Will Ospreay gives major endorsement to former WWE star facing potential retirement
A former WWE star is facing potential retirement from pro wrestling before the age of 35. However, Will Ospreay is reaching out with a big endorsement as one of the best wrestlers of the modern era.
Mike Hitchman began working the indie scene in Wales back in 2006 and soon took on the name Wild Boar. After having success with several indie promotions, Boar went on to co-own Pro Wrestling Chaos with Flash Morgan Webster. He was then signed by WWE in 2018. WWE put Boar with Primate, and they worked the WWE NXT UK tag team division as The Hunt.
Boar was most known in NXT UK for winning one of WWE's three Dog Collar matches in history. The match took place in April 2022 and saw Boar defeat former partner Eddie Dennis. Boar was released by WWE on August 18, 2022, along with other budget cuts. He resumed working for RevPro and PROGRESS in the summer of 2023 but took to X this week to announce that 2024 may be his last year in the ring:
"2024 may be the last year. I step into the ring to wrestle. I'd never say I'm done 100% - but it feels like the time is approaching for me. It's hard to explain the feeling but it dawned on me recently I just didn't see myself wrestling past this year. If this is the last year I do this - I'm going to tick a few personal things off and enjoy it. [wild boar emoji] [Wales flag emoji]," Boar wrote.
Ospreay re-tweeted Wild Boar's post this afternoon and included a proud endorsement. The London-born grappler said Boar deserves more exposure in the business, and he believes the 34-year-old has a lot more left in him:
"Boar is a guy who deserves more exposure in wrestling. Has a look unlike most people. I think if he was consistently booked well & have a mouth piece he would be way more of an attraction. If it’s your last run, fair play boss. But I think you got WAY more in you," Ospreay wrote.
The first and only Ospreay vs. Boar singles match came as a win for the United Empire leader on February 10, 2013, at RevPro's No Holds Barred event. Since then, they have worked three multi-man matches for PROGRESS and CHIKARA.
Boar was just defeated by Spike Trivet in a Street Fight at PROGRESS Chapter 161 on December 30. His last WWE match was a dark match win over Josh Morrell on July 6, 2022, at the NXT UK TV tapings.
AEW status update on Will Ospreay after passing on WWE contract
Will Ospreay signed a full-time, multi-year contract with AEW a few months back, and he is expected to start with the company soon after passing up on offers from WWE and other promotions.
Ospreay has finished up his current set of dates with NJPW, according to Wrestling Observer Radio. It was noted that the 30-year-old will likely return to AEW Dynamite in the coming weeks, perhaps next week on February 21 in Tulsa, OK.
The 2021 New Japan Cup winner is then expected to make his in-ring return as a contracted AEW talent on Sunday, March 3, at the Revolution pay-per-view in Greensboro, NC. There is no word yet on who Ospreay will be facing that night, but the match will be set up on Dynamite in the next two weeks.
Ospreay's last AEW match came at WrestleDream on October 1. He teamed with Sammy Guevara and Konosuke Takeshita for a six-man win over Chris Jericho, Kota Ibushi, and Kenny Omega. His last AEW singles match was the win over Chris Jericho on August 27 at All In: London.
What is your bold prediction for Will Ospreay in AEW? Do you have a favorite memory of Wild Boar in WWE? Sound off in the comments below!