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NJPW: Will Ospreay wins IWGP World Heavyweight Title

By Raphael Garcia

TOKYO, JAPAN - DECEMBER 23: Will Ospreay looks on during the New Japan Pro-Wrestling at Korakuen Hall on December 23, 2020 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Masashi Hara/Getty Images)
TOKYO, JAPAN - DECEMBER 23: Will Ospreay looks on during the New Japan Pro-Wrestling at Korakuen Hall on December 23, 2020 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Masashi Hara/Getty Images) /
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Unexpected and surprising outcomes are all the norm in professional wrestling. At NJPW Sakura Genesis, wrestling fans experienced just that as Will Ospreay defeated Kota Ibushi to become the IWGP World Heavyweight Champion.

It goes without saying that Ospreay is an immensely talented individual. That part of the conversation is not up for debate. His career includes multiple title reigns including the NEVER Openweight title, IWGP Junior Heavyweight title, RevPro Undisputed British Heavyweight title, and many others. Once he exited the junior division to head to heavyweight, it was just a matter of time before he was to be in the main event picture. But that is not the entirety of the conversation when it comes to Ospreay.

Ospreay’s behavior during the Speaking Out movement and before raised a lot of eyebrows in his direction and rightly so. The storyline of him attacking Bea Priestly after winning the New Japan Cup did not help the situation either, as it reminded a lot of people about his behavior and brought up questions for it being a needless part of his rise. Still, New Japan made the decision to put the title around his waist and are moving forward with him as the next champion.

Then there’s Kota Ibushi. Ibushi’s rise to the title was a story about him finally reaching the pinnacle of the wrestling industry. He had put on compelling match after compelling match to get to this moment, coming up short so many times along the way. It felt like this was his time to rule over New Japan for an extended period, much like Kazuchika Okada did years before. That feeling was fleeting, as his reign ended abruptly after a combined 90 days in which he won the titles from Tetsuya Naito and defended them against Jay White at Wrestle Kingdom earlier this year.

Where does New Japan go from here? Apparently, Shingo Takagi is up next for Will Ospreay, which will be an excellent match. Regardless, fans will look at this moment with raised eyebrows as this is a decision that will not sit well with many, no matter how talented Ospreay is from bell to bell.

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