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AEW icon Will Ospreay has revealed how the wrestling world is behind him before his upcoming neck surgery.
The 32-year-old Essex-born wrestler has confirmed he’ll need to undergo surgery to deal with herniated discs pushing against his spinal cord, which are causing nerve issues.
It means the future is unclear, as one of the best wrestlers in the world is facing a lengthy spell away from the ring after tomorrow’s Forbidden Door event at The O2 arena in London.
Speaking exclusively to Metro, Ospreay admitted some rivals in WWE have sent messages of support after he opened up about the procedure.
‘I’ve got people in [WWE] that I’ve never met before in my entire life, that have reached out because of this neck injury, and they have gone, “Hey, if you need a doctor, or if there’s any questions that need to be answered,”‘ he said.
‘Every single one of them are super lovely. And I wish them all the best. I really do.’
Tomorrow night, Ospreay teams up with Kenny Omega, Kota Ibushi, Darby Allin and Hiroshi Tanahashi in a Lights Out Steel Cage match against Jon Moxley, Claudio Castagnoli, Gabe Kidd and The Young Bucks.
Going into such a brutal match can be scary at the best of times, but the former world champion admitted he’s feeling ‘anxious’ about the aftermath when it’s time to have his surgery.
‘I don’t feel hurt. There are just things that are going on in my body that I know aren’t normal and I need to get looked at,’ he said candidly.
‘But in terms of where my anxiety comes from is like, after the bell rings and it’s all done and I’m finished, I don’t know what life looks like. I’ve never had anybody cut into me before.’
The innovative wrestler noted several times in our interview that he’s not sure he’ll be able to do the same things he can do now in the ring – and if that’s the case, he wants Sunday night to be a ‘special’ match.
He added: ‘I think this one is going to be kind of special to me, because it like it might be me kissing goodbye to a chapter of my life that I miss need to kiss goodbye now.’
This weekend will be a special one for other reasons too, as Ospreay’s partner and fellow wrestler Alex Windsor also steps out in front of the London crowd.
‘She’s handling the pressure very well. Tony’s extremely happy with the work she’s been doing, and there’s just so much room for her to grow as a performer,’ Ospreay smiled.
‘Honestly, looking at her and knowing her story, knowing what she’s gone through – it takes my breath away. She inspires me all every single day.’
Elsewhere on the card, Christian Cage reunites with Adam Copeland – best known to WWE fans as Edge – and Ospreay can still remember watching them split on screen decades ago.
‘I watched that episode of TV when they broke up,’ he said. ‘So this is crazy.’
Copeland has been a source of support for Ospreay too, having gone through his own neck issues which forced him into retirement before his return at the Royal Rumble in January 2020.
‘Cope has been amazing with my neck and my anxiety, he has been a real good guy to go to in his room and talk about this thing, and he’s put a lot of worries behind me,’ he admitted.
The likes of wrestling legend Bryan Danielson and AEW fan favourite Willow Nightingale, who have both recovered from devastating injuries, have also helped.
As Ospreay noted, WWE superstars have also reached out, and he insisted despite the rivalry between companies, there is still a camaraderie in wrestling.
‘It’s just competitiveness, man. We all want to be the f***ing best. They clearly want to be putting out the best show, and we want to be putting out the best show,’ he said. ‘But the reality is, if one of us go down, we all feel it.’
However, it’s clearly a tough subject for Ospreay to discuss, whether it’s with his colleagues or in an interview like this.
‘It’s so hard because, deep down, I don’t really want to talk about it because I am a little bit sick, a little bit scared,’ he admitted. ‘But all of them have been like a big brother and big sister, just being so great.’
Some people have told the star that he’s ‘going to feel so good’ after surgery, which he’s excited for, but the lengthy recovery time is weighing on his mind.
‘Ever since I was 14 years old, I’ve been in a wrestling ring every single week. So this will be the craziest f**king time in my life,’ he conded. ‘I’m nervous and I’m anxious, but I’m ready to take it on.’
He added: ‘If Sunday is the last time I can do the stuff that I can do, I’m just gonna do it because that’s the only way I’d like to go out.’
AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door 2025 airs Sunday at 6pm on TrillerTV.
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