Although he is only in his early 30s, Will Ospreay has already cemented a legacy as one of the most exciting performers in British wrestling and around the world.
- Date of Birth: 7 May 1993
- Date of in-ring debut: March 12 2011 for BWE in Essex
- Finishing move: Hidden Blade
- Signature move: Os Cutter
Growing up in London, England, Ospreay decided to pursue a career in professional wrestling after being inspired by the critically acclaimed triple threat match between AJ Styles, Samoa Joe and Christopher Daniels at TNA Unbreakable 2005. After making his in-ring debut for BWE in Baintree, Essex in 2011, Ospreay went on to wrestle under a mask for British promotion Lucha Britannia, where he was known as Dark Britannico.
Over the next few years, Ospreay competed all around the UK for notable promotions such as RevPro, Progress and IPW, before making his debut in New Japan in 2016. During a Best of the Super Junior match with Ricochet, both men went viral for their incredibly athletic match that became polarising among fans. While some praised the bout for the spots and high-flying moves, others found it to be too choreographed.
While Ospreay continued to make a name for himself in New Japan, he continued to compete regularly in the UK, including for internet promotion WCPW and the revived World of Sport promotion, which was broadcast on ITV in the UK, and was the first time many British fans saw The Aerial Assassin in action.
After multiple reigns with the New Japan Pro Wrestling IWGP Junior Heavyweight Title, the British wrestler made the transition to heavyweight and defeated Kota Ibushi at Wrestle Kingdom 13 to win the NEVER Openweight Championship.
In 2020, Ospreay turned heel when he attacked Kazuchika Okada after their match, joining forces with Aussie Open to form the United Empire faction. At Sakura Genesis 2021, Ospreay defeated Kota Ibushi again, this time for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship, and became the first British wrestler to hold the top championship in New Japan. Unfortunately, Ospreay was forced to vacate the title due to injury.
Later, capturing the IWGP United States Championship, Ospreay made is AEW debut in 2022, which led to a title defence against Orange Cassidy at the inaugural Forbidden Door show, which saw Ospreay emerge the victor. The British star later crossed paths with one of the biggest stars in NJPW history, Kenny Omega. After losing to Omega at Wrestle Kingdom 17, Ospreay won the title back in a rematch at Forbidden Door that year. Ospreay continued to make regular AEW appearances, which included a victory over Chris Jericho at All In 2023 inside Wembley Stadium in London.
At Full Gear 2023, the NJPW star announced that he would be returning to AEW full-time once he had finished up his commitments with New Japan. On February 11 2024 at The New Beginning in Osaka, Ospreay and United Empire were defeated by Bullet Club War Dogs in a 10-man steel cage match that signalled Ospreay’s exit from the company.
Ospreay officially arrived in AEW at Revolution 2024 when he defeated Konosuke Takeshita. At Dynasty, Ospreay faced Bryan Danielson in what was easily regarded as the best match of 2024 from an in-ring standpoint, and what many fans saw as a dream match as soon as it was announced. After going on to defeat Roderick Strong to win the International Championship, Ospreay lost the title to MJF in a 59-minute match that was close to ending in a time limit draw. Winning back the title at All In 2024, Ospreay lost the title to Takeshita in a triple threat match that also included Ricochet.
Following a feud with former best friend Kyle Fletcher, Ospreay became involved in the feud that saw the top babyfaces in the company feud with The Deathriders and The Young Bucks, which saw Adam Page dethrone Jon Moxley in the main event of All: In Texas thanks to help from multiple allies, including Ospreay.
Following another victory at Forbidden Door 2025, which emanated from the O2 in London, the AEW star was written off TV following a Deathriders attack. The attack was so that Ospreay could undergo neck surgery.
While Dave Meltzer’s star ratings remain divisive in the wrestling community, Ospreay currently has the most matches rated 5* or above in the history of the system.
Will Ospreay AEW & NJPW Championship Record
AEW:
- AEW International Championship – 2 reigns
New Japan:
- IWGP World Heavyweight Championship – 1 reign
- IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship – 2 reigns
- IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship – 3 reigns
- NEVER Openweight Championship – 1 reign
- New Japan Cup – 2021
- Best of the Super Juniors – 2016, 2019
Featured image: AEW