New Japan Pro Wrestling caught up with former two-time IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion Will Ospreay. Ospreay was asked about the Best Of The Super Juniors Tournament (which he won in 2016), who he’s keeping an eye out for, moving between weight classes, and more.
Here are the highlights:
Obviously you want to win the Best of the Super Juniors, but is there anything else that motivates you this year?
The one thing I want to make is the final. I look in my block and I see a lot of juniors that haven’t done anything outside just being a junior heavyweight. I’ve been out there having matches with heavyweights. There used to be that gap between juniors and heavyweights and I like to think that I’m bridging that gap. So I absolutely want to win, but the idea of sweeping the block and getting all 18 points, that’s pretty attractive.
Do you feel there’s anyone in particular you have to watch out for?
You have to watch out for every single one of them. I look at that entire list of people in my block, and there’s not a single one I haven’t beaten before. They might have beaten me, yeah, but I’ve beaten them. If I’ve done it before I can do it again. But Phantasmo, I’m curious. Something’s changed with him. I want to find out more.
Because you’ve competing with heavyweights of yet, some fans are maybe a little surprised that you are in Best of the Super Juniors, having assumed you’d moved up to heavyweight. Any thoughts on that?
What do you mean ‘moved up’? I have moved up in weight yes, you can see that, but I’m still a junior heavyweight. The guidelines say a junior heavyweight is under 100kg. I’m 92. But what I’m saying is that I’m just as good as the heavyweights, and I’ve proved that every night. I proved it when I picked up Lance Archer and drove him to the mat, or when I knocked out Kota Ibushi, Jeff Cobb, Dalton Castle. I’ve taken Okada to the limit.
What does ‘just a junior’ mean? The whole idea is that I’m going to win the junior heavyweight championship and then go on and challenge the heavyweight champion. I want the junior heavyweight championship in one hand and the heavyweight championship in the other. I’m the only one who can bridge that gap.
