Will Ospreay made a surprise appearance at NJPW New Year Dash 2026 on January 5, announcing plans to return to NJPW full-time once medically cleared from neck surgery while nearly becoming the victim of an attack from his former protégé.
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Following United Empire's eight-man tag victory over Yota Tsuji, David Finlay, Shingo Takagi and Drilla Moloney, Ospreay emerged to address the faction. The AEW star embraced HENARE and Great-O-Khan but notably ignored Jake Lee completely.
Ospreay told Callum Newman he's like his "little brother" and apologized for not realizing his NJPW departure caused United Empire's struggles. "Once I handle business in AEW, I'll return to NJPW to support Newman," Ospreay stated, offering to do things Newman's way.
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Newman appeared to accept the olive branch before grabbing a chair to attack Ospreay. HENARE and Great-O-Khan quickly intervened, stopping the assault while Ospreay's back was turned. Newman stormed out of the ring without explanation.
The tension stems from Newman's resentment over Ospreay's 2024 departure. In a pre-Wrestle Kingdom interview, Newman revealed Ospreay never contacted him after leaving NJPW, stating: "He gave me a hug and said 'Behave.' That's it, and he got in a taxi and left. Didn't get a phone call, didn't get a text message even."
Ospreay underwent neck surgery in September 2025 and has been recovering with a projected timeline that could see him return to action later in 2026.