A conversation with Will Ospreay

Zack HeydornWhat's going on everybody, Zack Heydorn here and today with a very special guest who has a very busy weekend on tap, Will Ospreay. What's going on man, how are you?

GuestNothing much man, I'm enjoying San Francisco, San Jose, just chilling out in this nice little place that we've got, looking at over the ocean. It's a beautiful little place that we're looking at. You mentioned it, man.

Zack HeydornForbidden Door is this Sunday on pay-per-view. You can get it also on HBO Max. Will, you have had a comeback of all comebacks thus far. I mean, you've not only been on a roll in the Owen Hart Cup tournament, but You're kind of, in my eyes anyway, and I think in the eyes of some of our readers, the face of the summer that AEW is about to have with All In coming up in your home country inside of Wembley Stadium. How does it feel to be that guy right now after the injury and after all that you've been through the last year with your neck?

GuestFirst of all, thank you so much for the kind words. That was an extremely lovely view. Thank you very much. Coming back from surgery, I obviously had a lot of nerves and a lot of doubts of what was possible and whether I could meet Mark to be able to be on that road to Wembley. Did I deserve it? Were there people that were better equipped for that role and I wanted to come back and just run like I've never run before I've had to adapt my game of course I have I can't obviously do the same lesson that I was last year but I still feel like I've managed to adapt my style and adapt my character work to fit the pressure and the importance of this rose to AEW in London

Zack HeydornYou've talked about on television what wrestling inside of Wembley Stadium for the world title would mean to you. How far back does that dream go? Is it just a TV thing or are you tapping into some legit feelings when you talk about Wembley Stadium?

GuestEverything I do is a feeling that comes deep within. I can't script how I feel. Nothing that ever gets written down is something that I answer on TV. Everything has to be a strong feeling and it has to have a semblance of realism in there. The first time I ever remember, like, realising what Wembley Stadium was was when people would watch football finals in, like, the Premier League and the FA Cup and, uh, Whatever. A lot of the time our sport would be football because we are a very football heavy sport. The Premier League is such big numbers for us and it's something that is so important to the culture of England and Britain that it has such a namesake and a value behind it. So for me I remember being in school and so many kids wanted to be football players, like all of them. I never minded football at all. My dad would watch it all the time. We would sit at home on a Sunday watching the Wembley games, whether it was Man United versus Chelsea. I mean, my dad is a big Chelsea supporter. So take that. Do that what you will. If anyone wants to pass judge from my dad, you're more than welcome to. But I think honestly the importance of being in that position to be able to essentially be in a World Cup final and to represent my country in going into one of the most important battles would be such an amazing dream come true for so many kids in my school that just said they wanted to score the winning goal in Wembley Stadium. for me, this is my opportunity to take that kick for everybody.

Zack HeydornMan, that's so cool. So this Sunday at Forbidden Door, you're challenging Swerve Strickland in the Owen Hart Cup Finals. If you win that match, you will head to Wembley Stadium and wrestle in that match that you just outlined. You and Swerve have a long history together. Some good, some not so good, but no matter how you slice it, a very competitive history so you have this dream that is right at your fingertips but a guy like Swerve is kind of standing in your way and going for the same thing what are your thoughts on that guy being Swerve Strickland after all you've been through together I mean mine

Guestand Swerve's relationship is very real we are very much two very close friends that will, no matter what, always have one another's backs. But we're able to separate that when stakes are high. I wouldn't have it any other way. I'm sure he wouldn't. As much as I love him, as much as I've got his crazy feelings about him for being such a great brother to me throughout all these years, it tells a tale that we are both two motivated men that are seeking something at Wembley Stadium, whether that's my moment of becoming the world champion and becoming the ace in my home country, or whether it's his redemption from when he lost his world championship to Bryan Danielson two years ago. There's high stakes that are on the line and are very much prominent to both of us. I know he's not going to back down I know I'm not going to back down Our goal will obviously always be to leave something memorable for an audience that we care both so much

Zack Heydornabout You mentioned earlier altering your style a little bit coming out of the injury and I think Will Ospreay matches on pay-per-view are a reason that people don't shell out big money to watch AEW is to see those to see those matches and I mean of course after something like as serious as neck surgery you obviously have to look at what you're doing to make sure everything is safe like how did you go through that process was it as straightforward as sitting down and checking off okay I'm not going to do that move anymore I'm not going to do that move I'm not going to do that move or was it more psychology based in terms of how you decide when to do what in the ring. Take us through that process of developing the new style that you have now.

GuestHonestly, it's a little bit of both. Obviously, there's forward thinking in terms of prep. When I was able to do in-ring training where I was allowed to hit the ropes and do bumps and it was a case of okay what are my limitations what are my comfort levels because a lot of it was just I had to measure my anxiety levels to be like okay like do I feel nervous doing this move if I do let's just stay away from it because the risk isn't worth it anymore but like what I'm comfortable with doing a lot of people they would never ever like even imagine going down that route so like I have a lot of weapons I have a lot of weapons in my arsenal that like I've got to keep I've got to and that makes me stand out and it makes me neat to myself so I'm like happy on that but like honestly a lot of it is just kind of like I want people to feel every roadblock that I had in my wage in this neck surgery like I don't want people to forget like the struggle that I went through like this this thing is now like going to be attached to me for the rest of my life. So I need to show that in my presentation. And I feel like it has been like great so far. I miss doing the shit. I'll be honest with you. But I just I can't I can't take that risk anymore. I just don't want to I don't want to chance it like I can I can do other slashing important things like people people forget that I ever did a shooting starved you know what I mean like the thing that like I feel like helped my career more is like actually like edging away from the the aerial stuff and showing people that I do have like knockout shots and I think having that has like been able to forward me as a character in in these main event positions um I'm just I I think obviously a lot of it came down to confidence as well like I uh from where I come from from like everything that's happened to me like I got told from day dot when I wanted to be a wrestler that I would never make it because of where I'm from and I've been able to be one of the only people that's remained in his country and got to be like a full-time television wrestler over in America like I actually think I'm probably the most famous person in Essex in a weird way I'm the only person in Essex that's made it in America I think I think that might be right anyway. I have a regular thing on America. I'd love to actually really look into that. I'd love to know if there is actually anyone from Essex that has made it as big in America.

Zack HeydornYou gave me a research project to do. I appreciate that. Appreciate that. Yeah. The... So June is Mental Health Month and we're raising some money this month for a couple, or Men's Mental Health Month, excuse me. We're raising money for a couple men's mental health organizations. And I wanted to ask you just what the mental journey was like for you, you know, going through the injury and knowing that you, you know, wanted to come back. I mean, you're still a young guy and you still have so much to give the wrestling business. how did you how were you able to balance not only the the physical part of coming back from neck surgery but you know the mental part of

Guestthat oh I mean I have a wonderful wife like that has supported me throughout all of this and uh and an amazing uh stepson that um has just been a blessing to have him by my side and having experienced this together and how like with uh I've come a long way from not being able to help him pick anything up and like to where I am now where I'm allowed to fully land on my head in a wrestling ring again so I'm sure it's a bit of a mind trip for him but um honestly it's um there have been a lot of downs since that um and a lot of uh what was it uninsurance is it right I'm No confidence in myself, but my wife, my son, my family, my friends have instilled a lot of faith in me that I'm just going to be fine and I'm going to be okay. The mental challenges have been hard, but they've not been hard when I've got really important people that I can tag out to.

Zack HeydornHaving that support system has to be I would, you know, pivotal in terms of not just going through what you went through, but also like making a comeback. So, man, that's good to, that's really good to hear. Yeah, you recently were married. Congratulations. How does it feel to make everything official?

GuestOh, it was funny, eh? It's the build up towards it when it's just kind of like, oh, we're getting married next week. and you're like, oh my god, things are official now. To me, that's just like, congratulations, you're an adult. Do you know what I mean? It's one of those things where I never imagined myself as an adult. I never thought I would ever be close to representation of my mum and my dad. And here I am getting married to such an amazing human being that I cherish and worship the ground that she walks on. she's my role model she's my inspiration she's everything that I could have ever want from like a little life partner and I'm extremely grateful the wedding was beautiful like I couldn't have we lucked out with the weather from Monday to Friday it was pissing down with rain and then Saturday the heavens opened up for us so like I was very very happy about that to be surrounded by so many people that have shaped my life in a moment where were about to join us forever was something that I can never explain and I just looked absolutely beautiful when she came down to Iowa and I can't believe how lucky I am that I get to call that person my wife.

Zack HeydornMan, you cut a promo on TV a couple weeks ago and were you annoyed by the reaction that you got from some fans about that on social media regarding your new wife? I mean, what are you on about?

GuestWhat reactions are you talking about?

Zack HeydornOh, I just didn't know if you got any, like, from the promo that you cut with Tony Schiavone about your wedding night that you were, you know, a little descriptive about, and I just didn't know if you had heard any, did you get pushback on that from anywhere?

GuestI don't know what everyone's problem with, was it? Like, I mean, I took her upstairs and I smashed the life out of her, Mario Kart like I was playing video games with one another and like I destroyed her I completely murdered all of it and I said I said at the end like clean yourself up because she was sweating it's 38 degrees in England right now mate it's it's fucking hot over there so I don't know what everyone got like annoyed about the situation for god's sake it's just like oh come on guys like I'm just playing Mario Kart calm down all right um

Zack HeydornForbidden Door. This weekend on Sunday from San Jose, you can get the event on pay-per-view right now and special pricing for HBO Max subscribers. It's going to be Will Ospreay against Swerve Strickland in the finals of the Owen Hart Cup Tournament. Will, I have a couple more questions for you. The AW continues to just gain steady momentum and as the years go on you know it's I think it like is slowly transitioning from like this upstart company to an established national pro wrestling worldwide pro wrestling company and man you're going to be the face of that at the very least a part of that like where do you see the company going and how does it continue to grow and maintain you know its claws in the wrestling business in the next you know two three five years I mean I think the the art of it is to expand

Guestthe market hey like I heard Tony talk about that he there's avenues that he would like to explore to try and get AEW out there and I'm very much along the lines of travel broadens the mind I was I remember being when I was 22 and I got told that I was going over to Japan and I only went to Germany once. I went to Portugal to go swim with dolphins and I wrestled in America maybe like a handful of times, like three times maybe. Then I was going over to a country that I couldn't speak the language, but it was an opportunity to learn and to connect with a different culture, connect with a different audience and to understand how wrestling worked out there. I've been lucky enough to travel to most corners of the globe. I've been to Japan, I've been to Australia, I've been to New Zealand, I've been all over Europe. I've done quite an amazing bucket list of companies that I've got to tick off along the way. I always think it is so important to travel to new markets and to practice what you preach and to show that if we are truly the best in the world, that we should be competing on global stages. I obviously have crazy ambitions to like take it far and wide like I was a guy that I got to miss Australia this year like honestly I was trying so hard to come back for that show with everything that I could because I flipping love that place so much it was one of my favourite times getting to tag with Kenny and being in Brisbane and just feeling that energy but like I want to travel. I want to go to France because it's only an hour flight from me and I would actually love to have like a shorter travel schedule. I'd love to do stuff in Spain. Honestly, one of my dreams right now, like, you know, the whole unique venue that we're doing with AEW and like, with like theatre that we're doing and shit like that. Like, man, there's two things I would love to do. Actually, three. One, I'd love to do a show in Currican Hall because I think AEW is such a bedrock of pro wrestling would be amazing television and to be able to show people this level of history in wrestling on American TV for the first time would be flipping awesome. I've heard that Italy rents out the Coliseum to perform boxing events and sit like that. And honestly, I would have flipping loved to wrestle in the Coliseum. I think that would actually be one of the coolest things we could ever do is to wrestle in like a crazy little Coliseum. And then just for like, just for me, just because I am who I am and I think it would look fucking crazy on TV, I'd love to wrestle in a junkyard. I could just imagine cars all stacked up on one another and just this. one night only flipping no rules the death match show would be flipping crazy but I think there are things that only we can do in AEW like I don't think any other wrestling organisation would dare to take it because everything needs to look so clean and crisp and cut and like I love the fact that AEW is like rough and edgy when it comes to and it has a grit behind it so I think that there's the things that like if I could put anything out into the effort to help AEW grow, they're the things that obviously I would do.

Zack HeydornVery cool. I love it. Will Ospreay versus ex-opponent in a junkyard. Sign me up. Yeah, a little death match show.

GuestI would love it.

Zack HeydornYeah, there you go. Exactly. Exactly. Man, thanks so much for your time. Congratulations on your success, of course, and the comeback from surgery. I mean, I It's just amazing stuff and I think it's so glad to have you back. I know our audience is glad to have you back and good luck this weekend at Forbidden Door on Sunday.

GuestThank you very much, man. I hope I don't let you guys down Sunday at the TAP Center. It's going to be one of the hardest challenges of my life and I hope I'm able to meet every little bit of expectation for the people that are in the arena and watching at home.

Zack HeydornVery good. Will Ospreay, ladies and gentlemen. Thanks so much, Will.