Will Ospreay is All Elite after announcing his arrival in AEW at Saturday’s Full Gear 2023 pay-per-view event.
Fightful Select is reporting that Ospreay has signed a multi-year deal, which is over three years.
The deal was verbally agreed upon “well before” Ospreay’s time with NJPW was over, as he still is under contract with the Japanese promotion until the end of January.
Ospreay informed NJPW that he won’t be signing a new deal with them and the company gave its blessing for him to sign with AEW.
The working relationship between AEW and NJPW is what made the deal possible in the first place.
Ospreay will still work select NJPW dates while under contract with AEW, similar to Jon Moxley, Kenny Omega, and others.
The contract negotiations began in earnest in the early fall and AEW was “optimistic” about securing his signature.
While Ospreay previously said he wanted to stay in the United Kingdom, he later expressed his willingness to explore other opportunities, such as moving to the United States.
Ospreay will be able to stay in the UK as part of the AEW deal.
The Aerial Assassin arrived just before Full Gear 2023 went on the air, and the contract wasn’t officially finalized and signed as of Saturday morning. Nevertheless, the deal was teased before it was finalized.
Meanwhile, WWE did indeed have interest in Ospreay and was in contact with his agent, Barry Bloom.
The discussions between WWE and Ospreay reportedly weren’t a secret in the company, as WWE was trying to see what kind of schedule or relocation might happen.
WWE sources noted that although they didn’t receive any official word of Ospreay’s signing, it was easy to estimate that he was headed for AEW.
By Friday night at the Collision/Rampage TV tapings, talent in AEW were openly talking about Ospreay’s arrival.
While Impact Wrestling was also interested in signing Ospreay, it’s unknown how far those discussions advanced.
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Will Ospreay, one of the top professional wrestlers in the world, has officially joined All Elite Wrestling (AEW). The announcement was made at the Full Gear 2023 pay-per-view event. According to reports from Fightful Select, Ospreay has signed a multi-year deal with AEW that extends over three years.
Interestingly, the deal was agreed upon well before Ospreay’s contract with New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) expired. Ospreay is still under contract with NJPW until the end of January, but he informed the company that he would not be signing a new deal. NJPW gave its blessing for him to sign with AEW.
The working relationship between AEW and NJPW played a crucial role in making this deal possible. Similar to other AEW wrestlers like Jon Moxley and Kenny Omega, Ospreay will continue to work select dates for NJPW while under contract with AEW.
Negotiations for the contract began in the early fall, and AEW was optimistic about securing Ospreay’s signature. Initially, Ospreay expressed his desire to stay in the United Kingdom, but he later showed willingness to explore other opportunities, including moving to the United States. Fortunately, the AEW deal allows him to continue residing in the UK.
Although WWE also showed interest in signing Ospreay, it was evident that he was leaning towards AEW. WWE had discussions with Ospreay’s agent, Barry Bloom, but no official word of his signing was received by the company. By the time of AEW’s Collision/Rampage TV tapings on Friday night, talent within AEW were openly discussing Ospreay’s arrival.
While Impact Wrestling also expressed interest in signing Ospreay, it is unclear how far those discussions progressed.
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In conclusion, Will Ospreay’s arrival in AEW marks a significant addition to the promotion’s roster. With his exceptional in-ring skills and international reputation, Ospreay is expected to make a major impact in AEW and contribute to the ongoing growth and success of the company.