Copyright Augusta Free Press
When Will Ospreay signed with AEW in 2023, he joined a wave of young stars hell bent on “restoring the feeling.” Coined by Daniel Garcia, the phrase addressed an underlying sentiment that AEW had lost its way since its humble beginnings in 2019. AEW quickly co-opted the phrase and has since made it their mission statement. Flash forward nearly two years, and that wave has washed over AEW. The feeling has been restored. No performer has more perfectly embodied the sentiment than Ospreay, stringing together one of the most impressive bodies of work in recent memory. Unfortunately, “The Aerial Assassin” has paid the untenable toll, and his run came to a premature end at August’s “Forbidden Door.” Ospreay will be absent indefinitely, requiring intensive surgery to repair his injured neck. Now is the perfect time to reflect on Ospreay’s historic run, ranking his 10 best matches from his arrival at “Revolution” in 2024 to his “light’s out” steel cage match at “Forbidden Door. 10. Will Ospreay vs. Roderick Strong Double or Nothing May 26, 2024 Professional wrestling is a detail-oriented vocation. Few wrestlers excel in its subtleties quite like Roderick Strong. Here, he was cast as the villain – desperately trying to repel Ospreay and retain his International Championship. Strong utilizes his offensive weaponry like a buzzsaw, targeting the “Aerial Assassin’s” back and extremities. The approach forces Ospreay to course correct, subverting some of the common junior heavyweight tropes that “The Aerial Assassin” suffers from. 9. Will Ospreay vs. Kyle Fletcher Full Gear Nov. 23, 2024 The origin of Kyle Fletcher’s ascension can be traced back to his betrayal of Will Ospreay and this match at last year’s “Full Gear.” Reeling from the effects of Fletcher’s Tiger Driver ‘91 one month earlier at “WrestleDream,” Ospreay expertly conveys his physical limitations. Despite his valiant effort, he just can’t overcome the superior physical specimen that is the “Genetic Flowsion.” 8. Light’s Out Steel Cage Match Forbidden Door Aug. 24, 2025 Ospreay’s final match to date was pure pandemonium. “The Aerial Assassin” joined forces with Kenny Omega, Kota Ibushi, Hiroshi Tanahashi, and Darby Allin to face The Death Riders in an unsanctioned steel cage match. Rife with plunder, Ospreay’s performance was magnified by both setting and circumstance. Given his impending absence, the O2 Arena in London proved to be the perfect stage for Ospreay to end his historic run. 7. Will Ospreay vs. MJF Dynamite #250 July 17, 2024 Professional wrestling romanticizes the days of the traveling world’s champion, when Harley Race and Ric Flair often staged hour-long epics to defend their title against all-comers. On the special 250th edition of Wednesday Night “Dynamite,” Maxwell Jacob Friedman and Will Ospreay took a stab at the tallest of tasks – delivering a near hour-long spectacle of their own. The primacy of workrate has greatly increased the physical demand of professional wrestling. This match was no different, operating at an accelerated pace that far exceeded the likes of Race or Flair – for better or worse. MJF and Ospreay’s effort was herculean, giving the former an opportunity to prove his malleability against the latter. 6. Will Ospreay vs. Konosuke Takeshita Revolution March 3, 2024 On the evening of Sting’s grand finale, Ospreay and Konosuke Takeshita nearly stole the show – kicking off Ospreay’s run in AEW with a resounding success. While this match suffers from the excess that has plagued Ospreay’s career, it makes sense given the circumstances. Why wouldn’t two preternatural athletes put everything on the line to prove their superiority? 5. Will Ospreay vs. Kazuchika Okada Worlds End Dec. 28, 2024 In professional wrestling, less is often more. Will Ospreay suffers from the disease of more, often succumbing to the grandeur of excess. Kazuchika Okada is the polar opposite. For nearly a decade now, the “Rainmaker” has exercised a deft hand – judiciously choosing when to explode. In that environment, a bandaged and bloodstained Ospreay delivered one of his gutsiest performances to date. 4. Will Ospreay vs. “Hangman” Adam Page Double or Nothing May 25, 2025 A war to determine the heir to Jon Moxley’s throne. At only 34, “Hangman” Adam Page has mastered the art of restraint – allowing the audience to carry him to heights that preternatural athleticism can only dream of replicating. Here, he takes Ospreay on a journey – showing “The Aerial Assassin” that less is always more. 3. Will Ospreay vs. Kyle Fletcher Revolution March 9, 2025 In professional wrestling, catharsis is often found in violence. For Will Ospreay and Kyle Fletcher, their trilogy concluded in an unforgiving steel cage. This was a rare instance where the “Aerial Assassin” lived up to his moniker, exercising damning cruelty with precision. 2. Will Ospreay vs. Darby Allin Dynamite #272: Holiday Bash Dec. 18, 2024 In the fairness of transparency, I had the luxury of witnessing this match live – so my fondness for it may be skewed. The beauty of Ospreay’s performance here is that he’s the reserved competitor in the affair, trying to ground Darby Allin. Known for his high-risk, high-reward arsenal, Allin is one of the few wrestlers who can take bigger swings than “The Aerial Assassin.” Here, Allin is trying to evade Ospreay’s concerted offensive effort, so he can swing for the fences. 1. Will Ospreay vs. Bryan Danielson Dynasty April 21, 2024 It’s no coincidence that Will Ospreay’s finest hour was shared with the greatest wrestler of this century. Bryan Danielson was the perfect canvas – tethering Ospreay’s ethereal talent and preternatural athleticism with pro-wrestling’s immortal techniques. Danielson targets Ospreay’s abdomen with surgical precision, trying to weaken his vertical base. The ethos of this match is structured around a philosophical difference between both competitors, echoing a sentiment that has pervaded pro-wrestling since time immemorial. Like Lou Thesz’s condemnation of the vicious hookers of the early 20th century, Danielson believes that pro-wrestling is an athletic endeavor – with no place for wrestlers who purposefully injure their fellow competitors. Ospreay’s use of the infamous Tiger Driver ‘91 evokes that same concern. “The American Dragon” takes Ospreay to task, punishing him for committing the ultimate taboo.
