Callum Newman Explains Why He Tried To Attack Will Ospreay At NJPW New Year Dash

Newman opens up about his history with Ospreay.

After appearing at Hiroshi Tanahashi’s retirement ceremony at NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 20, Will Ospreay made a surprise appearance the following day at New Year Dash. He reunited with United Empire and specifically addressed Callum Newman.

While speaking to Sid Pullar III of The TakeDown on Sports Illustrated, Newman opened up about his history with Ospreay.

“I met Will when I was 15 maybe? Yeah, 15, and it was my last training session. So my mom and dad surprised me with a Will Ospreay two-day training camp and then once the training camp finished, I was like, ‘OK, I’m done. This was cool.’ We did top rope ‘ranas, first time doing dives. So as I said to him, ‘Thanks man. This was so fun, see you later. I’m done,’ and then he saw my mom and dad in the corner, got them and spoke to my dad and was like, ‘Make sure he doesn’t quit,’ and he was like, ‘OK, cool.’ Once that finished, my dad messaged Will, saying ‘thank you,’ and Will answered him, saying, ‘If he wants to take wrestling seriously, you need to go to the London School of Lucha Libre.’”

Circling back to New Year Dash, the reunion concluded with Newman attempting to hit Ospreay with a chair. Fellow United Empire members HENARE and Great-O-Khan stopped him.

Ospreay did not see what Newman was about to do because he was standing in front of the group. Ospreay only saw Newman as he was storming out of the ring. Newman explained why he tried to attack Ospreay.

“I’ll never discredit Will (Ospreay) for everything he’s done for me. He kept me in wrestling, he kept me in school. He made sure I stayed in school, all that stuff, took me to shows and really took care of me, like he’s my older brother, but I don’t like the fact that he disappeared, went to a rival company and then decided to come back whenever he feels like and says, ‘I’ll come back and I’ll help you.’ The words he said was, ‘I didn’t realize me leaving would make the group crumble.’ I spent a whole year carrying this group, trying to bring it back up and don’t you dare think that you coming back is gonna fix everything. That’s what really kind of pissed me off. That’s what really got to me.

He said he would come back and do things my way… He never liked me doing things my way when he was training me cause whenever I would do things my way, he would kind of tell me off and tell me to calm down. But now I’ve spent so much time and effort really bringing this group back to being the top heel group in Japan, then he wants to come back, then he wants to act like he’s back in the group? No, piss off… It’s my group now. I’m sorry, Will, but that’s how I feel. You disappeared and you left me. You abandoned me, so did Jeff (Cobb). Aussie Open ain’t got a leg to stand on. Aaron (HENARE) got hurt, unfortunately, but he left me. So it was me, Great O Khan and Jakob (Austin Young). I was the only one that could put the group on my back, so don’t you dare think you can just turn up and retake the spot that you just left.”

Ospreay stated that when he gets cleared from his recovery from neck surgery, he has to handle business in AEW, but after that, he’ll be back in New Japan to help Callum with United Empire.