021 New Japan Cup to earn the title opportunity against Ibushi. Following the good news, Ospreay then cried tears of joy in the nearby bathroom, realizing that his long-time dream would soon come true. Ospreay even imagined what the crowd would sound like in his crowning moment.

Due to the environmental restrictions enforced by NJPW, the audience ultimately stifled their shock when Ospreay dethroned Ibushi at Sakura Genesis. "I remember hitting my finish and it was like, one two three, and they went, 'What?' They were shocked, then they quickly went back in," Osprey recalled. "I wasn't allowed to go out and party afterwards. You know after you have one of those performances, you get the boys together, you go out, you get absolutely trounced. Honestly, it was 'Good job. See you next week.'"

Ospreay's reign as IWGP World Heavyweight Champion spanned 46 days as a neck injury forced him to vacate the title in May 2021. Before that, he tried his best to enjoy the run itself, but as stated before, the pandemic changes presented a number of challenges along the way for him.

"I sent my dad a photo of the belt and I just thought like, man, this isn't what I wanted at all. I wanted that feeling of the boys. It just sucked," he said.

NJPW's crowd restrictions remained in place for three years, with 2023 eventually marking a return to the usual buzzing venues for events. For Ospreay, the time in between saw some personal setbacks, such as his injured neck and lackluster title celebration. Overall, though, he considers those the greatest years of his in-ring career, especially from a performance standpoint.

"I want to say it, and I say it with my chest, that like 2019 to 2024, no one could touch me at that time," he said. "I was just firing on all cylinders. And the fact that my best years in wrestling, I know people will say like 'No, you still got it,' but it's just like that was a time when I was just firing. My body didn't hurt. I was on it, and it was in silence."

After an eight-year stint with NJPW, Ospreay left the company in early 2024 to sign a fresh full-time deal with All Elite Wrestling instead. Two years later, he is now in line for an AEW World Championship match at AEW All In, the respective promotion's biggest title and annual PPV.

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit "Marking Out" with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.