It’s fair to say that Will Ospreay is having a moment.
While fans of New Japan and aficionados of the wider world of pro wrestling have been aware of how good the 30-year-old Englishman is for some time, this past weekend’s Forbidden Door event allowed Ospreay to compete on the biggest stage yet in front of a North American audience.
(Though it must be said, Ospreay’s match with Orange Cassidy at Forbidden Door 2022 slapped pretty hard as well.)
Ospreay didn’t disappoint, as he and Kenny Omega managed to somehow top their already incredible first meeting at Wrestle Kingdom in January. Their IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship match is being hailed as an instant classic, the type that will live in memory for years to come.
It was the kind of performance that makes new fans, even those who have been around the business for years. Case in point: Former WCW, WWE and TNA executive turned part-time curmudgeon Eric Bischoff.
While he has done some work with AEW, Bischoff has been outspoken about how he dislikes much of what that company does. We’re guessing that would apply to NJPW as well were he exposed to more of it.
But guess who he does like? Ospreay, after getting a chance to watch Omega-Ospreay II. In fact, on his 83 Weeks podcast (h/t Fightful), Bschoff had high praise for the match and for Ospreay in particular, comparing him to a WWE Hall of Famer and unquestioned all-time great.
I did see it. I will also admit that I have not seen much of Will Ospreay’s work, or Omega’s, for that matter. I was blown away. I hate to make comparisons because everybody’s unique and different in their own way, but Ospreay reminds me of a tougher Shawn Michaels. He’s got the look. His in-ring capabilities are just otherworldly at this . It was like the new school, the very athletic, physical, dynamic, incredibly difficult and high-risk type of offense, it had all of that, but it also had Nick Bockwinkel, Verne Gagne-esque psychology.
Bischoff said the match was “awesome,” something with which many fans no doubt agree. Maybe he’ll even tune in for the rubber match between Ospreay and Omega if it happens, and that’s not something he likely would have said prior to Forbidden Door.