Whereas it’s price preserving in thoughts that professional wrestlers are actually skilled liars, it was nonetheless an fascinating tweet.
It got here from the account of Will Ospreay, a 30-year-old Briton who has turn out to be the most popular property within the trade not but signed to one of many two main American corporations, WWE or AEW.
After one in every of WWE’s finest wrestlers, Seth Rollins, retained his World Heavyweight Championship – the highest title anybody can win till Roman Reigns truly will get to wrestle The Rock, which’ll occur finally, for certain, don’t fear – Ospreay quote-tweeted WWE’s account with a easy response: the eyes emoji.
Becoming, as a result of Ospreay and Rollins have had eyes for one another for a while, going forwards and backwards (in character, for essentially the most half) over who’s the higher wrestler.
May we get a solution to that quickly?
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Ospreay, who’s at the moment contracted to Japan’s high promotion New Japan Professional Wrestling, shapes as one of many greatest free brokers in fashionable wrestling historical past, and can be on the centre of a large bidding warfare between each promotion that would even consider affording him.
Why? Nicely, principally as a result of he’s one of the best wrestler on the planet proper now.
Over the previous six or seven years, Ospreay has grown from an unimaginable athlete who drew headlines and a spotlight together with his aerial antics, to a real famous person in all parts of the game.
From his in-ring capability, to his storytelling and promos, Ospreay is nearly unmatched as a whole bundle. He has twice been named the Wrestling Observer E-newsletter’s Most Excellent Wrestler, additionally profitable the outlet’s Match of the Yr award twice.
Being signed with NJPW permits him to journey the world and wrestle in any firm not named WWE, and wherever he goes, he turns into one of many greatest stars and finest performers. Not solely that, however he attracts; Ospreay was the preferred wrestler at AEW’s All In mega-show in August, which drew 81,035 paid attendees (the all-time document) to Wembley Stadium, and helped spark massive homes for corporations like British unbiased RevPro.
We’re not simply telling you this to blow smoke up his you-know-what. It’s obligatory info to know why this man you could not have heard of, particularly in the event you’re solely a extra informal wrestling fan who watches WWE, is such a giant deal.
It’s mainly not possible to declare somebody the target finest wrestler on the planet; however in the event you might, it’d be Ospreay.
On the web site Cagematch, the place wrestling followers grade matches and exhibits, the highest-rated match this decade is Ospreay’s spectacular outing in opposition to Kenny Omega from NJPW’s Wrestle Kingdom this previous January – rated as a 9.76 out of 10 after 1080 votes.
Actually, solely matches within the 2020s, Ospreay options in six of the highest 20 matches of the last decade up to now – the one wrestlers shut are Omega and Bryan Danielson (aka Daniel Bryan), with 4 apiece.
So the query then turns into, who’s the front-runner to signal him?
For a very long time, it has been AEW, as a result of Tony Khan’s profitable challenger model has had the mix of cash, platform and current ties.
Clearly Khan would be capable to pay Ospreay what he desires, and Khan has already featured Ospreay on his TV and pay per views by way of AEW’s relationship with NJPW. The Briton is an current star for the corporate, with out even being contracted to them.
Not solely that, however AEW has historically targeted extra on in-ring capability than WWE, with longer (and usually thought-about as higher) matches extra suited to the hardcore wrestling fanbase. That fits Ospreay completely, who wouldn’t have to alter a factor if he signed with AEW.
Starring at All In clearly meant lots to Ospreay, who obtained the group determine – which has been disputed within the months since due to the way it was categorised – tattooed on his physique.
He’d have to alter a little bit bit if he signed with WWE as an alternative, although the success of Cody Rhodes – an AEW founder who instantly stepped into the principle occasion scene at their rival firm and was offered in a really comparable method, reasonably than getting a WWE makeover – suggests these in cost might now perceive there’s a profit to letting wrestlers shine in the best way that made them massive names exterior of WWE.
Ospreay would have the prospect to turn out to be a much bigger identify in WWE, given they merely have a much bigger platform, although it’s price noting Ospreay didn’t develop up as your conventional WWE fan – he watched plenty of their former challenger (which has since declined enormously) TNA – so he’s not the identical as different wrestlers, who’ve the concept of essential eventing WrestleMania as absolutely the pinnacle caught of their head since childhood.
Beforehand Ospreay had said he wasn’t in any respect interested by transferring to america, which might be a prerequisite to signing with WWE – and certain with AEW too – however he has since publicly softened on that view.
“I imply, we now have spoke about it extra. I’m now open to the concept of stretching myself out that little bit extra,” he informed Metro lately.
“As age has turn out to be extra obvious to me and my physique is hurting increasingly, I’m open to all avenues. I’ve had plenty of talks with my pals about this, and I’ve spoke to the missus.
“Though we’ve spent a lot cash on our new kitchen, we’re open to the concept of relocating to america. It’s on the desk, that’s all I can actually say. Meaning I’m open to all choices going ahead.”
These are the precise feedback you’d make in the event you had been making an attempt to drive up the worth of your subsequent contract, certain. However additionally they converse to a door that has been opened – and one which WWE is believed to be peering by way of.
Revered wrestling information outlet Fightful Choose reported this week WWE has proven “heavy curiosity” in, and held conversations with, Ospreay. And so they’d be foolish to not, given signing him wouldn’t simply give them a possible famous person expertise, however hold one away from AEW – who’ve been shedding momentum over the previous 12 months with questionable reserving choices and a flip in direction of WWE-style sports activities leisure manufacturing.
“In terms of Will Ospreay’s future, I do know lots of people count on AEW and AEW actually can be one of many main candidates, he’s able now the place he’s seeking to safe his household and WWE and AEW are the 2 finest locations for that,” veteran wrestling journalist Dave Meltzer wrote in his Wrestling Observer E-newsletter final month.
“I might by no means rule out WWE proper now in that dialog, but additionally determine Tony Khan will need him badly so wouldn’t determine him out both. There are folks in WWE clearly very excessive on him and there was speak.
“He had mentioned he doesn’t need to transfer from the U.Okay. as a result of his household is there however he’s now mentioned that he’s open tot he concept of transferring.
“Ospreay has employed Barry Bloom as his agent. Bloom is the agent for a ton of professional wrestlers together with Chris Jericho, the Younger Bucks, Kenny Omega, Invoice Goldberg, Jim Ross, and in addition repped Scott Corridor, Kevin Nash, Sean Waltman, Paul Levesque, and lots of others courting again to Jesse Ventura. He simply obtained The Younger Bucks what was believed to be the best assured deal for a tag workforce in historical past.
“His New Japan deal is up on the finish of January. Clearly the AEW benefit can be he might nonetheless work main New Japan exhibits.”
Assuming there’s real curiosity from each side of the US wrestling warfare, and it’s exhausting to think about there wouldn’t be, Ospreay has a tough choice to make. Both method he’s going to make a life-changing sum of money, however the paths are fairly completely different, and converse to the kind of wrestler he actually desires to be.
It will appear unlikely he re-signs with New Japan just because he would turn out to be simply their highest-paid performer, they usually have by no means pushed him as their undisputed high man (although they’d in all probability discover success in the event that they did). The corporate’s price range isn’t actually on the degree of the 2 massive US powers both.
So, early subsequent 12 months, we will count on Ospreay to both present again up in AEW – the place they might lastly use him as a full-time essential eventer, probably sparking some desperately-needed momentum – or make a shocking WWE debut.
When’s his contract up once more? The top of January?
Hmm… grasp on, which WWE occasion occurs round that point of 12 months?