New IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Will Ospreay has made an official challenge to CM Punk. The British wrestler appeared at a post-show press conference for Sakura Genesis and relayed a number of topics for fans regarding the future of the Championship and his stable the United Empire.

“Before I was champion, a man who sparked a whole lot of interest in pro-wrestling, CM Punk said he’d like to face Will Ospreay” The new IWGP Champion noted. “Now I have the biggest prize in pro-wrestling, so if you really want to prove you were the best in the world and not the best of a bad bunch, come over here and try and take this.”

CM Punk did once say that Ospreay was an opponent he would consider facing IF he were ever to return to the squared circle. Punk made the comments during the Swing and Mrs. radio show back in March 2020.

“For people I haven’t ever wrestled before? I think Will Ospreay” CM Punk noted on the show. “I would listen to your idea. But there’s — like, I said, there’s a lot of moving parts. But I’m busy doing other stuff.”

“And nobody, I think, has found the right combination of ways to approach me”
Punk continued. “It’s not all up to me, ladies and gentlemen. It’s up to the people who actually run the companies.”