If one is a pro wrestler, the likelihood is they grew up not only watching WWE, but wanting to wrestle for WWE. It is that sense that AEW star Will Ospreay is somewhat of a unicorn, as that doesn’t describe him. In an interview with “The Ariel Helwani Show,” Ospreay admitted he did watch WWE as a kid, and at first enjoyed it. But as he began to discover more wrestling promotions and styles, Ospreay began to distance himself from watching WWE, realizing it didn’t fit his vision for the sport.
“It just wasn’t for me,” Ospreay said. “I didn’t like it, I didn’t like the presentation behind it. And I still have those feelings now…I found TNA and I felt like that was a style that spoke to me. The X-Division was huge for me. And then seeing that and finding Pro Wrestling NOAH and Dragon Gate and New Japan were like the things that kind of inspired me, and made me want to be a pro wrestler. They’re the things that drove me. WWE’s never really drove me.”
Despite that, Ospreay was approached twice by WWE early in his career. One of those offers was made by WWE’s Paul Heyman that would’ve seen Ospreay sign with EVOLVE, a move that was nixed by New Japan because he was under contract with them. The other was an offer by WWE to appear in the WWE Cruiserweight Classic, an offer he turned down due to monetary reasons.
“The money was terrible,” Ospreay said. “It was bad. I was making more money in New Japan. So that was the thing that blew my mind…and I didn’t know I was going to get an offer from New Japan. I just wanted to go do it because it was the Super Juniors, and the IWGP Junior Title was one of the coolest things for me. So after I signed my deal, it was funny comparing the two, and just being like ‘How am I making more money in this place?'”
Ospreay Reveals WWE Did Approach Him With An Offer Before He Signed With AEW
Ospreay admitted he may have made more money in WWE if he had succeeded in becoming a star, something that was proven to him nearly a decade later when his New Japan contract was set to expire at the start of 2024. While Ospreay ultimately chose to sign with AEW, he revealed that there was contact between him and WWE.
“They were interested for sure,” Ospreay said. “Yeah, there was an offer, and a really lovely offer as well, but it just involved me moving to the states, and I just have no ambition to move over there.”
When asked if he would’ve signed with WWE if moving to the US hadn’t been a requirement, Ospreay didn’t have a firm answer, though he indicated he’d have leant towards saying no. And the reason once again went back to the fact that the WWE style has very little appeal to him.
“I do respect it, I really do, it’s just I don’t like the way it’s filmed, I don’t like the wrestling behind it,” Ospreay said. “I think it’s very minimalistic. I’ll never say never because that’s what we kind of do in the industry now. We just want to make sure we keep all of our options open for sure. But I just…right now, in the format and how much fun I’m having in AEW, and just how much freedom I have to be me, like I don’t have anyone putting a script in my hand.”
Not only does Ospreay not have any interest in going to WWE right now, he also hasn’t kept up with the product beyond watching clips.
“I haven’t watched WWE properly in ages,” Ospreay said. “This is how out of the loop I am with WWE; we were over doing Wrestlecon during WrestleMania weekend. So bare in mind, it’s on all the TV, it’s on all the pool parties, it’s everywhere. I didn’t see one thing.”
If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit “The Ariel Helwani Show” and provide a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription
Opinion: Ospreay’s Views On WWE Are Refreshing And Should Be Emulated By Other Wrestlers
I anticipate many will look at the headline above and think this is me applauding Ospreay “sticking it to WWE” or whatever the kids say these days. But that’s not the case, and that’s because I don’t interpret Ospreay’s comments to be him attempting to bury WWE. Yes, he clearly isn’t a fan of the style, and he does have some pointed criticisms towards the style WWE employs and some of the WWE clips he’s seen where spots have gone awry. At the same time, Ospreay makes it clear that he respects WWE, he has entertained going there beforehand and maybe would have if not for circumstances, and doesn’t rule out the possibility that the stars could align and he could sign there one day. So he’s not saying he’s anti-WWE. What he’s saying, or what I believe he’s saying, is that he doesn’t need a WWE run to feel like he’s had a great career, and that to me is positively refreshing, and something more wrestlers should emulate.
I get that it’s not easy; after all, WWE is the wrestling promotion most fans and wrestlers grew up watching, and it’s been presented as the “major leagues” of pro wrestling for so long that if one doesn’t get there, it can be construed as them having “not made it.” But that’s just not true. Look at Sting; aside from three matches and a few segments, he spent his whole career outside of WWE and is recognized as one of the greatest ever. The likes of Dusty Rhodes and Harley Race are all time wrestling legends, and their WWE careers were minimal at best. That doesn’t mean one shouldn’t pursue WWE if they have the opportunity, but looking at it as the only opportunity is where so many run into problems. That sure seems to have been the mindset of the likes of Malakai Black and Rusev, who many believe were just biding their time till they could return to WWE, and it ultimately led to Black getting fired one year later, and Rusev being in the exact same spot, if not lower, than he was in AEW. And by the way, it cuts both ways; striving for AEW and AEW only probably isn’t the best thing either. In the end, the initials on your contract shouldn’t be the driving force of your career. Ospreay seems to get this. I wish wrestlers on the whole did as well.
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