In the tweet below, from the official account of New Japan World, check out the incredible, video game-esque maneuver pulled off by Will Ospreay during night two of the NJPW Best of the Super Juniors tournament.
昨夜衝撃を与えた@WillOspreay vs @KingRicochet 戦より!
オスプレイのスワンダイブ式ドラゴンラナをもう一度!#njbosj 見逃し視聴は #njpwworld で!▷https://t.co/Tj7UBJ4PjP#njpw pic.twitter.com/ARpHfAQD10— njpwworld (@njpwworld) May 19, 2017
Ospreay managed to pull off a springboard Dragonrana during his bout with arch rival Ricochet, nearly one year since the duo garnered mainstream attention and set the internet on fire in the finals of the 2016 Best of the Super Juniors. It looks like the two might be at it again, as ESPN SportsCenter has already picked up the spot.
Last year’s match resulted in the British sensation getting into a heated back-and-forth with wrestling legend Big Van Vader that culminated in an actual match between the two. It will be interest to see where this year’s bout, which in many ways actually surpassed the original, takes both men.
Ospreay is already capitalizing on Randy Orton’s recent drama with the indie wrestling world, creating a line of “DIVE” shirts you can buy on his Big Cartel store. Speaking of which, there was actually a mention of the current WWE World Champion during the May 18th Best of the Super Juniors post-show, after the “Aerial Assassin” defeated Ricochet.
“Professional wrestling is an art form. Last year was my first ever Super Junior, and I won! Just because I had a rocky start – I lost to Britain’s best; no, one of the world’s best, Marty Scurll. might have lost, but I will climb each ladder. I will get better. I will face Taichi. I will face [Jushin Thunder] Liger. I will face TAKA [Michinoku]. Hell, I’ll even go for a House of Horrors match with Randy Orton. I will do what I do, because I love each and everyone one of you who support me, who support New Japan Pro Wrestling. I promise each and every one of you that I will make the finals, and I will be back-to-back Best of the Super Juniors.”