Will Ospreay and Kenny Omega shared the stage at the Wrestle Kingdom 17 press conference and things got quickly heated between the IWGP Heavyweight Champion and the challenger ahead of their upcoming title clash at the Tokyo Dome on January 4th.
During the press conference, Omega’s manager, Don Callis, fired shots at Ospreay by addressing The Assassin’s mental health after The Cleaner dethrones him on Wednesday. Callis said,
“The reason it was raining when Kenny left Japan is that God was crying. That’s how much this meant to this company and to professional wrestling. It was just almost five years ago that the event that changed the face of professional wrestling, [Chris] Jericho vs. Omega at the Tokyo Dome in 2018, put together by Don Callis and taken to the next level by Kenny-by-god-Omega, and you’re all welcome. Will, you’re welcome you’ve got a company to live in here. AEW is welcome for what Kenny accomplished that night at the Tokyo Dome, and at times like this, I get nostalgic and I remember your uncle, The Golden Sheik, and he told me many years ago, there’s three types of people that get into the wrestling industry. There’s the people with family relations carrying on the legacy. There’s the people that do it for the money, and there’s the people who love it so much that they would do it for free. That’s this guy [Ospreay], and that’s a good thing! But I’m going to tell you, Will, there’s a fourth type of person who’s in this industry, and the only people in this category are myself and Kenny Omega. And that category is people that are in this business to change it, that are in this business to make history. You and I did it five years ago, and now we’re back.”
“And Kenny’s not back because he missed all of you. He’s not back for money. He’s not even back to test himself against what might be the greatest athlete in professional wrestling in Will Ospreay. I think we can say that that could be the case. No, we’re back to write history one more time. So you see, Will, you’re a phenomenal athlete, maybe the best I’ve ever seen. The National Basketball Association had many great athletes, but there is only one Michael Jordan, and what made Michael Jordan special wasn’t the athleticism, it was what’s up here [points to head].”
“So you see Will, you have an athletic edge, but what’s going on up here, man? Are you worried? You should be. It’s all on the line for you. You’re going to feel every reaction in this crowd because tomorrow at the Tokyo Dome, you’re not just in the ring with a former IWGP World Champion, you’re not just in the ring with a former US Heavyweight Champion, you’re not in the ring with a former AEW World Champion, you’re not even in the ring with your idol, Kenny Omega. You are int he ring with the God of Pro Wrestling, with apologies to Karl Gotch, but that’s what this man is. So Will, you’re a once in a lifetime athlete, and you’re a great person. But unfortunately, you are in the ring with another athlete tomorrow, you are in the ring with a God! And I hate to think what your mental state is going to be when you get embarrassed by Kenny, by god, Omega!”
Don’s comments ruffled Ospreay’s feathers to such an extent that the enraged champion had difficulty talking into his microphone. Without wasting any time, Ospreay rushed over to Omega’s side of the table and got in his face. The Assassin hopped on the mic and cut an impassionate promo on The Cleaner and his manager. The reigning IWGP Heavyweight Champion said,
“No, no, f***ing listen to me. Don [Callis], first of all, you little ****, shut your f***ing mouth! Listen to me now! You have no f***ing idea the mental state — you want to know my mental state, bruh? You got to sit in your house and do what? Maximum three-hour drive to Florida? That’s all you had to do during this?! Mate, for us, for me, it’s a 12-hour flight from England all the way, right? But guess what? That turned into a 15-and-a-half-hour flight, why? Because there’s a f***ing war going on in Russia and Ukraine. After that, I was carted around the f***ing airport for four hours because I had to prove that I was negative for COVID, even though I had a f***ing doctor’s note saying that I didn’t have it. That wasn’t good enough, then I had to stay 14 f***ing days in a hotel no bigger than a broom cupboard, bruv! 14 days of your own f***ing brain. And then you’re allowed to go out and go wrestle for everyone, in silence, without seeing any f***king daylight for two weeks. The shows end at f***ing 9:00 PM, and restaurants close at 8:00, so you’re starving half your f***ing roster, but we kept f***ing going. Listen to me, I don’t understand, and I don’t know why anyone would want to watch clap crowd wrestling. I don’t know anyone that wants to watch that, but people f***ing turned up. So for that, I had to fight. For you to f***ing sitting there and belittle me, you little ****, how f***ing dare you. You have not the slightest idea what I’ve gone through.”
“My best friend f**king died and I had to watch his funeral through a f***ing iPad, bruh. How dare you sit there and belittle anything that I have f***ing done to try and help. I get it, you’re a big star, you’re a f***ing draw for this place. You have brought everyone, all the casual fans and all those Kenny Omega stans back to New Japan, thank you so much! Because now, they’re going to watch you go down to me, the guy that has f***ing stayed here, the guy that has given his f***ing all to this place, mate. I listened to everyone f***ing word that you told me four years ago, and I’m telling you now, I’m sorry for what happened to him [Kota Ibushi], and I’m sorry I took that away from you. But make no mistake about it, if you find yourself in that same position that he did, there isn’t going to be a referee stopping me from caving your f***ing head in, bruh. You will not belittle me on the grandest stage that I am on. This is my moment now. So, you’re either going to pass this torch or I am going to f***ing take it from you.”
You can check out some highlights from the press conference below:
.@kennyomegamanx is here with @TheDonCallis!#njpw #njwk17 pic.twitter.com/wEyi7F6jJE
— NJPW Global (@njpwglobal) January 3, 2023
IWGP United States Champion @willospreay #njpw #njwk17 pic.twitter.com/8Bte5XmtT6
— NJPW Global (@njpwglobal) January 3, 2023
Ospreay: You want to know my mental state? You drive a few hours to Florida while I flew 15 hours and did quarantine alone with my mind for 14 days. People showed up so I had to fight for them. How dare you belittle me. #njwk17 pic.twitter.com/sQg0AyQP0f
— NJPW Global (@njpwglobal) January 3, 2023
