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A former world champion is expected to make his AEW in-ring return next month, per a recent report.
The name in question is none other than Will Ospreay. He signed a full-time contract with AEW at the 2023 Full Gear pay-per-view. However, he has not yet joined the company as a full-time talent due to his commitments with New Japan Pro-Wrestling. In the past, he has competed in several high-profile matches for All Elite Wrestling as part of the promotion's partnership with NJPW.
On a recent edition of the Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer said Ospreay could show up on Dynamite soon, and his first match as a contracted AEW talent could take place on March 3, 2024, the date of the Revolution pay-per-view:
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"Mercedes [Mone] is on March 13th. [Kazuchika] Okada, I don’t know. And Ospreay could be (...) I was told Ospreay is in Greensboro, [but] that could have changed. But I mean, I was told by someone who would know that he was going to be wrestling a match in Greensboro [Revolution's host city]. So that’s March 3rd."
Meltzer added that the 6 ft 1 in star had finished his dates with NJPW, so he could appear on Dynamite in the next few weeks:
"And at that point, Ospreay has got no more dates. So I’m going to guess that he would probably show up on Dynamite not this Wednesday but next Wednesday [February 21]. If he’s going to do a match, you know, it’d be whoever he does that angle with when he comes out. I don’t know who it would be." [H/T Inside The Ropes]
Will Ospreay lost his last match before officially joining the AEW roster
Will Ospreay spent more than eight years in New Japan Pro-Wrestling before his recent departure. He wrestled his last match for the Japanese promotion at NJPW New Beginning 2024.
It was a five-on-five steel cage match between Ospreay's group, United Empire, and Bullet Club War Dogs. The Aerial Assassin's squad shockingly suffered a defeat in the contest.
Fans have been anticipating Ospreay's arrival in AEW as a full-time star for a while. Only time will tell what the Tony Khan-led creative team has in store for him.
Are you excited to see Will Ospreay full-time on AEW TV? Sound off in the comments section below.
