While it’s worth keeping in mind that pro wrestlers are literally professional liars, it was still an interesting tweet.
It came from the account of Will Ospreay, a 30-year-old Briton who has become the hottest property in the industry not yet signed to one of the two major American companies, WWE or AEW.
After one of WWE’s best wrestlers, Seth Rollins, retained his World Heavyweight Championship – the top title anyone can win until Roman Reigns actually gets to wrestle The Rock, which’ll happen eventually, for sure, don’t worry – Ospreay quote-tweeted WWE’s account with a simple response: the eyes emoji.
Fitting, because Ospreay and Rollins have had eyes for each other for some time, going back and forth (in character, for the most part) over who’s the better wrestler.
Could we get an answer to that soon?
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Ospreay, who’s currently contracted to Japan’s top promotion New Japan Pro Wrestling, shapes as one of the biggest free agents in modern wrestling history, and will be at the centre of a massive bidding war between every promotion that could even think of affording him.
Why? Well, mostly because he’s the best wrestler on the planet right now.
Over the past six or seven years, Ospreay has grown from an incredible athlete who drew headlines and attention with his aerial antics, to a genuine superstar in all elements of the sport.
From his in-ring ability, to his storytelling and promos, Ospreay is almost unmatched as a complete package. He has twice been named the Wrestling Observer Newsletter’s Most Outstanding Wrestler, also winning the outlet’s Match of the Year award twice.
Being signed with NJPW allows him to travel the world and wrestle in any company not named WWE, and wherever he goes, he becomes one of the biggest stars and best performers. Not only that, but he draws; Ospreay was the most popular wrestler at AEW’s All In mega-show in August, which drew 81,035 paid attendees (the all-time record) to Wembley Stadium, and helped spark big houses for companies like British independent RevPro.
We’re not just telling you this to blow smoke up his you-know-what. It’s necessary information to understand why this guy you may not have heard of, especially if you’re only a more casual wrestling fan who watches WWE, is such a big deal.
It’s basically impossible to declare someone the objective best wrestler on the planet; but if you could, it’d be Ospreay.
On the website Cagematch, where wrestling fans grade matches and shows, the highest-rated match this decade is Ospreay’s spectacular outing against Kenny Omega from NJPW’s Wrestle Kingdom this past January – rated as a 9.76 out of 10 after 1080 votes.
In fact, looking at only matches in the 2020s, Ospreay features in six of the top 20 matches of the decade so far – the only wrestlers close are Omega and Bryan Danielson (aka Daniel Bryan), with four apiece.
So the question then becomes, who’s the front-runner to sign him?
For a long time, it has been AEW, because Tony Khan’s successful challenger brand has had the combination of money, platform and existing ties.
Clearly Khan would be able to pay Ospreay what he wants, and Khan has already featured Ospreay on his TV and pay per views through AEW’s relationship with NJPW. The Briton is an existing star for the company, without even being contracted to them.
Not only that, but AEW has traditionally focused more on in-ring ability than WWE, with longer (and generally considered as better) matches more suited to the hardcore wrestling fanbase. That suits Ospreay perfectly, who wouldn’t have to change a thing if he signed with AEW.
Starring at All In clearly meant a lot to Ospreay, who got the crowd figure – which has been disputed in the months since because of how it was categorised – tattooed on his body.
He’d have to change a little bit if he signed with WWE instead, though the success of Cody Rhodes – an AEW founder who immediately stepped into the main event scene at their rival company and was presented in a very similar way, rather than getting a WWE makeover – suggests those in charge may now understand there’s a benefit to letting wrestlers shine in the way that made them big names outside of WWE.
Ospreay would have the chance to become a bigger name in WWE, given they simply have a bigger platform, though it’s worth noting Ospreay didn’t grow up as your traditional WWE fan – he watched a lot of their former challenger (which has since declined greatly) TNA – so he’s not the same as other wrestlers, who have the idea of main eventing WrestleMania as the absolute pinnacle stuck in their head since childhood.
Previously Ospreay had stated he wasn’t at all interested in moving to the United States, which would be a prerequisite to signing with WWE – and likely with AEW too – but he has since publicly softened on that view.
“I mean, we have spoke about it more. I’m now open to the idea of stretching myself out that little bit more,” he told Metro recently.
“As age has become more apparent to me and my body is hurting more and more, I’m open to all avenues. I’ve had a lot of talks with my friends about this, and I have spoke to the missus.
“Although we’ve spent so much money on our new kitchen, we are open to the idea of relocating to the United States. It’s on the table, that’s all I can really say. That means I am open to all options going forward.”
Those are the exact comments you’d make if you were trying to drive up the price of your next contract, sure. But they also speak to a door that has been opened – and one that WWE is believed to be peering through.
Respected wrestling news outlet Fightful Select reported this week WWE has shown “heavy interest” in, and held conversations with, Ospreay. And they’d be silly not to, given signing him wouldn’t just give them a potential superstar talent, but keep one away from AEW – who have been losing momentum over the past 12 months with questionable booking decisions and a turn towards WWE-style sports entertainment production.
“When it comes to Will Ospreay’s future, I know a lot of people expect AEW and AEW certainly would be one of the leading candidates, he’s in a position now where he’s looking to secure his family and WWE and AEW are the two best places for that,” veteran wrestling journalist Dave Meltzer wrote in his Wrestling Observer Newsletter last month.
“I would never rule out WWE right now in that conversation, but also figure Tony Khan will want him badly so wouldn’t figure him out either. There are people in WWE obviously very high on him and there has been talk.
“He had said he doesn’t want to move from the U.K. because his family is there but he’s now said that he’s open tot he idea of moving.
“Ospreay has hired Barry Bloom as his agent. Bloom is the agent for a ton of pro wrestlers including Chris Jericho, the Young Bucks, Kenny Omega, Bill Goldberg, Jim Ross, and also repped Scott Hall, Kevin Nash, Sean Waltman, Paul Levesque, and many others dating back to Jesse Ventura. He just got The Young Bucks what was believed to be the highest guaranteed deal for a tag team in history.
“His New Japan deal is up at the end of January. Obviously the AEW advantage would be he could still work major New Japan shows.”
Assuming there’s genuine interest from both sides of the US wrestling war, and it’s hard to imagine there wouldn’t be, Ospreay has a difficult decision to make. Either way he’s going to make a life-changing amount of money, but the paths are quite different, and speak to the type of wrestler he really wants to be.
It would seem unlikely he re-signs with New Japan simply because he would become easily their highest-paid performer, and they have never pushed him as their undisputed top guy (though they’d probably find success if they did). The company’s budget isn’t really at the level of the two big US powers either.
So, early next year, we can expect Ospreay to either show back up in AEW – where they could finally use him as a full-time main eventer, potentially sparking some desperately-needed momentum – or make a stunning WWE debut.
When’s his contract up again? The end of January?
Hmm… hang on, which WWE event happens around that time of year?