Kenny Omega to face Will Ospreay at Wrestle Kingdom 17

Omega Ospreay — Photo Courtesy: NJPW, STARDOM

Kenny Omega will return to New Japan Pro Wrestling for the first time since 2019 to face Will Ospreay.

The match was set at the NJPW x STARDOM Historic X-Over event, after Omega appeared via video to challenge Ospreay for the IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship.

BREAKING@kennyomegamanx has challenged @willospreay for the IWGP United States Championship at Wrestle Kingdom 17!#njpw #njwk17 #NJPWxSTARDOM pic.twitter.com/BCPxPr6olo

— NJPW Global (@njpwglobal) November 20, 2022

Sitting on a throne, Omega said that Ospreay had been supposed to be his replacement but had instead been responsible for smaller crowds and a lack of cheering. He said that this was not the result of the Covid pandemic, but that Ospreay was the “real virus”.

Omega added that Ospreay was a “second-rate Kenny Omega knockoff”, before making the challenge for Wrestle Kingdom on January 4^th, 2023.

In response, Ospreay said that he had stayed with NJPW when things got tough and had kept the heartbeat of the company going. He then accepted the match.

Karen Peterson will have a full report on NJPW x STARDOM Historic X-Over on the site as part of Dream Slam Weekly.