Will Ospreay Achieves Major Milestone Following Wrestle Kingdom 17
Will Ospreay is one step closer to being “officially” considered the greatest professional wrestler in modern times.
At Wrestle Kingdom 17, Will Ospreay took on Kenny Omega in Omega’s first New Japan match in four years. The two stole the show with an incredible match that was as impressive as it was brutal. And now, the 29-year-old Will Ospreay has tied a legendary record.
As of January 6th, 2023, Will Ospreay now has 25 matches rated 5-Stars-or-higher by the Wrestling Observer’s Dave Meltzer after Meltzer rated the Ospreay/Omega match 6.25 stars.
With this achievement, Ospreay is now tied with All Japan and NOAH legend Mitsuharu Misawa with the most 5-stars-plus matches since the Observer began rating matches in 1983.
An entire list of Will Ospreay’s highest-rated matches can be found here.
Aside from Ospreay and Misawa in the top spot with their 25 matches each, other wrestlers with multiple top-rated matches include:
- Kenta Kobashi and Kazuchika Okada with 23 each
- Toshiaki Kawada with 21
- Kenny Omega with 20
- Hiroshi Tanahashi, Akira Taue, and Shingo Takagi with 15 each
- Kota Ibushi and Manami Toyota with 13 each
- Ric Flair with 12
- The Young Bucks with 9, all of which are tag or multi-man matches
- FTR with 5, all of which are also tags
- Adam Cole, WALTER/GUNTHER, and Ricky Steamboat with 5 each as well