How Will Ospreay Views AEW’s Working Relationship With NJPW

Will Ospreay has given his thoughts on AEW working with NJPW. 

When AEW launched in 2019, they quickly forged a working relationship with the legendary New Japan Pro Wrestling promotion. That alliance has led to wrestlers appearing in both promotions and to the creation of the Forbidden Door PPV in 2022, which has led to AEW-NJPW dream matches.

There is also a perception among some fans that AEW is using its relationship with NJPW to poach talent, since former top NJPW stars like Will Ospreay, Kazuchika Okada, Konosuke Takeshita, Jay White, Gabe Kidd, Clark Connors, David Finlay, and several others have made the jump from NJPW to AEW.

In an interview with the official NJPW website, former IWGP World Champion and current AEW wrestler Will Ospreay addressed the perception that NJPW is helping AEW a lot.

“It is a difficult one. I can understand there can be a certain perception because a lot of guys did go from New Japan into AEW, myself included. But NJPW has always been exceptional at creating new stars; it just took time for New Japan to really identify who was going to be the top guy carrying things forward.

And if you just looked at Wrestle Kingdom this year, Kazuchika Okada, Konosuke Takeshita, Andrade as well on that card were all major moments that could only really happen with the AEW relationship.

Will Ospreay Wants To See More AEW Talent Working NJPW Shows

Since the AEW roster is so big and there’s only so much time for certain people on their shows, Will Ospreay thinks that more of the AEW wrestlers could work NJPW shows.

At the same time, I do think there could be more guys sent from AEW into NJPW, and not just big names to pop a house, but for a tour, or longer than that. Especially with the sheer size and the number of people AEW has under contract, I think it would be a great chance for AEW talent to grow and come back even better. And vice versa as well.

Ospreay spoke about big names, as well as some wrestlers in AEW who aren’t necessarily at the top of the card.

“On the top end, obviously, Moxley, Omega would pull in big houses. I would love to see Swerve Strickland in Japan. I really would. And MJF- is he just a great American TV wrestler, or would he be really successful in Japan as well? That’s a whole different animal he’s never done.

And then, as well, I love Mike Bailey, and I think he could do more in the junior heavyweight space, because he is such an exciting wrestler in that mould. And Daniel Garcia, I think, could learn so much from a good few months in Japan.”

It also led to Will Ospreay talking about how his allies in the United Empire competed in AEW, and fans reacted strongly to them, which shows that NJPW talent can fit in well in AEW.

“When the United Empire guys came over for that eight-man on AEW Dynamite, HENARE, Callum Newman, Francesco Akira, all of them got over so big so quickly. And Edmonton isn’t a massive wrestling hotbed like Toronto or Calgary.

They all came over and make such an impact I would love to just take over AEW with them for like six months.”

In his current AEW storyline, Will Ospreay is working with Jon Moxley’s Death Riders group, though it’s unclear whether they’ll be allies or continue to have issues.