Will Ospreay talks signing with AEW, 2024 plans

[Chris]

https://www.si.com/fannation/wrestling/news/will-ospreay-what-i-did-in-2023-i-am-going-to-up-it-in-2024

Will Ospreay: “What I Did In 2023, I Am Going To Up It In 2024”​

Earlier this month, Will Ospreay was introduced as the newest member of the AEW roster at the Full Gear pay-per-view.

While still largely unknown to wrestling fans in America, Ospreay is an athletic marvel that primarily stars for New Japan Pro-Wrestling. After producing outrageously compelling matches throughout the year, he is ready to take an even greater leap in 2024 in AEW. Even if there are questions about how his promos will develop on a weekly basis (in his defense, Ospreay has shined in NJPW’s press conferences before big matches), he possesses no peer inside the ring.

Yet Ospreay was not wrestling at Full Gear. As he stood behind the curtain at The Forum in Los Angeles, California, having successfully concealed his identity all the way from Heathrow, which is the United Kingdom’s biggest airport, Ospreay felt a different sensation running through his veins.

Fear.

“This was a new type of fear,” said Ospreay. “It was completely different from wrestling. Even if you’ve never seen me wrestle, I’m confident that I can do something dazzling and make you remember me. But I couldn’t do that at Full Gear.”

The great Tony Schiavone introduced Ospreay, and the crowd lit up as soon as his entrance music began. A rush of adrenaline propelled Ospreay down the aisle and into the ring, where he wanted to wrestle–and soon will have that chance in AEW.

“As I was waiting, I asked myself, ‘What if people don’t know my entrance music, Elevated?’” said Ospreay. “Then, when Schiavone was talking, it went real quiet. That was scary. There was this murmur, then the music hit. That reception was truly overwhelming for me. People were genuinely happy to have me, and I felt it the moment the music hit.”

Ospreay, 30, is AEW’s next breakout star. While he still has commitments to fulfill in NJPW, he is planning to be a full-time force to be reckoned with in AEW by, at the latest, early next spring.

“My contract with New Japan has not terminated yet,” said Ospreay, who is part of the upcoming Wrestle Kingdom card, as well as other shows for NJPW. “That means I’ll be the first wrestler to be under a dual contract with AEW and New Japan, which is fun.”

AEW is a better home for Ospreay than WWE, as it opens the door for endless possibilities across the globe. WWE was interested in acquiring Ospreay, but given his success across multiple promotions–Ospreay delivered must-see matches this year in AEW, NJPW, Impact, and RevPro, just to sample a few–he is a much better fit for AEW, where he can establish a base in the United States while still making dates across the world.

“I still need to have some sort of involvement in New Japan, especially with my faction United Empire,” said Ospreay. “That is very important to me. I grew up in New Japan. I’m not ready to let it go.

“And I’ve been everywhere, and that’s because I’m constantly trying to better myself. I have this idea in my mind that I’ll grow stagnant with time off. I want to keep pushing. That’s what I am going to do.”

Another key factor behind the signing is Ospreay’s relationship with AEW owner Tony Khan. The two first met four years ago following Ospreay’s match against PAC at England’s famed York Hall, which is located in Ospreay’s hometown of London. Every moment of the time-limit draw seized hold of Khan’s attention, and it sparked a discussion after the match.

“At the time, Tony asked what I was interested in doing next in my career,” said Ospreay. “I said my focus was on Japan, and he respected that. I’ll always remember how he respected how I felt. I also need to mention that night was the only singles match I’ve ever wrestled against PAC–that’s something I want to throw out there so we can run it back and put it to rest between us.”

Unbeknownst to Ospreay at the time, the conversation laid the foundation for a mutual trust and respect with Khan.

“People need to remember this–since then, I’ve built a trust and respect with Tony,” said Ospreay. “That’s very important to me. When Tony had me work matches for AEW, like I did this summer at All In at Wembley Stadium, he didn’t have to do that. He trusted me. That meant the world to me.

“Now that I’m coming to AEW, I trust him with the aura of Will Ospreay and the character of Will Ospreay. Tony Khan has genuinely changed my life. In return, I am going to deliver the best matches I can deliver.”

Looking back at the past year, no one has equaled Ospreay’s success in the ring. There was the spectacular bout against Tetsuya Naito in the G1 Climax semi-finals, a Bound for Glory thriller in Impact against “Speedball” Mike Bailey, and the two classics against Kenny Omega at Wrestle Kingdom 17 and Forbidden Door.

“I did stress myself about topping the first match with Kenny,” admitted Ospreay. “When I came into New Japan, Kenny was the guy. After he left New Japan, I wanted to fill his shoes. I have my way of preparing for a match, which is usually mentally preparing tucked away in a corner. I focus on who I am, and that’s what I did against Kenny. The matches against him meant so much to me.”

But that is only scratching the surface of his iconic year in the ring. Other standout bouts from 2023 include matches against Naomichi Marufuji, Zack Sabre Jr., Shota Umino, Shingo Takagi, and Chris Jericho.

“The Jericho match, especially, that was very stressful for me,” said Ospreay, who defeated the legendary Jericho at AEW’s All In this past August at Wembley Stadium.

As AEW begins to launch its ticket sales for next summer’s All In extravaganza, which will again take place at Wembley Stadium, Ospreay is viewing the occasion as a homecoming.

“I can’t say this enough, people need to get their tickets for Wembley,” said Ospreay. “Wrestling there means the world to me. There’s even a chance I am in the main event wrestling the AEW champion for the world title. Imagine that? Wrestling at a place that was right beside where I used to work?”

A decade ago, Ospreay worked at a building site right beside the flats near Wembley Stadium as a mastic sealant applicator. Now, he has designs of main-eventing a show in front of over 80,000 people.

“I used to watch fans coming out of Wembley Stadium,” said Ospreay. “I never got to go inside Wembley Stadium until I wrestled there. Now I’m working there again, but this time right inside Wembley Stadium.”

More than once, Ospreay has hinted at a potential match against WWE star Seth Rollins. He wants a trilogy bout against Omega, as well as a showdown against Bryan Danielson.

No matter the opponent, Ospreay believes he can create a wrestling match that will leave people in awe. That is his part of his objective for the coming year in AEW, where he wants to reach the very top of the industry.

“Wrestling is a weird meditation,” said Ospreay. “I don’t believe my own hype, but I’m also confident I can tear it up with anybody right now. Everything I’ve done so far, I’ve built on my own back. That’s the way I’ve grown up and matured in this wild business, and that’s why I am very confident.

“What I did in 2023, I am going to up it in 2024.”