This AEW star gets some surprise praise from Bully Ray

AEW rarely receives praise from former WWE talents. In fact, there's a vocal minority that often finds a reason to take issue with Tony Khan's company. 

For instance, the discourse surrounding a lack of storylines has led to some changes in how AEW approaches things, and those changes have been for the better.

However, there have also been many occasions where the criticism is unwarranted. Especially when it comes to the more hardcore aspects of the company's programming.

So, AEW fans could be forgiven if they were shocked to hear Bully Ray's recent praise of Will Ospreay. Not only did the Hall of Famer speak glowingly of the high flyer, but he also noted how Ospreay could have thrived in prime ECW.

"You want to hear the most profound thing that I can say about Will Ospreay? Will Ospreay would have survived in ECW, and that’s why he should fly the flag for AEW," Ray said via Busted Open Radio. "There have been so many people who thought they could have survived in ECW. It was my pleasure to tell them to their face you would have gotten eaten up and spit out alive day one. Will would have survived in ECW, I’m talking ECW ’93 to ’98, OG ECW, real deal ECW.”

Hearing a WWE and ECW legend praise Ospreay so publicly is proof of the path he's currently on. There's no denying that he is poised to become AEW's first homegrown superstar. Furthermore, it's clear that Tony Khan's company is starting to earn respect among former talents turned media. Not only has the product improved, but it's arguably been the most consistent company this year, in terms of overall production. 

It would be foolish to expect AEW to start getting a fair shake with the media. The company is still fighting an uphill battle. Still, if stars like Ospreay can continue to impress and draw praise, the negative sentiment surrounding AEW will slowly fade. 

AEW has the talent to make that happen. Ospreay and MJF should be leading the charge. For now, though, AEW must settle for the small win, and look to build on it over time.