Will Ospreay could potentially enter free agency in 2024.
The former IWGP World Heavyweight Champion is widely viewed as one of the best wrestlers in the world, and he consistently delivers match-of-the-night contenders. If the NJPW star enters the open market, he would surely become one of the most buzzworthy wrestlers available.
Speaking with Christopher Walker of DAZN, Ospreay was asked to describe whether the amount of stars he gets for his matches matters to him, and he noted that he’ll get paid just the same. In his response, Ospreay also stated that his NJPW contract is up in February 2024.
“Yes and No,” Ospreay said. “The reason why I say no is because they don’t impact my paycheque. I still get paid the same regardless. In my humble opinion, they don’t matter in terms of financial gain, but in terms of viewership, because I’m this British kid who has done it on Indy shows, I know that when my [NJPW] contract comes up, there’ll be a fight for who wants the best five-star wrestler right now.
“My contract with New Japan is up next February so from that point who’s not gonna want this kid who’s dedicated to being a hard worker and wanting to put on the best quality of matches.”
Ospreay missed some time with a shoulder injury, but he returned to the ring at the 1PW event on April 22. He is set to compete in a first-round match in the #1 Contender’s Tournament for the IWGP United States Championship at NJPW Resurgence on May 21.
During his time with NJPW, Ospreay has also held the IWGP United States Championship and the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship (three times). Additionally, he is a former NEVER Openweight Champion, and he won the New Japan Cup in 2021. Ospreay is also a two-time Best of the Super Juniors winner.
WrestleZone will provide more information as it becomes available.
