Will Ospreay Says More AEW Wrestlers Should Perform in NJPW; Names Talent He Wants to See Wrestle in Japan

Will Ospreay wants more AEW performers to wrestle in New Japan Pro-Wrestling.

The Aerial Assassin is set to wrestle at NJPW’s Wrestling Dontaku this weekend. He will team up with United Empire’s Great-O-Khan and HENARE to challenge Oleg Boltin, Hirooki Goto, and YOSHI-HASHI for the NEVER Openweight Six-Man Tag Team Championship. Meanwhile, Andrade El Idolo will challenge Yota Tsuji for the IWGP Global Heavyweight Title. Additionally, Konosuke Takeshita will defend the NJPW World TV Championship against Chase Owens. You can check out the lineups for Night One and Two RIGHT HERE.

AEW’s relationship with NJPW has often been criticized for its one-sided nature. The Tony Khan-led company has signed several former NJPW talent since its inception. Speaking to NJPW, Ospreay weighed in on it and said that more AEW performers should come to Japan to wrestle in New Japan Pro-Wrestling. He named MJF, Swerve Strickland, “Speedball” Mike Bailey, and Daniel Garcia as wrestlers whom he wants to see perform in the Asian promotion.

Below are the highlights:

Will Ospreay on the AEW-NJPW relationship

“It is a difficult one. I can understand there can be a certain perception because a lot of guys did go from New Japan into AEW, myself included. But NJPW has always been exceptional at creating new stars; it just took time for New Japan to really identify who was going to be the top guy carrying things forward, and if you just looked at Wrestle Kingdom this year, Kazuchika Okada, Konosuke Takeshita, and Andrade, as well, on that card were all major moments that could only really happen with the AEW relationship.

“At the same time, I do think there could be more guys sent from AEW into NJPW, and not just big names to pop a house, but for a tour or longer than that. Especially with the sheer size and the number of people AEW has under contract, I think it would be a great chance for AEW talent to grow and come back even better, and vice versa as well.”

AEW stars whom Will Ospreay wants to see perform in NJPW

“On the top end, obviously Moxley, Omega would pull in big houses. I would love to see Swerve Strickland in Japan. I really would. And MJF—is he just a great American TV wrestler, or would he be really successful in Japan as well? That’s a whole different animal he’s never done, and then as well, I love Mike Bailey, and I think he could do more in the junior heavyweight space because he is such an exciting wrestler in that mold. Daniel Garcia, I think, could learn so much from a good few months in Japan.”

Elsewhere in the interview, Will Ospreay opened up about his comeback post-neck injury and his return to Japan. You can check out his comments HERE.