Will Ospreay is #AllElite. The Aerial Assassin signed with AEW earlier this month at AEW Full Gear, putting pen to paper roughly three months before he was officially set to become a free agent. Ospreay’s current employer, New Japan Pro Wrestling, has had a working relationship with AEW for a number of years now and gave one of their top gaijin stars their blessing to make the big career move. Ospreay being full-time with AEW has been something fans have pushed for for a while, as the short tastes of his in-ring work during Summer 2022 and both AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door and AEW ALL IN: London had many hoping to see him on a weekly basis one day.
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While it took three years for Ospreay to step foot in an AEW ring and four years for him to sign with the company, the current IWGP United States Champion has actually been tied to Tony Khan’s promotion for much longer.
Will Ospreay Details His “Trust” With Tony Khan
AEW has been courting Will Ospreay since its launch.
Speaking to Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated, Will Ospreay revealed that AEW President Tony Khan first approached him following a RevPro match in February 2019.
“At the time, Tony asked what I was interested in doing next in my career,” Ospreay recalled. “I said my focus was on Japan, and he respected that. I’ll always remember how he respected how I felt.”
That initial conversation, while brief, ultimately proved to be the foundation that now supports an entire house of trust between Ospreay and Khan.
“People need to remember this: since then, I’ve built a trust and respect with Tony. That’s very important to me,” Ospreay continued. “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.”
Since cameoing on a June 2022 episode of AEW Dynamite, Ospreay has worked 11 total matches for AEW, all on a handshake deal.
“Now that I’m coming to AEW, I trust him with the aura of Will Ospreay and the character of Will Ospreay,” Ospreay added. “Tony Khan has genuinely changed my life. In return, I am going to deliver the best matches I can deliver.”
Ospreay is expected to begin his full-time AEW run in February 2024.
