Update on WWE's interest in Will Ospreay - Reports
There has been an update in regards to WWE's interest in upcoming free agent Will Ospreay.
The talented performer is set to become a free agent on February 1st when his contract with New Japan Pro-Wrestling expires. The 30-year-old has made several appearances with All Elite Wrestling as of late and is a part of The Don Callis Family faction.
He teamed up with Konosuke Takeshita and Sammy Guevara to defeat Chris Jericho, Kenny Omega, and Kota Ibushi at AEW WrestleDream last month. Ospreay has also performed for IMPACT Wrestling lately as well and recently defeated Eddie Edwards at Turning Point 2023.
According to a new report from Fightful Select, Ospreay is keeping an open mind about his future in professional wrestling. Fightful's report notes that there have been conversations between WWE and Ospreay. NJPW sources stated that they would love to retain Ospreay, but they do not expect it to be on a full-time deal if he were to return. The report added that WWE has made "preliminary overtures" toward Ospreay, but could not confirm the details of those conversations.
Scott D'Amore compares Will Ospreay to WWE Superstar
President of IMPACT Wrestling Scott D'Amore recently compared Ospreay to a current WWE Superstar.
Before signing with WWE in 2016, AJ Styles was a legend in TNA Wrestling. The veteran is a 2-time TNA World Heavyweight Champion and spent years making a name for himself in the promotion. The SmackDown star is currently out of action due to a brutal attack by The Bloodline ahead of Fastlane last month.
Speaking with Sportskeeda Wrestling in an exclusive interview, D'Amore compared Ospreay to Styles and claimed that he is a generational talent.
"To me, Will Ospreay is the AJ Styles of this generation. Much like AJ Styles was able to inspire Ospreay to become what he's become, I think Will Ospreay can inspire an entire generation to be the next generational talent. The next Will Ospreay, the next AJ Styles." (27:11- 27:27)
D'Amore added that IMPACT will be involved in the sweepstakes for Ospreay next year.
"I've been calling it the February 2024 Will Ospreay sweepstakes. Of course [we would want him to be the face of TNA Wrestling]! [...] We'll get to the table and get that deal done. Will we be interested in Will Ospreay? Of course! Will we be the eventual winners of that sweepstakes? I don't know." (25:06 - 25:19) and (26:39 - 26:50)
You can check out the full interview in the video below:
Ospreay has already established himself as a star during his limited appearances in All Elite Wrestling. However, the talented performer could still opt to join WWE when he becomes a free agent in 2024.
Where do you think Ospreay will sign next year? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.