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AEW Star Will Ospreay Sends Strong Message to WWE Locker Room

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Xaiver Aguiar | Last updated May 7, 2025 8:05 PM ET

Tribalism in wrestling is nothing new. Imagine if social media were around during the territory days or the peak of the "Monday Night Wars." Could you imagine the burner X accounts with Goldberg and Mick Foley profile pictures dueling it out?

Since AEW launched in 2019 and vanquished WWE's monopoly, the landscape of fans online has been increasingly toxic. That's how the internet operates—it's an echo chamber and a far smaller audience representation than people realize. There is a part of the competitive nature that leaks into the performers of each company, including some main event talent.

In a recent interview with the Daily Star, Will Ospreay suggested he thinks he's levitating on a different plane than the wrestlers in WWE. "Honestly, on my worst day, I'm better than a lot of those guys in the ring," Oespreay said. "In the ring, generally, I don't think there is anyone from that side that matches any of our guys."

Part of that statement is likely Ospreay simply hyping up the place he works. The 32-year-old has transitioned into a Cody Rhodes-like role in AEW as the face of the brand and the promotion's flag bearer. Ospreay's face is constantly on promotional material, and he's done his fair share of media availabilities.

Both companies have their own definitive style, making these sorts of comparisons nearly impossible and counterproductive. To suggest that there's no WWE talent that "can go" in the squared circle is a bit preposterous and shortsighted from Ospreay, but it's understandable why he has that sentiment.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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