Will Ospreay details decision to sign with AEW

[Chris]

Will Ospreay opened up about his decision to sign with AEW during an appearance on Talk is Jericho.

Ospreay told Jericho that AEW's offer was "way better" than WWE's in terms of money and schedule. He also said that being able to remain living in the UK was his top priority.

Ospreay said:

Main thing was cause I wanted to be in the UK. I know I'm not going to be exactly comfortable moving to another country. I moved to Japan back in 2019, and as much as I loved it, it just wasn't home.

Ospreay continued to say that he didn't want to cause his wife, wrestler Alex Windsor, and stepson to have to move.

We have a stepson now, or she has a son, I have a stepson now, and he just started school.
If you know (Windsor's) story and anything that she's been through...the UK scene kind of knows it but she lost her husband. And having to pick herself up from that and having to be a mom, a single mom, to losing her husband, it's going to have some tolls on you. So, (we) need to be around her family, need to be around her friends and her social circle.
I couldn't bare the thought of moving her away from all that and having her on her own again. So for me the main priortity was to stay in the UK but to also... I want to up the wrestling now because I'd done everything in New Japan, like I completed it.
The viable option was where was I happy and what was I doing and every time I came here Tony has given me nothing but trust and respect the moment I came in here. It was the right decision for me like at this time. So, I'm happy here and I'm looking forward to the challenges. It's the right decision.

Ospreay confirmed he will live in the UK but fly back and forth.

He continued:

For example, if (there is) a PPV, there's no point in me going home. So, Dynamite Wednesday I'll stay, maybe there's a Collision on the Saturday, I'll stay for that, then PPV Sunday and I'll stay for the next Dynamite and then I'll go home then.
I have no problems staying in hotels, that's what I'd do when I was over in Japan. Worst case scenario, I can go over to Kyle and Skye's. They owe me, they lived at my house back in 2021 so I'll just stay with them.

Jericho asked Ospreay if he'd had discussions with WWE and Ospreay responded that he did, but AEW's offer was much more appealing to him.

Ospreay said:

it was night and day even in differences of what they were offering and what AEW was offering, AEW was way better, like the scheduling, like everything about AEW was completely the right option for me.
It was almost kind of like, you can go be a superstar in WWE and famous but it's not as good of pay and it's not as kind of a schedule. I respect everyone there doing it but it's just not for me.

Ospreay also spoke about the eight years he spent with New Japan Pro Wrestling and what he learned during his time there.

Ospreay said:

Walking into Japan and barely knowing English, bruv. Going to Japan and not knowing a single bit of the language, it's daunting and it's scary but I found my footing in there very soon. Up and down, made a bunch of mistakes over there, but what a place to just grow up in and just to learn about who I am as a man and learning etiquette and manners and how to be part of a team. I couldn't ask for a better introduction into the pro-wrestling business. They were so nice to me.

https://www.f4wonline.com/news/aew/will-ospreay-says-aew-offered-a-way-better-deal-than-wwe