"Such an anomaly" - 31-year veteran discusses AEW adding Will Ospreay to their roster
A 31-year pro-wrestling veteran recently spoke about AEW adding Will Ospreay to its locker-room, and heaped praise on the English talent. The star in question is Matt Hardy.
The Broken One was a member of the All Elite roster for four years following his 2020 debut, before departing the Jacksonville-based promotion last month. On an episode of The Extreme Life of Matt Hardy, the 49-year-old star shared his views on Will Ospreay and his exceptional singles match against Bryan Danielson at AEW Dynasty 2024.
Commenting on The Aerial Assassin's athletic prowess and in-ring abilities, Hardy said:
"Will Ospreay is just such an anomaly. I mean, he's just ... he's a one-of-a-kind. (...) And the way his agility and is coordination is just so out of the ordinary."
The former IMPACT World Heavyweight Champion also reflected on how swiftly Ospreay managed to capture the interest and support of North American audiences despite his relative inexperience in performing on American televised pro-wrestling shows. Prior to signing with AEW, the 30-year-old star had plied his trade in NJPW for eight years.
"He has a connection that is hitting just in the right way with all the AEW audience. And the crowd for that match made it so much better. The crowd enhanced that match." [H/T - WrestlingInc.]
Ospreay defeated Danielson at the pay-per-view in definitive fashion. He won a Casino Gauntlet match on last week's episode of Dynamite to earn a shot at Roderick Strong's International Title at AEW Double or Nothing 2024.
Matt Hardy compared AEW's Willow Nightingale to Dusty Rhodes
Matt Hardy is currently a free agent, although he has been making appearances at TNA, where he returned during the Rebellion 2024 pay-per-view. Nonetheless, he continues to share his perspectives on AEW's programming as well as its talent.
While speaking on The Extreme Life of Matt Hardy, The Angelic Diablo discussed the appeal of newly-crowned TBS Champion Willow Nightingale. Commending her for her charisma and conduct, Hardy stated that Nightingale reminded him of the legendary Dusty Rhodes.
"She reminds me, and this is by no means a physical comparison, she reminds me of Dusty Rhodes in some ways," Hardy said. "She's very likable. She's very charismatic and whenever she goes out there and does things, it's just also very believable in whatever it may be. There's just something about her that makes you want to cheer for her. That is what I think of when I think about Willow. When you see her, she's a very friendly person. She just really radiates through the screen and you're like, 'Wow. I like this individual and I want to cheer for them. I want them to do good. I want to see them win,'" Hardy said. [H/T - WrestlingInc.]
Willow Nightingale is set to defend the TBS Championship at Double or Nothing 2024 against Mercedes Mone in the latter's in-ring debut in AEW.
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