NJPW Power Struggle 2023 PPV result – IWGP U.S. (U.K.) Hvt Champion Will Ospreay vs. Shota Umino, big post-match angle closes show to set up WK match

Will Ospreay defeated Shota Umino at Power Struggle at 40:15 following a Hidden Blade and a Storm Breaker to retain the IWGP U.S. (U.K.) Hvt. Championship.

Ospreay had called out Umino at the Power Struggle press conference and challenged him to take the title for him so that he could feel comfortable leaving NJPW safe hands. He challenged Umino to beat him and take the title. Umino did just that, as he had an answer for everything Ospreay threw at him during the match. Wrestling with blood running down his nose and mouth thanks to a kick from Ospreay during the opening stages of the match, Umino put on his best perfromance ever in a NJPW ring.

Umino desired to beat Ospreay using his mentor Jon Moxley’s finisher the Death Rider. Every time he came close to landing it during the match Ospreay had a counter, but later in the match Umino connected with a string of DDTs and eventually landed a Death Rider off the top for a nearfall.

At one point, Ospreay mounted Umino and landed blow after blow on his head with his arm traps as Umino’s father, the referee Red Shoes, could only look on. Jon Moxley came down and shouted at Umino not to quit and he fought Ospreay off and eventually got Ospreay into the same position later in the match.

Both men exchanged counters and hit each other’s finishers down the stretch, but Ospreay finally caught Umino with a Hidden Blade followed by a Storm Breaker for the pin. After the match, Umino got to his knees and shed tears. Ospreay also got on to his knees and bowed in a sign of respecct to Umino for rising to the occcasion.

Umino had wanted to defend the IWGP U.S. Hvt. Championship against his mentor Jon Moxley at Wrestle Kingdom. When he rolled to the floor, it was Ospreay that called Moxley into the ring. He began to talk about how Moxley had made the IWGP U.S. Hvt. Championship and how he had made the IWGP U.K. Hvt. Championship.

It seemed like they were going to set up a match at Wrestle Kingdom when David Finlay hit the ring and laid them both out with his shillelagh. Gedo joined him in the ring and handed him a sledgehammer. Finlay used it to destory both belts and Moxley and Ospreay could only look on, as they were incapacitated. Gedo said NJPW needs a rebel and the world needs a rebel as Finlay held up the IWGP U.S. and IWGP U.K. belts.

The cameras eventually went to Ospreay backstage and Ospreay challenged Finaly and Moxley to a match for a new title at Wrestle Kingdom. Ospreay mentioned it could be the returning IWGP IC Championship or anotehr title created for him by NJPW. Ospreay promised to start 2024 by beating two men at Wrestle Kingdom.