Just over a month after winning the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship, Will Ospreay has had to surrender the title due to injury.
Ospreay suffered a neck injury while successfully defending the title against Shingo Takagi on night two of Wrestling Dontaku on May 4th and there is no timetable as to when Ospreay will be able to return to the ring.
It is not clear how NJPW intends to crown a new champion.
“Further announcements on the status of the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship will be made at a later date,” stated the promotion.
The IWGP World Heavyweight Championship was created when in a controversial decision NJPW permitted double champion Kota Ibushi to merge both the IWGP Intercontinental Championship and the IWGP Heavyweight Championship into one, single championship.
Ospreay defeated Kota Ibushi at Sakura Genesis 2021 on April 4th to win the title.
Ospreay posted this in response to the announcement on Twitter.
— Will Ospreay • ウィル・オスプレイ (@WillOspreay) May 20, 2021
