Fresh off an impressive showing in a trios loss to Trent Beretta and FTR on AEW Rampage alongside his fellow United Empire stablemates Aussie Open, Will Ospreay is set to compete with Sanada for the now-vacant New Japan Pro Wrestling US Title at NJPW Dominion this weekend.

Vacant, you say? Didn't Juice Robinson win that belt in a four-way that also featured Ospreay, Hiroshi Tanahashi, and Jon Moxley at Capital Collision back in May? That did happen; there's a video to prove it too. So what gives? Why is Ospreay looking primed to enter Forbidden Door with a new belt around his waist and a certain Best Friend probably in his sights?

Oh no, Juice Robinson has lost it. Is he about to quit wrestling again like he sort of did on-air with Bryan Alvarez?

Nope; Robinson actually has acute appendicitis and is expected to be out indefinitely as he recovers.

With Robinson unable to go, NJPW opted to vacate the title instead of keeping it with a performer who is unable to wrestle, and just like that, Ospreay's chances of taking the ring at Forbidden Door with a championship around his waist just went up considerably.

Does Ospreay need to be a champion to make his match at Forbidden Door more consequential? No, whether it takes place first, last, or somewhere in between, fans will be talking about the leader of the United Empire's efforts for a very long time, and calls to make him All Elite full-time will grow considerably.