Will Ospreay has suffered his second loss in AEW and the International Championship in the process.
Competing in the opening match of the 250th episode of AEW Dynamite on July 17th, The Ariel Assassin put the title on the line against MJF. While MJF stalled in the opening stages of the contest the action quickly picked up and saw both men brawl around the ringside area and into the crowd in Little Rock, Arkansas.
Despite multiple big moves being hit throughout and Ospreay being driven through a table, neither could put the other away. The closing moments of the match saw Ospreay attempt the Tiger Driver but hesitated, allowing the challenger to capitalise. As the referee was knocked to the ground, MJF struck Ospreay with the Dynamite Diamond Ring and pinned Ospreay with 2 seconds left in the 60-minute time limit.
As the crowd looked on stunned, both men were attended to by medical staff and MJF received oxygen in a callback to his previous victory over Bryan Danielson in a 60-minute Iron Man match that went into overtime at Revolution 2023.
The victory adds to MJF’s AEW record as the new International Champion is also a former ROH Tag Team Champion and World Champion. MJF also joins Jon Moxley as the only wrestler to hold the AEW World and International Championships. While not announced, there is a high probability that a rematch could take place at All In inside Wembley Stadium due to the controversial finish.
Will Ospreay Suffers Another Defeat
Arriving as a full-time member of the roster earlier in the year, Ospreay went on an undefeated run and was named the number one contender to Swerve Strickland’s World Championship at Forbidden Door. Strickland retained the title at the event and became the first wrestler to pin Ospreay in the promotion. MJF’s victory over Ospreay marks the end of the British wrestler’s reign with the International Championship at 52 days. Ospreay defeated Roderick Strong at Revolution to capture the title in what was his first AEW championship victory.
In other news, another AEW star has shared a positive update after undergoing major surgery.