Will Ospreay addressed the media after winning the Best Of The Super Juniors tournament against Shingo Takagi and had a lot to say about his upcoming match against Dragon Lee at NJPW Dominion this weekend for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Title. Ospreay also made a point to state that he doesn’t want to be limited by the junior heavyweight label. His full speech to the media is below courtesy of NJPW’s website:
“Hello again. It’s been a while since I’ve done this kind of thing. It feels good to have this trophy again. I feel like I’ve been hit by a truck, reversed over and driven over again seven times. But I woke up this morning and said I am the Best of the Super Juniors for a second time. The world was watching and they saw me slay the Dragon Shingo Takagi. Now I get to slay a second Dragon. Dominion is around the corner.
“I will say this. I love Dragon Lee. We have a bond, we’ve gone out to dinner several times. But he has something I want. I’ve wrestled at Dominion twice, and I lost both times. I feel like the event is a bit of a curse, and whenever I have a curse I want to lift it.
“I don’t want the junior heavyweight label to limit us. Marty Scurll said last year that he doesn’t want the juniors to be seen as less than. I hate to say it but he’s right. You saw that match with Shingo, and it showed that I can take the weight and pressure and deliver when I need to, as a junior. I’m 92 kgs, I’m not a heavyweight. I’m the best junior heavyweight in the world, and I need the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship to do that. Dragon Lee, I love you but you have what I want and what I need. At Dominion, to a sold out Osaka Jo Hall, let’s steal the show.
“There isn’t a junior heavyweight on the (Dominion) poster, not even the champion. There’s two heavyweights on here (Taichi and Ibushi) that I’ve beaten, but no juniors. It’s time to rectify that. That’s why I’m moving to Japan, to give back. Some people have left and fair play, take a paycheck and try to ‘change the world’. But I’m loyal to this Lion Mark so I will stay here and bust my ass to rectify this. So if I have to be put in with the heavyweights, please. Make that happen. Put a junior with the heavyweights. See what happens.”
Ospreay then went on to take questions from the media including the fact that he is moving to Japan:
Is there anything about Dragon Lee you’re wary of?
“He’s really adapted. You look at him from last year to now, and he’s changed his style, he’s become more physical. He wants to play tribute to his friend Shibata, but there’s a difference between a tribute act and the real thing.
“The difference with me is nobody can change gears like I can, where he will probably go at the same pace. Maybe he has changed more since I faced him last, but then I beat somebody he couldn’t. I beat Shingo. Now I think I can slay another dragon.”
Yesterday everybody was happy to hear you’re moving to Japan, but what are your specific plans?
“I’m moving in on June 17. My girlfriend is out here already, so it makes sense. I want to make a little documentary series of this, maybe it’ll become a comedy knowing the idiot I am. I have everything I want in England, but I want more, I want to give back, and it’s time to do that.”
