Since 2016, when Will Ospreay debuted in New Japan Pro-Wrestling, he has been on a steep upward trajectory through the wrestling industry. Not long after he got his start, many of Ospreay's earliest fans were his fellow wrestlers. During a recent interview with Undisputed, AEW's Nicholas Jackson of the Young Bucks explained what he and others first saw in Ospreay.
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"When we first met Will many years ago, we called him a wrestling prodigy," Jackson said. "He was young and inexperienced but so far ahead of everybody else. And it all came so easy to him."
The AEW EVP then joked that the older wrestlers were hesitant to let Ospreay know just how good he was, as they didn't want to further inflate his ego. However, even before working together extensively in promotions like AEW, PWG, and NJPW over the last eight years, it was clear to Jackson that Ospreay was going to become truly great.
"Now, all these years later, and he's clearly the best in-ring wrestler on the planet," Jackson continued. "And I'm not sure it's even close."
Ospreay is set to team with United Empire partner Kyle Fletcher to challenge the Young Bucks for the AEW World Tag Team Championship at AEW Grand Slam tonight. Though Ospreay has shared the ring with the Young Bucks on numerous occasions in trios and multi-man matches, this will only be the second time Ospreay has ever wrestled the brothers in a two-on-two tag match. Ospreay previously teamed with Marty Scurll to unsuccessfully challenge the Young Bucks for the ROH World Tag Team Championship in 2016.
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If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit Undisputed with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.
