NJPW just announced that The G1 Climax match between Will Ospreay and Kota Ibushi will be taking place on July 18 as originally planned. Ospreay was removed from tag action on Sunday’s G1 show due to a neck injury, but doctors have cleared him to compete against Ibushi this Thursday. The following is from the New Japan website.
On July 15, Will Ospreay was unable to wrestle in a tag team match in Hokkaido.
After undergoing a thorough examination, he has been cleared to return to the ring, and his match with Kota Ibushi on July 18 in Korakuen Hall will go ahead as scheduled.
Ospreay is excited to return to the ring, and is appreciative of your support.
Ospreay currently holds two points in the famous tournament after defeating Sanada in his second match of the competition and will look to add to his quota come tomorrow at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo.
Will Ospreay cleared to compete on July 18; match with Kota Ibushi to go ahead as planned. #njpw #g129 pic.twitter.com/NDIUyw6Uo3
— NJPW Global (@njpwglobal) July 17, 2019
Ospreay also posted the following:
Here is the full NJPW breakdown of the two’s second G1 Climax clash:
Overall singles record: 1-0 Ospreay
First G1 meeting.
When Will Ospreay was just beginning to get noticed on the world stage, before his breakthrough RevPro match with Kazuchika Okada that saw him handpicked by the Rainmaker to join CHAOS in 2016, he was frequently described to potential Japanese fans as ‘the British Kota Ibushi’. Some four years on, those words have proven to be prophetic indeed.
From transforming their bodies to adapt to junior heavyweight and heavyweight competition, to changing their reputations from daredevil to brutal striker, Ospreay and Ibushi’s roads in New Japan have been strikingly similar. It was only inevitable that those roads should meet, and on January 4, they did in the opening bout of Wrestle Kingdom 13, for the NEVER Openweight Championship.
What surprised many on that night wasn’t just that Ospreay pulled out an impressive victory and instantly established himself in the very top flight of NJPW competition, but his attitude in doing so. Ospreay showed an anger and aggression that hadn’t been seen before, and utilised the deadly Hidden Blade elbow strike for the first time; a move that would see Kota Ibushi forced out of action for a number of weeks.
On his return, Ibushi showed his own new attitude, a newfound sense of resolve, and indeed aggression of his own. The intensity and drive of Ibushi and Ospreay saw success for both; Ibushi had a two month reign as IWGP Intercontinental Champion, and Ospreay seized Best of the Super Juniors and the IWGP Junior Heavyweight title, setting himself up to make history as the first to compete in the New Japan Cup, BOSJ and G1 in the same year. It also saw physical limits be tested, and Ibushi and Ospreay both walk into this match damaged from their prior encounters.
Ospreay has the momentum and pride that only his first G1 Climax win can provide, having defeated SANADA in Ota, but the match took its toll on his neck. Ibushi has pushed through ankle issues and insists they are a non factor, but still had his foot worked over heavily en route to his second straight loss to EVIL on July 14. How will Ibushi/Ospreay 2 play out?
RELATED: Will Ospreay To Miss Tonight’s G1 Climax Event Due To Injury
