Interview Highlights- Will Ospreay On New Japan Tamashii, Aussie Open & More

This week, Jamie Apps (@jamieappsmedia) sat down with NJPW star Will Ospreay on The Commentary Booth podcast to discuss his career, his connections to the Australian wrestling scene, and the upcoming New Japan/Oceania project, New Japan Tamashii. Here are some of the highlights:

Working On Promos

"I'll think of something in my head, write it down and read it over and over... the place that I have lacked the majority of my career is talking... doing my best to tell deeper stories and try and portray that to the watcher."

New Japan Tamashii

"I always think it's good to expand. It's always going to be a Japan-based product, but we have the best wrestlers in the world. I've always enjoyed the community and the vibe of the southern hemisphere, it's definitely a place I hold close to my heart. So having shows there is only going to open more opportunities for the incredible Australian and New Zealand talent."

On Scouting: "I always like to keep an eye on things, especially if it's New Japan-related."

Being on Tamashii/Australian shows: "I've always wanted to come back, of course, I would come back in a heartbeat. The original MCW crew, Mikey Jay, all the PWA guys.. they have such a unique presentation, an amazing roster- I would have killed to have that in England."

Australian Wrestling

"HVWA [Hunter Valley Wrestling Association]... oh god. When we were 13/14 years old, we would watch HVWA on backyard wrestling forums. CJ Phoenix was my favourite wrestler. When I came over, I asked Robbie Eagles if any of them still wrestle... I really do hope he's still wrestling, I really would like to do that match."

"I loved Mick Moretti, I honestly think he has a very unique charisma about him that makes him stand out by a country mile. He has something wild & uncontrollable about him. He would be a spectacular junior heavyweight."

"I've recently really started loving Treehugger Luchi. He's a wild personality & every time I watch him on PWA I'm fascinated with him. He draws me in & makes me interested in what he's going to do next."

"Paris [de Silva] & Jude [London], The Velocities, are the nicest people I've met in my entire life. But I love the fact that they are phenomenal tag wrestlers as well, so I really hope that they get a spot."

Aussie Open & The United Empire

"Aaron [Henare] for me was in the wrong place, he was portraying a character that wasn't really him. So now seeing him as himself is really cool to me."

"I've known for years that Aussie Open is literally the best tag team going right now. I knew they were the best when myself & Paul Robinson faced them in Progress... It's been super gratifying for me now knowing that they are going to be heading over to Japan in a few weeks."

"[FTR vs Aussie Open] was the best tag match I have ever seen in my entire life... I was in the crowd for that match... I remember the announcer saying 20 minutes had passed & the entire crowd stood up then none of them sat down until 35 minutes had passed."

Thoughts:

There's a genuine spark in Will Ospreay when he speaks about the pro wrestling scene in Australia. As someone who is equally passionate about Aussie pro wrestling, I can only hope that he does make that trip to Australia again sometime soon to mix it up with our talent. He was undoubtedly a major reason for Aussie wrestling building momentum in 2017/2018 with his involvement and endorsement. The pandemic did put the brakes on that momentum, but companies like PWA have done an admirable job persevering through that and continuing to grow, and it feels only right to involve Ospreay in some capacity again.