Birds of Prey was a professional wrestling tag team formed by Robbie Eagles and Will Ospreay, where they worked for New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), as part of the CHAOS stable. The team worked on NJPW's junior heavyweight division, most notably feuding with Bullet Club for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship, before disbanding on October 16, 2020, after Opsreay turned on CHAOS, in order to form his own stable.
History[]
Background (2017–2019)[]
In August 2017, Will Ospreay began working in the Australian independent circuit. On August 11, 2017 at a Pro Wrestling Australia event, where Ospreay faced Robbie Eagles in a losing effort. Afterwards, Ospreay who was impressed by Eagles offered him to work in Japan. In the following year, Eagles began working for New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), joining heel stable Bullet Club, while Opsreay was part of Bullet Club's rival stable CHAOS.
Formation (2019)[]
In May 2019, Eagles began feuding with Bullet Club stablemate El Phantasmo, after Phantasmo began teaming with Eagles partner Taiji Ishimori and helping him during the 2019 Best of the Super Juniors, despite Eagles didn't needing it. Eagles began growing increasingly more distant from the Bullet Club as Phantasmo's behavior clashed with Eagles' sense of sportsmanship. In June, after Ospreay won the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship he nominated Eagles to be his first challenger for the title. Leading to the match Ospreay proclaimed that he wanted Eagles to return to his old self. On June 29 on the first night of the Southern Showdown, Eagles unsuccessfully challenged Ospreay for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship. Afterwards, Phantasmo entered the ring to show him support, leading Eagles to attack him and shake hands with Ospreay. The following day, Eagles defected from the Bullet Club and joined CHAOS, after he refused to attack Will Ospreay. In August, both Eagles and Opsreay entered the 2019 Super J-Cup, losing to El Phntasmo in the first round and semifinals, respectively, after he cheated to win both matches.
Feud with Bullet Club and disbanding (2019–2020)[]
On August 31 at Royal Quest, Eagles and Ospreay formed a team named "Birds of Prey" and the two defeated El Phantasmo and Taiji Ishimori in a non-title match. Afterwards, Eagles and Ospreay held the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championships and challenged them to a rematch for their titles. On September 15 at Destruction in Kagoshima, Eagles, and Ospreay unsuccessfully challenged Phatasmo and Ishimori for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship. From October 16 until November 1, 2019, Eagles and Ospreay took part in the 2019 Super Jr. Tag League, finishing the tournament with a record of four wins and three losses, failing to advance to the finals of the tournament. Eagles and Ospreay entered their final match with a chance to reach the finals, but BUSHI who had previously challenged Ospreay to match for his title cost them their final match against Suzuki-gun (El Desperado and Yoshinobu Kanemaru).
On January 4, 2020, in the first night of Wrestle Kingdom 14 in Tokyo Dome, Ospreay lost the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship to Hiromu Takahashi. In October, Ospreay turned on CHAOS' leader Kazuchika Okada during their match in 2020 G1 Climax, in order to form his own stable, effectively disbanding the team.
In wrestling[]
- Eagles's finishing moves
- Ace Crusher (Cutter)
- Pulse Drop (Shiranui)
- Ron Miller Special (Inside toe hold figure four leglock sometimes transitioned to a chicken wing facelock)
- Ospreay's finishing moves
- OsCutter (Springboard cutter)
- Storm Breaker (Double underhook overhead gutwrench transitioned into a modified corkscrew neckbreaker)
Championships and accomplishments[]
External links[]
- CHAOS at Shop.NJPW.co.jp (Japanese)
- Cagematch Profile
