Will Ospreay vs Shota Umino - Special Singles Match: NJPW ROYAL QUEST II (October 1, 2022)
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00:00The following contest is your second to final match of the evening and it is a special singles
00:11contest.
00:12Oh, Chris.
00:13With a 60 minute time limit.
00:14Look at who our referee is.
00:15Oh, wow.
00:16This is an interesting one as London about to explode for, well, a guy familiar in his
00:33Young Lion guys to New Japan fans as well as, thanks to his recent appearances, New
00:39Japan Strong and Winter City Riot as well, but more familiar to referee audiences of
00:45late when on his excursion to the UK in the autumn of 2019 with the blessing of his mentor
00:58John Moxley's shooter, Shota Umino, and the key name there is the last name, Umino, or
01:10as Giant Baba once mispronounced it back in the day, Uno, is the son of referee Red Shoes
01:19Uno, who officiated in Shota Umino's debut match, but ever since has been hands off in
01:28his son's career, but drawing the assignment here for Shota Umino in the face of Will Ospreay.
01:34For all the campaigning that Ospreay has had against New Japan Pro Wrestling officials,
01:39Kevin, this is more fuel to the fire right here.
01:42Shota to Red Shoes Uno specifically, think back to the New Japan Cup and the controversial,
01:49in Ospreay's mind, call against the current IWGP United States Champion.
01:54Got bad calls in Windy City Riot after that, and then of course Capitol Collision, so Ospreay
02:01couldn't buy a break, and certainly is, I don't want to say it's going to be, it's going
02:08to be certainly something for him to think about, as Shota Umino gets the tremendous
02:17ovation from the crowd here, and justifiably so.
02:21Will Ospreay said after his win over David Finlay, what an epic win that was for the
02:26U.S. title, and folks, I want to invite you, if you did not see that match live on the
02:3025th of September from Copay, go out of your way to watch Finlay vs. Ospreay.
02:35Ospreay said, give me anybody, give me anybody at Royal Quest, it doesn't matter, and Shota
02:42Umino very quickly was put into this situation here tonight.
02:46No title at stake.
02:51But you could argue that anywhere around the world, for whatever caliber of opponent, Will
03:00Ospreay has made himself a title in his own right, everyone wants to face that man, because
03:12everybody knows that if you're wrestling Will Ospreay, all of a sudden, your cage match
03:18averages, your ratings from Uncle Dave, they get an extra bump, you get more bookings around
03:25the world because you've had another 5 star match with Will Ospreay.
03:29But the thing that Ospreay does that makes him so good, and so dangerous, he's put such
03:37a target on himself, that opponents want to go in and beat Ospreay in an Ospreay match.
03:44He gets them out of their normal game, their comfort zone.
03:49His hand, Shota Umino, out of his comfort zone.
03:54Umino, when he went on excursion, he immediately drew the ire of the legion.
04:02And Umino has had his issues with Will Ospreay, trying to battle for the British heavyweight
04:11champion.
04:12Shota Umino was the first victim of Aussie Open when they joined the United Empire.
04:18Shota Umino suffered, was forced to team with Yota Tsuji in the legion over in Renfro.
04:27And so Gideon Gray being exposed as the orchestrator, the mastermind, the money man behind the United
04:34Empire, all makes sense for Shota Umino now.
04:39But now it's perhaps a little bit of a sneaky card in Umino's own pocket that, whether consciously
04:46or not, Shota Umino's got the referee in his back pocket here tonight.
04:51Yes and no, because again, Red Shoes Uno is, in this scenario when he's got the striped
05:00shirt on, he's a referee first.
05:03And he is pro enough, experienced enough to look at these two athletes as athletes, as
05:13wrestlers, and not one of them being his son.
05:16We've talked a lot about Red Shoes having a very long whistle.
05:20You know all those times we've seen Red Shoes, a wrestler do something he shouldn't outside
05:26the ring, and Uno will refuse to make the pinfall.
05:30Now I think if Umino gets out of his comfort zone, and if he does choke Ospreay, or if
05:35he does use a weapon outside on the floor and he brings Ospreay back in, I wonder whether
05:40I think Umino would count for his son hit.
05:42Well, we'll have to wait and see as the bell sounds in our semifinal of night one of Royal
05:48Quest 2 is underway.
05:50Sadly, Umino will have to come out of his comfort zone if he's able to beat Ospreay.
05:55Finlay was brought out of his comfort zone by Will Ospreay, and did so admirably.
06:00It was an absolute war in Cobain.
06:06Call an elbow tie-up.
06:14Break.
06:18Ospreay.
06:20Give him a little tussle.
06:21Still thinking he's a young boy.
06:29Felt the breeze as Umino missed.
06:41Will Ospreay holding court here in London.
06:46Of course, this is a home game for Ospreay, as the ring crew's been summoned by Red Shoes
06:52Uno to come down and tighten up the top rope.
06:57I think because Red Shoes knows that Ospreay will use that top rope to his advantage, but
07:04he can, so for the safety of the competitors.
07:07And a swing and a miss.
07:09That time Ospreay creates the breeze.
07:12Umino, one tackle, two.
07:15And a third time puts Ospreay down, but bouncing up like a Super Bowl.
07:25This man is so important in Shota Umino's ongoing excursion.
07:32Oscutter.
07:34Shota Strong.
07:35Oh, that's right.
07:36That's right, and nearly.
07:43Butterflies churning inside the belly of Shota Umino.
07:48And that's the whole point of these excursions, is to make sure those butterflies, that nervous energy
07:54gets used in a good way, in a positive way, when you're in these big matches.
07:59Getting Umino comfortable.
08:02Experimenting with who he is.
08:05And quite frankly, you know, I think when he was brought out, when he was called by
08:09John Moxley in Chicago to face Jay White in that USFJ Open Challenge, it was an admirable
08:15showing, but it was a case of not yet, in terms of Shota Umino getting ready to finish
08:22his excursion.
08:23Now, if he can show here with Will Ospreay, win or lose, then this is a big step for him
08:31in completing that process.
08:34You know, in much the same way that Ren Narita did when he had to face Juice Robinson on
08:39New Japan Strong.
08:40And obviously, the time is near.
08:45Oh, and a legal but nasty headbutt catching Umino by surprise, who goes up and over the
08:54current IWGP US Heavyweight Champion.
08:58Taharis takes Ospreay over, and now, scoop down.
09:09It was a smart move, and almost a dangerous move, to drop Ospreay face first like that.
09:16Hoist a lot of wrestlers up in that position, and they'll think they're going for a body
09:21slam.
09:22So they'll start to tuck their head, and then being dropped face first, that's an easy way
09:25to break somebody's neck.
09:29Ospreay!
09:30Ospreay!
09:31Ospreay!
09:32And hammering on the upper deck and shoulder, back of the shoulders of Ospreay.
09:39Familiar target for Ospreay opponents.
09:42Hot shot, dropped across the top strand, and steps right through his face.
09:48Well, thus far, Shoto Umino's father, our referee Red Shuzuno, has not been put in a
09:54situation where he may or may not show favoritism to his son.
09:59This match has been hard-hitting, fast-paced, but it's all been inside the confines of the
10:07ring.
10:08I think Red Shuzuno had to know at some point this was going to happen.
10:14I think Red Shuzuno had to know at some point this day was coming when his son got into
10:19the business.
10:20You know, being senior official here in New Japan Pro Wrestling, the more success Shoto
10:25Umino has, the more this situation will happen.
10:28So I think a lot of eyes will be on this match, not just for who's in the ring, but because
10:34of the third man.
10:35And I think it's a lot of talent in New Japan Pro Wrestling have their eyes on this.
10:40You fucking old pussy!
10:42Shoto being driven down by the incredibly hard chops of Will Ospreay.
10:49And an elbow right to the top of the head, compressing the vertebrae.
10:55And a stomp to the top of the head doing the same thing.
10:59At the conclusion of our semi-final, we'll clear the way for our main event for the IWGP
11:14Heavyweight Tag Team Championship as FTR defends against Aussie Open.
11:30You might be Crystal Palace, but you're in here with the fucking best, bruv!
11:46Applying the Cobra Twist.
11:52Yeah, what is that, bruv?
11:55It's a little bit more Essex than where I'm from.
11:59More refined than Will Ospreay.
12:03You know what that meant, right?
12:05Yeah, in any language from any part of the world.
12:09And Shoto Umino absorbing punishment, but the fire yet to be extinguished.
12:18And so much of this time, these excursions historically, has been about not just these guys like Umino,
12:30these young lions, honing their craft in the ring, but getting a thick skin and being able to deal with
12:37the insults, the taunts from other wrestlers and the fans.
12:42This goes back to all the way back in the day when things were a different society,
12:46where approaches of being a Japanese person living abroad, that in and of itself was reason for you to get hate
12:54and disrespect.
12:56Fisherman Suplex gets a two, almost three.
13:00And so the idea all the way going back through the 80s and beyond was to get that thick skin,
13:07so where you're able to compete in any environment around the world, and quite frankly,
13:12hold your own in any bar fight around the world as well.
13:15That's also very true.
13:20Oh, and that shooter nickname, of course, Jon Boxley gave it to him when Boxley competed in the G1 three years ago.
13:28And man, it's stuck.
13:30I always wondered whether or not it was because Boxley, who had...
13:34Oh, man, blast of a kick side of the head.
13:36He had taken a shine to Shoto Umino.
13:39Always wondered, maybe he really doesn't know his name.
13:41No, he gave a nickname that was going to stick.
13:48An aggressive dive on the plancha.
13:55And Ospreay's weekend, of course, far from over after tonight.
14:00See action tomorrow and then sit back and watch in the main event to find out whether it's Tetsuya Naito or Zack Sabre Jr.
14:07that will put the U.S. title up against next.
14:13Ospreay, his 2022 is not over.
14:18And he'll keep on wrestling banger after banger after banger and title match after title match after title match
14:26all the way through the rest of this year and into the next.
14:30I tell you what, and his body is held up.
14:32He had neck issues and all sorts of problems as a junior heavyweight.
14:37But since he's put on the added muscle of being a heavyweight, he has not dealt with.
14:41Yes, there was a back issue, of course, that cost him the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship.
14:46But that was more of a surprise.
14:50It was not related to any of the old issues that he had dealt with.
14:56But also in that quest to further his legacy to truly be known as the best belt machine.
15:07There is that there has to be something that gives somewhere.
15:10And it very nearly did, man, with that kidney infection earlier this year.
15:17They make it tonight.
15:18No, caught short powerbomb.
15:22Shota kicks out.
15:27A pair of attempts of a dropkick from Shota Umino.
15:32Ospreay, the counter.
15:37You can hear Crystal Palace starts to shake.
15:47Ospreay, Ospreay.
15:50Oscutter, no.
15:57Knee, nice and snug.
15:59And, oh no, couldn't follow up.
16:01Just what you think you've got, Ospreay.
16:03He's got you. Oscutter.
16:05No, cutter from his own Umino.
16:09Face first, Ospreay to the mat, shoulders down.
16:11Almost three.
16:17I'd love it if Shota complained about a slow count.
16:20Come on, dad.
16:23Oh, no favoritism at all.
16:25Shota Umino is focused on his opponent.
16:30Oh, I knew the hookhook was coming.
16:36The one-man Spanish fly can take you from offense to defense.
16:44The blink of an eye.
16:45That's how fast Will Ospreay can be.
16:54In spite of the kidney infection that nearly cost him everything,
16:59Will Ospreay has set a historical mark in this industry
17:06for incredibly combative, competitive, dramatic matches.
17:13He's brought the best out of every opponent.
17:15Every opponent has brought the best out of Will Ospreay.
17:23But there is still work to do.
17:25This year is not over.
17:27Will Ospreay's journey far from complete.
17:31As Shota Umino, his journey yet to really get started.
17:34Will Ospreay!
17:40Will Ospreay!
17:43Now we'll see as this match wears on
17:48how much does Shota Umino want it.
17:51Come on, you fucking pussy.
17:54Will Ospreay!
17:56More!
17:57More!
17:58More!
17:59More!
18:00More!
18:01More!
18:02More!
18:03More!
18:04More!
18:05More!
18:06More!
18:07More!
18:08More!
18:09More!
18:10More kawada kicks.
18:11Go for Umino continuing to move forward.
18:16Puts a stop to Ospreay.
18:20And brings Ospreay to his knees.
18:22knees. Oh look at those, those short knees and now a flurry of offense from Shoto
18:29Umino. Some of that Jon Moxley influence.
18:40A ripping forearm finally puts Asprey down. And a glare in the eyes of Umino and I
18:48wonder whether he's made some trips to Blackpool during his excursion.
19:03Gone for the moment is the cocky swagger of the US champion is Shoto Umino now
19:08takes him up.
19:21That's not all but it might be soon.
19:26On the doorstep of another victory. The hidden blade. Uh-oh, gone to the face.
19:39No, Umino's coming back side, back side.
19:55On that roll of the dice he'll string these together. Elevated and down and two.
20:10Crystal Palace poised to explode if the upset happens. All the way around. What a
20:16neck-breaker. Almost three.
20:22Could it be Death Rider? No. Asprey had it counted. Oh my, 15 minutes gone, 15
20:38minutes gone. Oh, two. No, not three. As perfectly hit as you could hope for and
20:50now, oh no, the 12-6 elbows and Umino. But hey, wait a second. Well, he's defenseless and so
20:59Red Shuzuno is going to call for the stoppage. At that fast? No, I mean it's a...
21:04The referee has called a stop to this match. Your winner, the referee stoppage, the IWGP United Nations Heavyweight Champion, Umino Asprey.
21:12Same referee that was there and let the 12-6 elbows go on too long.
21:18Sonata breaking an orbital bone in the process. How long did Asprey have to
21:26deliver those 12-6's to Sonata back in the New Japan Cup before Red Shuzuno called it?
21:32He knows how dangerous Asprey is here and as soon as those started to
21:37come in, as soon as Umino was in that position because it was his son, he
21:42called it. I doubt if it was anybody else in that ring, Red Shuzuno would have had a
21:47much longer leash. I don't know about that, Chris. I mean, I'm not...listen, you and I
21:53both have sons. Neither of them, you know, none of our sons are going to be, hopefully, in professional
21:59wrestling. But only Red Shuz knows what it's like to officiate his son's match.
22:08But I would think that it's more of a rebound, if you will, from letting it
22:16linger too long with Sonata. And the guilt, I'm sure, that Uno felt because
22:20there was a lot of criticism of our senior official. And I don't know if it
22:26was because it happened to be that his son was on the receiving end of those
22:31elbows for Asprey that he did call for a stoppage. Could he have let it go a
22:36little longer? Maybe. But Shota was done. He was flat on his face.
22:43There's no doubt how vicious those strikes are. There's a reason why you can't do that in MMA.
22:49And Asprey is one of the most proficient strikers in the world. I'm taking
22:56nothing away from that point. But I wonder when Uno does come to, rightly
23:01or wrongly, whether he'll have a few sound words for daddy when he gets back
23:07to Japan. It is going to be, listen, it's going to be an issue. Shota could say
23:16it's not an issue. He doesn't care who the official is. Red Shoes is the only
23:21one who can say and could remove himself. Again, he's the senior official. He makes
23:27the referee assignments. He could have removed himself from that match, no doubt.
23:34Asprey wins, took Shota's best shot.
23:42But let's look at it, let's look at it like this, Chris. Did you see more from
23:48Shota Umino here tonight against Asprey than we did against Jay White at
23:51Windy City? I think we did. Shota Umino let himself be dominated by Jay White
23:57in Chicago. Couldn't find enough of an opening. Here we saw him on an even kill
24:02with one of the best wrestlers in the world. Is he at that championship level
24:07yet? Quite honestly, I don't think so. But is he able to bring a fight to anyone in
24:13the world? Then yes, he is. And I'll tell you what, he has a rock star charisma
24:21about him. My friend Joel Yentes has been to some Red Pro events and his young
24:28daughter Evie, it's his, Shota is her favorite wrestler. Got a picture taken
24:33with him just because he is her favorite. That's the type of reach Shota Umino
24:41can have going forward.