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APR.4.2021

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Ibushi dethroned as Ospreay captures IWGP World heavyweight Championship

Kota Ibushi falls in first defence of new title

Kota Ibushi fell in his first defence of the new IWGP World Heavyweight Championship on April 4 in Ryogoku, as Will Ospreay scored a shocking and convincing win to become the title’s second holder; the first time a Briton has ever taken NJPW’s richest prize. 

Ibushi started the match by taking his challenger to the mat, a grappling exchange seeing the early advantage go to the champion before a pull of the hair and a disrepectful slap from Ospreay drew a Frankensteiner from Ibushi, who followed with a plancha. When Ibushi looked to make Ospreay run however, the challenger hooked the top rope and then hung Ibushi over the same strand before a boot sent his opponent to the floor. 

There it would be Ospreay securing control of the match, a suplex sending Ibushi back first over the guardrail. Ospreay kept up the brutal offense, with heavy forearm blows to the back of the head followed by a devastating knee drop to the neck. Ospreay was happy to take the referee’s count, but the resolute Ibushi got back inside, only to be further tortured by his challenger. 

Ibushi evaded an Ospreay kneedrop and landed a dropkick to gain some space, a midkick keeping the challenger on the mat for a standing moonsault and a two count. Keeping mobile, Ibushi would roll through on a schoolboy to land an emphatic German suplex for two at the 15 minute mark, and had a strength edge in the standup as well, but Ospreay would connect flush with a handspring kick that send Ibushi into the corner. 

Elevating Ibushi to the corner, Ospreay put his opponent in the tree of woe and delivered a stalling dropkick, but a reverse Bloody Sunday attempt was met with a knee from Ibushi to the challenger’s broken nose. As the pace quickened, both men traded stiff shots, but a huge lariat would rock the challenger, Ibushi following with a sit out Last Ride that got a two from the referee. 

Ibushi would land kicks to the hurt shoulder of Ospreay before trying for Kamigoye, but challenger cut off champion with a headbutt to the bread basket at the 20 minute mark. Strikes from Ospreay drew fire from Ibushi with his strikes, but quickly cut his man off with a rolling elbow that led to the Reverse Bloody Sunday, garnering a two of his own. Moments later, Shooting Star Presses to Ibushi over the ropes and in the ring would get Ospreay even closer to victory, as Ibushi tried to get back in the game. 

Countering Ospreay’s handspring, Ibushi lacked the strength to lawndart Ospreay, but delivered a Poisonrana on the second attempt that put ospreay on the floor. As his challenger tried to get back into the ring, Ibushi landed a German suplex over the ropes, but a Boma Ye would be countered by a Spanish Fly. After an OsCutter got two, Ospreay connected with the Chelsea Grin, but Stormbreaker would be countered into a pair of Kamigoyes, Ospreay kicking out just before the three. 

Ibushi pulled down the kneepad for one more Kamigoye, but Ospreay would evade the blow time and again before a sickening knee rocked the champion. Hidden Blade connected, followed by Stormbreaker, and Ospreay became the World Heavyweight Champion. 

Post match, Cobb added despicable insult to injury, hitting Ibushi with Tour of the Islands as Ospreay treated his opponent with disdain. Calling Kazuchika Okada to the ring, he declared his desire for revenge against the man who defeated him at Wrestle Kingdom 15, but before Okada could answer to the challenge, Shingo Takagi arrived with a challenge of his own. Ospreay would leave the ring after stating that he would face Takagi first and then Okada, but what will happen next in the world heavyweight title scene?  

 

 

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