Will Ospreay Reveals Top WWE Star That Tried to "Sway" Him to Sign

Will Ospreay says AJ Styles tried to persuade him to sign with WWE.

By Haley Miller

Will Ospreay is one of AEW's biggest prospects who has already shown that he's someone that will help take the company into the future. He signed with the promotion back in November at Full Gear but he didn't begin competing in AEW full-time until March when his obligations with New Japan Pro Wrestling expired. However, as it turns out, a top WWE superstar that Ospreay crossed paths with a handful of times on the independents tried to "sway" the 30-year-old star the other way.

"AJ [Styles] was on the phone to me when he was trying to, I guess the right word would be 'sway' in making my decision on which company I should [sign with]. And it flatters me because AJ is my hero, everything I wanted to become," Ospreay said on AEW Unrestricted. "I feel like he's always kept an eye on me. I feel like even now, I guess that's what the phone call was about, but he always keeps an eye on me every now and again but for me, coming [to AEW] was the right thing to do. I just knew coming here, I wanted to make a difference, I wanted to be part of a change in the culture."

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During his short time as a full-time AEW competitor, Ospreay has faced some of the company's biggest and brightest stars in Bryan Danielson, Claudio Castagnoli, Konosuke Takeshita, and Powerhouse Hobbs. Though Ospreay had talks with all promotions, including WWE, he ultimately decided that AEW was the right fit for him and his family. When WWE CCO Paul "Triple H" Levesque threw shots at who many presumed to be Ospreay, saying some are "not in it for the grind," Ospreay took it personally and addressed it on a recent episode of Dynamite.

Ospreay's next challenge will be at Double or Nothing on May 26 in Las Vegas. There, he will challenge Roderick Strong for the International Championship. He won the opportunity by beating the likes of Jay White, Kyle O'Reilly, Penta El Zero Miedo, Lance Archer, Komander, Dante Martin and Jay Lethal in a gauntlet match for a #1 contenders shot. It will be Ospreay's first time challenging for a title as an AEW talent. 

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