Will Ospreay Challenges Kazuchika Okada for a Match at Battle In The Valley

Will Ospreay has issued a challenge to Kazuchika Okada for a rematch at Battle At The Valley in a new video promoting NJPW's Wrestle Kingdom 18.

Ospreay has a long history with The Rainmaker. He was defeated by the Japanese star at last year's G1 Climax finals in August. Will turned things around this year and managed to pick up the victory against Okada when the two faced off again in a B block match of the tournament in July.

NJPW has been running an interview series on their YouTube channel to promote the upcoming Tokyo Dome show. The AEW star who will be challenging for the IWGP Global Heavyweight Championship at the event was the subject to the latest one of these interviews.

The former IWGP Heavyweight Champion was asked if the meaning of his upcoming match has changed since he signed with Tony Khan's promotion.

The leader of the United Empire said that nothing has changed, because he is allowed to do what he was doing with New Japan Pro Wrestling. Ospreay then talked about him and Okada’s “unfinished business” and issued a challenge:

“I am confident going into this match [at Wrestle Kingdom] that I’ll be walking away with this championship,” Ospreay said. “I am that confident in doing it that I am prepared to make a challenge right here for San Jose, I know Okada is on that poster.

And we have so much unfinished business, granted I was able to get that win in G1 and I can finally prove to everybody that I can beat Okada but I'm happy to put this challenge out right here, right now in front of you all. That I wanna face Okada in San Jose.”

Ospreay made it clear that he is still as committed to New Japan Pro Wrestling as ever, and Okada will be the “first perfect defense” after he wins the championship.

"If I'm gonna be moving on to doing some other stuff, I’m still keeping my hands in New Japan. I wanna show everybody that I'm committed, that I'm staying around and that I have aspirations and plans on defending this championship all around the world, and Okada will be the first perfect defense for that.”

Wrestle Kingdom 18 is set for January 4, 2024, at the Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan. You can watch it live on NJPW World.

The main event of the show will see SANADA defending his IWGP Heavyweight Championship against Tetsuya Naito. Bryan Danielson will face Kazuchika Okada, and David Finlay, Jon Moxley, and Ospreay will fight in a triple threat match to crown the inaugural IWGP Global Heavyweight Champion.