Will Ospreay made it clear that WWE was never going to be his landing spot if AEW didn’t exist.
Speaking on The Ariel Helwani Show, Ospreay said he’d probably still be wrestling in Japan if not for Tony Khan’s promotion. It’s a stance he’s held for years when it comes to the style of pro wrestling he wants to work.
Ospreay confirmed that WWE expressed interest as his NJPW contract was winding down. An offer was made, but it came with the requirement that he relocate to the United States, which he had no intention of doing.
When asked whether he would have gone to WWE if he could have stayed in England and AEW wasn’t an option, Ospreay said he’d still be in Japan.
“I received an offer in 2016 to be part of the Cruiserweight Classic, and I think they saw that there was a video of me fighting in New Japan, and they offered me a deal to sign there. But the money was terrible. Like, it was bad. I was making more money in NJPW.”
“I didn’t even know I was gonna get an offer from Japan. After I signed my deal, it was like comparing the two. It was like, ‘How am I making more money here?’”
“After that, it just wasn’t for me. I didn’t like it. I didn’t like the presentation behind it. I still have those feelings now. But I found TNA, and I feel like that was a style that spoke to me. The X-Division was huge for me.”
“WWE has never really driven me. When you first get into the industry and first start learning, even in the schools, we had a guy that got signed to WWE. He never ended up going in the end because of heart conditions, but they were just always telling you, ‘WWE is the route. WWE is the route.’ Meanwhile, I was like, ‘Yeah, I like to wrestle in a six-sided ring, go to Japan, and learn strong style.’ So that’s why I’ve never been a WWE guy.”
“Of course, I could have made more money in WWE if I signed there and done a good job, especially after 205 Live happened. It just wasn’t for me and never took my interest.”
Ospreay’s ties to Japan go back well before AEW came along. WWE tried to bring him in for the 2016 Cruiserweight Classic, but he chose to sign with NJPW instead and ended up staying for roughly eight years.
That changed in November 2023 when Ospreay signed with AEW. Even after inking the deal, he asked to finish out his remaining NJPW commitments before joining the roster full-time, which he did in March 2024.