Will Ospreay explained why he decided to become All Elite instead of signing with WWE.
Ahead of Full Gear on November 18th, Tony Khan teased that a massive star would be signing an AEW contract at the event. Reports hinted that Ospreay was the signing in question, and sure enough, it was revealed on the night that Will Ospreay had signed a multi-year deal with AEW.
However, All Elite Wrestling wasn’t the only promotion interested in Ospreay as his exit from NJPW loomed. Speculation swirled that he had been approached for a deal with WWE, and IMPACT Wrestling also reached out with a seven-figure offer.
Speaking with Chris Jericho on a recent episode of Talk is Jericho, Will Ospreay opened up about his decision to join All Elite Wrestling.
“Main thing was, I wanted to be in the UK. I know I’m not going to be exactly comfortable moving to another country. I moved to Japan in 2019, as much as I loved it, it wasn’t home.
“I entered a new relationship with my new Mrs. who wrestles under the name Alex Windsor, I have a stepson now, she just started school. If you know her story and everything she’s been through, the UK scene kind of knows it, but she lost her husband, and having to pick herself up from that and having to be a mom, a single mom, to losing her husband, it’s going to have some tolls on you, so she needs to be around family and friends in her social circle.
“I couldn’t bear the thought of moving her away from all of that and having her own on her own again. For me, the main priority was to stay in the UK, but also wanting to up the wrestling because I had done everything in New Japan. I completed it. The viable option was where was I happy and what was I doing? Every time I came (to AEW), Tony [Tony Khan] has given me nothing but trust and respect the moment I came in here.
“It was the right decision for me at this time. I’m happy here and looking forward to the challenges. It’s the right decision.”
“AEW Was Way Better” – Will Ospreay On Comparing Contract Offers
Will Ospreay previously confirmed that he’d spoken with WWE before making his decision, and when asked if he’d received a contract offer from the sports entertainment giant, he said:
“Yeah, of course, but it was night and day. Even in differences of what they were offering and what AEW was offering, AEW was way better. The scheduling, everything about AEW was completely the right option for me. It was always, you can go be a superstar in WWE and famous, but it’s not as good of pay and it’s not as kind of a schedule. I respect everyone there doing it, but it’s not for me.”
h/t Fightful