Will Ospreay withdraws from New Japan Cup due to shoulder injury

  • Ian Carey
  • By 

Will Ospreay has withdrawn from the 2023 New Japan Cup. 

NJPW announced on Tuesday that Ospreay would miss the March 15 card from Okayama due to a shoulder injury. It was then revealed at an impromptu press conference on Wednesday that Ospreay will miss the remainder of the tournament as well. 

He is believed to have sustained the injury during his second-round tournament match against Mark Davis on Monday. 

Davis then held a press conference on Wednesday and announced that Ospreay had nominated him as an alternate in the tournament. 

David said:

‘New Japan Cup 2023. We set foot into this tournament, each member of the United Empire, and we made a pact, that this year it would be for the United Empire. Now the reason I’m standing here is to deliver some deeply unfortunate news, and that is that Will Ospreay has to forfeit his place in the New Japan Cup.

I’m deeply saddened to be the one to have to tell you, but I’m more motivated than ever to take his place in the tournament, and to take home that New Japan Cup for the United Empire. So on the 17th, Tokyo, Korakuen Hall, EVIL- it’s not Will Ospreay you’re going to be facing. It’s Dunkzilla Davis, and I’m taking this one home for the United Empire.’

Davis continued:

How did I feel? For me, it’s a lot of pressure on my shoulders. I’m not going to lie, I’m not going to be dishonest. My specialty in professional wrestling is in tag team wrestling alongside my partner Kyle Fletcher as Aussie Open. I think of us as the best duo in the world today. But I love professional wrestling in all of its competition, and my heart is in this to win. So when Will Ospreay told me that he needed me to take his place and win this for the United Empire, it just built a fire inside of me. It lit something inside of me even deeper. So I’m going to do this for the United Empire, I’m going to do this for Will Ospreay, I’m going to do this for Aussie Open, and I’m going to do this for myself. Thank you. 

Upcoming New Japan Cup 2023 matches:

  • Tetsuya Naito vs. SANADA (March 17) (Quarterfinals)
  • EVIL vs. Mark Davis (March 17) (Quarterfinals) **
  • Hirooki Goto vs. Tama Tonga (March 18) (Quarterfinals)
  • David Finlay vs. Shota Umino (March 18) (Quarterfinals)