5 Booking steps for Will Ospreay vs. Ricochet
The latest episode of AEW Dynamite led to the confirmation of a much-awaited dream match between Ricochet and Will Ospreay. After securing a hard-fought victory against The Beast Mortos, the former WWE Superstar had a heated exchange with the English professional wrestler backstage.
During this segment, The One and Only revealed that he would challenge The Aerial Assassin for the latter's International Title on the five-year anniversary episode of Dynamite on October 2, 2024.
While some people believe that the match is happening too early, the majority of fans are ecstatic about the prospect of Ricochet and Will Ospreay finally clashing in AEW. The Aerial Assassin would look to further extend his run as the AEW International Champion when he locks horns with his arch-nemesis in two weeks.
Meanwhile, The Future of The Flight would be eager to best The Commonwealth Kingpin in this contest and win the International Championship.
Considering fan interest in this particular rivalry, the feud between Ospreay and Ricochet is likely to be a long-term program. In this article, let's look at five booking steps that could come into play when The One and Only battles The Aerial Assassin on Dynamite:
#5. The Don Callis Family could turn on Will Ospreay
A few months ago, Will Ospreay officially parted ways with The Don Callis Family. The Commonwealth Kingpin wanted to fight his battles alone, prompting him to cut his ties with the heel faction.
However, Ospreay's brotherhood with Kyle Fletcher has seemingly brought The Aerial Assassin back into the Don Callis Family. The British star is currently eyeing the AEW World Tag Title with The Protostar.
The trio of Will Ospreay, Kyle Fletcher, and Konosuke Takeshita were in action on Dynamite this week. They defeated Kazuchika Okada and The Young Bucks in a high-profile contest. After the match, Takeshita had a heated confrontation with The Aerial Assassin, which hinted at a rift within the faction.
If The United Empire fails to win the World Tag Title in the Grand Slam special episode of Dynamite on September 25, The Aerial Assassin could find himself in trouble. The Don Callis Family could vent out their frustrations on Ospreay by costing him his title match against Ricochet the following week.
The heel manager could even convince Kyle Fletcher to turn his back on his best friend. The faction could launch a sneak attack on The Commonwealth Kingpin, punishing him for trying to overshadow the group. It would be a convenient way to crown Ricochet as the new International Champion, without making Ospreay look weak in defeat.
#4. PAC could cost Will Ospreay his International Championship
At All Out 2024, Will Ospreay took down PAC in one of the greatest encounters in the promotion's history. The two stars engaged in a generational clash for the AEW International Title, which kept the Chicago crowd on the edge of their seats.
Later in the night, The Man that Gravity Forgot left the wrestling world stunned by joining forces with Jon Moxley's newest faction. Although he has not referenced Ospreay in any capacity since All Out 2024, PAC's issues with The Aerial Assassin might not be over.
The former All-Atlantic Champion could interrupt the Ospreay vs. Ricochet match and attack the reigning International Champion. With Jon Moxley looking to take over All Elite Wrestling, it would make sense that PAC decides to conquer the midcard division on behalf of The Deathrider.
A three-way feud between PAC, Ricochet, and Will Ospreay would be a sight to behold for fans. PAC's inclusion into this storyline would also allow the creative team to further build the animosity between The Commonwealth Kingpin and The One and Only.
The King of Cruiserweights might end up stealing the International Title under Ospreay's nose, while the latter continues to keep his focus on Ricochet.
#3. The match could end in a draw
The upcoming clash between Will Ospreay and Ricochet is among the most anticipated matches of 2024. While it does seem that the contest is taking place too early, Tony Khan might have some bigger plans for this rivalry.
Fans may not get a definitive winner when The Aerial Assassin locks horns with The Future of the Flight on the October 2 episode of AEW Dynamite. The match could end in a time-limit draw.
After recapturing the International Title at All In 2024, Will Ospreay cannot afford to lose the gold mere days after his historic victory. On the other hand, Ricochet has only had a few matches in AEW so far, and a loss against Ospreay could significantly hurt his momentum.
A time-limit draw would be the best possible finish to the upcoming Ospreay vs. Ricochet clash, as it would pave the way for another encounter between the two high flyers.
#2. The match may not take place due to outside interference
Ricochet will have a point to prove when he battles Will Ospreay in two weeks. After years of underutilization in WWE, The Highlight of The Night would be eager to remind the world of his worth by taking down The Aerial Assassin. Meanwhile, Will Ospreay would look to continue his momentum by decimating the former Intercontinental Champion in their upcoming match.
However, Tony Khan could make the fans wait a little longer for this dream encounter between the two athletic stars. Although the match has already been made official, the much-awaited encounter between Will Ospreay and Ricochet might end up not happening.
Several individuals in All Elite Wrestling have issues with The Aerial Assassin as well as The One and Only. The two stars could be attacked right before their match, prompting the higher officials to cancel the contest immediately. The incident would force the match to be shifted to a pay-per-view, where it truly belongs.
#1. Ricochet could turn heel after failing to capture the International Title
Ricochet will have a tough task on his hands when he challenges Will Ospreay for the AEW International Championship. Since his debut, The Aerial Assassin has been one of the most dominant stars in All Elite Wrestling. It will be very difficult for the erstwhile Prince Puma to outsmart Ospreay, who is arguably at the peak of his abilities.
If the former WWE United States Champion fails to dethrone his arch-nemesis, he could finally embrace his dark side. Frustrated with his loss, the former RAW Superstar could launch a heinous post-match assault on Will Ospreay.
It would be the perfect scenario to set up a heel turn for the 35-year-old, who is in dire need of a character change. A Ricochet heel turn would add another dynamic to this rivalry, further raising the stakes for the next match between the talented stars.