Summary

Will Ospreay used his return appearance at NJPW Sakura Genesis to ask United Empire for help with the problems waiting for him back in AEW.

Earlier on the show, Ospreay returned to wrestle in Japan for NJPW for the first time since February 2024, teaming with Great-O-Khan and HENARE in a six-man tag victory. He later accompanied Callum Newman for Newman's IWGP Heavyweight Championship match against Yota Tsuji.

That main event included a moment where Newman looked ready to use a chair, but Ospreay stopped him from cheating. Newman then hit Tsuji with Ospreay's Hidden Blade anyway and went on to win the IWGP Heavyweight Championship, becoming the youngest champion in that title's history.

In a backstage celebration after the match, Ospreay said he was dealing with trouble at work, referencing the Death Riders in AEW, and asked Newman and the rest of United Empire for help. The moment added a different layer to Ospreay's NJPW appearance after Callum Newman previously questioned Ospreay's timing in returning to United Empire.

What the United Empire request means for Will Ospreay

Ospreay bringing AEW business into a United Empire celebration immediately ties this NJPW appearance to his next major match, because he is set to challenge Jon Moxley for the AEW Continental Championship at Dynasty on April 12.

That does not confirm United Empire will appear with him in AEW, but it does turn the backstage segment into more than a one-off reunion scene. Ospreay is now openly looking for backup while dealing with the Death Riders, which gives fans a clearer thread to watch heading into Dynasty.

Backstage fallout after Newman's title win

The timing of Ospreay's request also matters because it came right after the biggest win of Newman's career. Rather than making the scene entirely about celebration, the segment shifted attention to whether United Empire's new champion and the rest of the group might get pulled into Ospreay's AEW fight.

The source also noted that Newman directed Ospreay into another room so they could talk before Jake Lee arrived with confetti and changed the mood. That left the idea unresolved, but it clearly put Ospreay's AEW situation on the table during a major United Empire moment.

Sources

As reported by Fightful.