David Finlay Defeats Jon Moxley & Will Ospreay, Wins IWGP Global Title At Wrestle Kingdom 18
David Finlay upset both Jon Moxley and Will Ospreay in a three-way match to become the inaugural IWGP Global Heavyweight Champion at Wrestle Kingdom 18.
Ospreay and Moxley opened the match exactly how they had promised during the pre-show press conference, calling a truce with one another and focusing their attack on David Finlay in unison. When they were done with Finlay, the pair traded suplexes in the middle of the ring before Ospreay attempted his Os-Cutter, only for Moxley to reverse it into a suplex, which he also did when Ospreay attempted a Spanish fly, transitioning an armbar into a chokehold. Moxley tried a Death Rider on the apron, but Ospreay reversed it as Finlay drove Mox into the ring post, which busted him open.
Moxley brought steel chairs into the match, but he was later thrown into it by Finlay. Bullet Club War Dogs' Alex Coughlin and Gabe Kidd got involved on Finlay's behalf, and the finishing exchange saw Moxley drop Finlay with a pair of Death Riders before eating two Hidden Blades from Will Ospreay. Ospreay hit Stormbreaker on Moxley only for Finlay to break up the pin. Finlay landed Oblivion, a curb stomp, followed by an improvised Oblivion variant to score the winning pin on Ospreay.
Finlay became the first IWGP Global Champion after having destroyed the IWGP United States/United Kingdom Championship belonging to Will Ospreay in November last year. The title will serve as the spiritual successor to the IWGP Intercontinental Championship, which was unified with the IWGP Heavyweight Championship to become the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship in 2021.
Check out Wrestling Inc.'s live coverage of Wrestle Kingdom 18 here.