Ospreay US Champion, but without US title belt

Watch the Dominion replay now!

Will Ospreay and SANADA would collide in the semi main event at Dominion on June 12, battling for the IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship albeit without a physical belt, held hostage by Juice Robinson in America, to fight for. 

A lack of hardware notwithstanding, SANADA and Ospreay set a high pace, with SANADA hungry for revenge against the man that had put him on the shelf with a fractured orbital bone. Indeed, it was a boot to the face that first had SANADA struggling against Ospreay, but when the Briton went fast with a handspring, he would jam his knee, and SANADA immediately followed up to take charge. 

Cold Skull would try to humiliate Ospreay in the Paradise Lock, and did so on the second attempt, but Ospreay’s killer instinct would pay off with a handspring overhead kick to the face once more, followed by a spectacular sky twister press to the floor. Though SANADA would show that his powerful strikes had not waned any in his downtime, blasting Ospreay with a hard forearm shiver, the LIJ member did not see a hook kick to his injured eye coming, and OsCutter followed for two.

Wrestling on the back foot, SANADA came up with a hurricanrana counter to Stormbreaker, before a TKO and Tiger Suplex, but his Muto style Moonsault would only find Ospreay’s knees. The United Empire representative quickly delivered his receipts with a Hidden Blade to the face, and a second before the Stormbreaker secured victory. Ospreay now heads into G1 Climax 32 recognised as the IWGP US Champion, but time will tell whether the title belt can come to its recognised rightful holder.