Will Ospreay is ready to make New Japan Pro Wrestling the top company in the world once again.
The former IWGP World Heavyweight Champion spoke about this topic during his recent interview with Tokyo Sports, which also included him looking back on the hardships he’s had to endure the last two years, including nearly dying from kidney disease. Highlights from the interview can be found below.
Feels like he accomplished his goal of getting more eyes on NJPW:
It’s been a very intense year. I think it was fulfilling because there were some hard times. Although [I] was still isolated due to the influence of the corona virus and had difficulty moving around, [I] won the IWGP US Heavyweight Championship. I had a goal of getting more attention for New Japan, and I’m happy to have achieved that.
Says his goal for 2023 is to make NJPW the best company in the world once again:
Japan has finally gotten out of the corona [pandemic] and is starting to cheer at the venue. I want New Japan Pro-Wrestling to return to being the number one organization in the world. I was able to win the best bout, but it was very frustrating that the final match of “G1 Climax” was not sold out. I want to fill all the venues this year, and of course Tokyo Dome.
On the hardships he’s had to endure the last couple years, including his kidney disease and losing the IWGP World Title and IWGP U.S. Title:
Over the past two years, I lost the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship due to an injury, and last year I almost died from a kidney disease. Finally, I got to the match that the world was paying attention to at the Tokyo Dome, but I was completely defeated. It was a very frustrating defeat. So I had to set myself some tough goals. ‘Do or die.’ During this year, not only will I return to the top, but I will also return New Japan to the top of the world. I think that I can do it in the sense that I will go through this year with that thought.