Callum Newman Says He Will Listen to Will Ospreay in America, But in Japan, He’s Now the Top Foreigner

By: Ian McCord 

On November 3rd, former IWGP Heavyweight Champion Callum Newman and current AEW World Champion Will Ospreay will team up to challenge the Knockout Brothers for the IWGP Tag Team Titles at New Japan Pro Wrestling’s annual Power Struggle event at the Hiroshima Sun Plaza.

After the United Empire trio of HENARE, Great-O-Khan, and Will Ospreay lost the NEVER Six-Man Tag Titles to the Unbound Co. team of Yuto-Ice, OSKAR, and Jeff Cobb at King of Pro-Wrestling 2026, Ospreay said he hadn’t gotten enough of KOB’s Pro-Wrestling High and challenged the team to a match for their IWGP Tag Team Titles at Power Struggle.

The man who loves to make money and supply the Pro-Wrestling High, Yuto-Ice, agreed to the match, however, only on the condition that he got to choose Ospreay’s partner. Ice chose the man who interjected himself into the NEVER Six-Man Title match and almost decapitated Ospreay with a sword, Callum Newman: who, in his defense, claims he thought he was swinging at someone from Unbound Co.

Since Ospreay’s return to NJPW, he and Newman haven’t seen eye to eye when it comes to the direction of the United Empire. Newman feels he was given the tall task of rebuilding the United Empire after Ospreay left NJPW for AEW a few years ago, and to his credit he was able to do so.

In the absence of his mentor, Newman was able to climb to new heights, reviving new life back into the United Empire and becoming the youngest IWGP Heavyweight Champion at the age of 23. Now with Ospreay back in the picture and with the creation of a United Empire chapter forming in AEW, a true power struggle is afoot within the ranks of the United Empire.

In a new interview with New Japan Pro Wrestling, Newman vents his frustrations with Ospreay and other members of the United Empire, claiming that Zane Jay and Jake Lee are the only ones loyal to him. He also shared that he had no idea that Ospreay was going to start his own United Empire in AEW and that he only found out by seeing it on social media.

During the interview, Newman was asked why he agreed to be Ospreay’s partner seeing as they have been dealing with these personal issues and he could have easily turned down the match. Newman simply stated that he accepted because he wants to see if the current AEW World Champion will do things his way. Newman says that he’s the top foreigner in NJPW and Ospreay can’t come in and take back the torch that he has since passed to him.

“I don’t know, to see if he really will do things my way. In America, OK, I’ll listen to him, but in Japan I’m the top foreigner now. He can’t pass the torch to me and then try and take it back when it suits him. I worked so hard to be the top foreigner here, and I did it. I completed Japan at 23 years old, the youngest Cup winner, the youngest Tag Champion, youngest Heavyweight Champion. Will can’t question what I’ve done here, nobody can. So when we stand next to each other, I want him to know that I run the gaffe now, and I’m just as good as he is.”

Image Credit: New Japan Pro Wrestling

The “Prince of Pace” was asked what would happen if he and Ospreay were to win the IWGP Tag Team Titles, with Newman sharing that if it were to happen it all would depend on Ospreay seeing as he has obligations in AEW. However, Newman stressed the fact that if they do win he plans to be a fighting champion, and not allow the belts to lay dormant, something he hates to see happen in NJPW.

“You tell me. Do we go through World Tag League, or do the tag belts go back to AEW and we don’t see them for six months? That’s up to him. I don’t mind going to AEW and defending them there either. But Will has to make sure his schedule is opened up. We have to be fighting champions. I hate it in New Japan where people have belts and don’t defend them.”

When asked his current opinion of AEW, Newman vented some frustrations on some AEW talent believing that NJPW is an “easy in” just because they have AEW on their resume. He continues by stating that some of the talent who just fly in and out for one show don’t understand the hardships of NJPW dojo life and the promotions touring schedule.

“I’m not salty about them, I just feel angry because when their wrestlers want to make a name for themselves in Japan, they feel NJPW is an easy in for them just because they have AEW on their resume. New Japan is not that easy. For all the people who do all the squats in that Dojo every day to get here, an AEW wrestler who can hop, skip and jump their way into a main event rubs me the wrong way.

Because most of those guys as well, they only come in to do one show. They never do a full tour, never know how hard touring actually is. They fly in day before, do a match and fly back home. That’s it. I don’t think they get the schedule.”

A win for Newman and Ospreay would be huge for the whole United Empire worldwide if they can defeat KOB for the tag titles in Hiroshima. However, to do so they must find a way to be on the same page and overcome the Pro-Wrestling High. We shall see how things play out in just over a few days time.

Image Credit: New Japan Pro Wrestling