Will Ospreay Nearly Signed With WWE Before AEW

Will Ospreay has revealed a curious story about Vader, years after the controversial rivalry the two had in RevPro.

During a recent appearance on Talk Is Jericho, Ospreay looked back on his 2016 match against Vader, which came after the WWE Hall of Famer harshly criticized his famous match against Ricochet in that year’s Best of the Super Juniors. The podcast episode was also focused on the impact that Ospreay and Ricochet’s match had on modern pro wrestling.

Vader’s criticism eventually turned into an actual match for Revolution Pro Wrestling. The bout took place on August 12, 2016, at York Hall in London.

According to Ospreay, however, the mood after the match was very different from what many may have expected.

“So, we’re sat there and uh like I won’t lie, but he stunk, man. ‘Will come here.’ He sat on this yoga ball… and he was like, ‘I didn’t know how good you were. I’m going to talk to Vince for you.’ Okay, mate. Go. [Ospreay said in response].”

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Will Ospreay reveals that Vader offered to talk to Vince McMahon about him following their 2016 Rev Pro Match.

"So, we’re sat there and uh like I won’t lie, but he stunk, man. 'Will come here.' He sat on this yoga ball… and he was like, ‘I didn’t know how good you were. I’m… pic.twitter.com/FTTNoaqb52

— Cultaholic Wrestling (@Cultaholic) June 25, 2026

As of now, there is no confirmation that Vader actually spoke to Vince McMahon about Ospreay.

The detail stands out because the relationship between the two started with Vader directly criticizing Ospreay’s in-ring style, but ended with him recognizing Ospreay’s ability inside the ring.

Vader was posthumously inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2022, while Ospreay went on to officially sign with AEW at Full Gear 2023 after wrapping up his NJPW commitments.