Update on why Will Ospreay vacated the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship
New Japan Pro Wrestling announced last week that Will Ospreay vacated the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship due to a neck injury. However, a new report has surfaced, which sheds light on the real reason for this decision.
The Voices of Wrestling podcast reported on Monday that "Will Ospreay actually vacated the IWGP Heavyweight Championship after leaving Japan against the wishes of NJPW officials." The source elaborated on this story as follows:
"New Japan trainers compared Will Ospreay's various injuries to the recent injuries to Kazuchika Okada's back and Kota Ibushi's foot. NJPW felt Ospreay was hurt by shoulder pain, neck sprain, and various other minor ailments such as his nose. However, he was not injured to the point that he would be required to stop working immediately, or to the point, he would need to vacate the world title."
The report also stated:
"The original plan between NJPW and Will Ospreay was to work through the Wrestle Grand Slam tour after likely dropping the world title to Okada at the Tokyo Dome, closing out the Wrestle Grand Slam tour. Ospreay would then be given time off for Summer Struggle to heal up. However, when the Wrestle Grand Slam tour was canceled, Ospreay was told they could go home immediately."
According to the source, Will Ospreay and the rest of the gaijin wrestlers were later asked to remain in Japan by NJPW officials. The company changed course and re-added a small number of Road To Wrestle Grand Slam shows to the schedule at the last minute, which has seemed to upset foreign talent due to the uncertain nature of the current COVID outbreak in Japan.
Ospreay still left the country, which reportedly led to NJPW feeling they had no choice but to vacate the title, using his neck injury as the reason for this decision. The former IWGP World Heavyweight Champion has since posted an X-ray showing the severity of his neck damage, so only time will tell what is next for Will Ospreay and New Japan Pro Wrestling.
Speculation in Japan of Will Ospreay heading to NXT UK
The Voices of Wrestling podcast also reported that multiple Japanese wrestlers and some in the NJPW office believe that Ospreay could head to NXT UK. This comes down to more of a general misunderstanding of what NXT UK is to NJPW. The report stated:
"Some of their Japanese sources don't fully understand the difference between NXT and NXT UK. The misunderstanding also stemmed from a belief that Ospreay was homesick and anxious about a COVID crisis in a foreign country. Will Ospreay is apparently under a New Japan contract, so he would have to be granted a release if he wanted to leave. There hasn't been an indication that he asked for a release, or even that New Japan would be willing to grant him one. There is also talk amongst the Japanese roster that there is a very good chance of "a mass foreign exodus" in January when several contracts come up."
Various media outlets reported that Will Ospreay signed a new deal with NJPW in 2019, so it seems uncertain that he would be a part of this "mass foreign exodus". All indications point to Ospreay returning to New Japan after his neck issues are resolved.
Sportskeeda Wrestling will keep you updated on the latest news concerning this story.