Will Ospreay unveiled a new United Kingdom Championship in NJPW, following his G1 Climax loss to Tetsuya Naito.
Despite Naito being knocked out during the match, he rallied back (with the help of a fantastic Ospreay) to win the match and book his place in the final.
This left Ospreay a lost man, missing out on a huge match with Okada tomorrow. However, he did unveil a new title belt in the press conference following the event.
After his defeat to Tetsuya Naito, the IWGP United States Champion brought his title belt to the press conference, with one key change to the front plate.
Instead of the belt’s trademark United States Flag adorned on the front, the title instead showed a Union Jack (or Union Flag).
The British aspect of the belt is a clear reference to Ospreay, who is native to England. His hometown is in Essex, in London, and he clearly shows great reverence to his nation with this change.
While this change was not noted as being official, it has led many to speculate that Will Ospreay is changing the name to the IWGP United Kingdom Championship, or British Championship.
The plate on the front has also changed to IWGP United Kingdom Championship, indicating that it is indeed the new name for the championship that was first won by Kenny Omega in 2017.
This is not the same title as the Undisputed British Heavyweight Championship that Ospreay has previously been seen carrying in New Japan. That title is held in Rev Pro in the UK, which Ospreay lost to Ricky Knight Jr in 2022.
We are waiting for confirmation from New Japan Pro Wrestling about the name change, from the IWGP United States Championship to the IWGP United Kingdom Championship.
The change could also be a reference to AEW’s All In show, which is taking place in the UK for the first time. AEW have sold 80,000 tickets for Wembley Stadium, making it one of the biggest wrestling shows in history.
Will Ospreay is set to defend his championship at the event, rumored to be in a match against WWE and AEW legend Chris Jericho.
What do you think about Will Ospreay’s IWGP United Kingdom Championship? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.