Will Ospreay

Lore & Background

Ospreay previously wrestled for NJPW's United Kingdom-based partner promotion Revolution Pro Wrestling (RevPro), where he is a former and longest reigning Undisputed British Heavyweight Champion. He also wrestled for British promotion Progress Wrestling, where he is a former Progress World Champion. Ospreay began his career on the UK independent circuit in 2012. In 2016, after being recommended by AJ Styles, he began to work with the Japanese promotion NJPW as part of the junior heavyweight division, becoming a three-time IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion and the winner of the 2016 and 2019 Best of the Super Juniors.

In 2019, Ospreay also won the NEVER Openweight Championship. That same year, Ospreay participated in the G1 Climax, NJPW's biggest tournament featuring heavyweight wrestlers. In 2020, he made his transition to the heavyweight division, where he won the IWGP Heavyweight Championship. He was also the winner of 2021 New Japan Cup.

Ospreay is a former two-time and the final IWGP United States Heavyweight Champion, as the title was deactivated in December 2023 when Ospreay was in his second reign. Before signing with AEW, Ospreay had also periodically ventured into the American wrestling circuit; he made appearances in NJPW partner promotions Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA, formerly known as Impact Wrestling) and Ring of Honor (ROH), where he is a former ROH World Television Champion, as well as independent promotions like Pro Wrestling Guerrilla (PWG).

After making appearances in AEW in 2022 and 2023, he signed with the company and officially joined its roster after his NJPW contract expired in February 2024. In AEW, he became a two-time AEW International Champion and the winner of the 2026 Owen Hart Cup. He won the AEW World Championship at All In in 2026.

Reader's Guide

Ospreay holds the record for the most 5 or more stars matches given by wrestling journalist Dave Meltzer with a total of 56 matches; he is also one of five wrestlers to have wrestled two five-star matches on the same night, a feat he achieved at AEW's Worlds End in 2024. Early life: William Peter Charles Ospreay was born in London's Havering borough on 7 May 1993. He decided to become a wrestler after watching the three-way match between AJ Styles, Christopher Daniels, and Samoa Joe at TNA's 2005 Unbreakable event.

Ospreay, alongside friend Kip Sabian, did backyard wrestling before Ospreay received formal professional wrestling training at Lucha Britannia's London School of Lucha Libre in Bethnal Green. Professional wrestling career: Early career (2012): Ospreay made his professional debut at the co-promoted BritWres-Fest on 1 April 2012 as the masked character Dark Britannico, the evil twin of Leon Britannico who was played by Paul Robinson, Ospreay's future tag team partner in the team The Swords of Essex.

While wrestling with Lucha Britannia he twice won the Lucha Britannia World Championship. Progress Wrestling (2012–2019, 2023): Ospreay soon became a regular for Progress Wrestling, debuting for them at Chapter Two: The March of Progress with Alex Esmail in a loss to The London Riots (James Davis and Rob Lynch). His performance earned him a place in the Natural Progression Series I tournament, aimed at scouting and showcasing new wrestlers. He lost in the first round to eventual winner Mark Andrews in November and again in a rematch the following May.

Andrews, who, as part of his reward for winning, picked Ospreay to enter the following Natural Progression Series tournament. The two met again in January 2014 in the first round of the Progress Tag Team Championship tournament, with FSU (Andrews' team with Eddie Dennis) defeating The Swords of Essex (Ospreay's team with Paul Robinson). In his Natural Progression Series II opening match, his opponent Zack Gibson tried to win by holding the ropes.

Robinson prevented Gibson using the ropes, which in turn distracted the referee for long enough for Gibson to low-blow Ospreay and make Ospreay submit. On 18 May, The Swords of Essex were one of the final two teams standing in a four-team elimination match to decide contenders to the Progress Tag Team Championship.