London born professional wrestler Will Ospreay is returning to his hometown on August 30 to problem for the AEW World Championship at “All In” 2026, and together with his extremely anticipated match with Kenny Omega simply days away, the unfiltered star opens as much as M&F on a spread of necessary subjects, sharing his battles with physique dysmorphia and ADHD, and explaining why destructive voices on social media as soon as had him in concern of the health club.
It’s loopy to assume that Will Ospreay’s father, who launched his son to the artwork of professional wrestling by channel browsing one night, will now take his seat to observe the gifted grappler predominant occasion Wembley Stadium. “I feel he was, like, flicking between a Chelsea sport and possibly Star Trek,” recollects the longer term fighter. “And, I simply obtained fascinated by it, and simply saved tuning in.”
As a child, Ospreay first discovered the highlight by attending his mom’s drama academy. “She would herald dance academics, so I obtained a way of rhythm right away,” he tells M&F. “I understood easy methods to time issues.” This sense of timing can be met with a pure aptitude for agility, setting the foundations for Ospreay’s wrestling toolset, earlier than even stepping foot into the ring. However as a wrestling fan, Ospreay had spent hours watching his favourite aerial specialists on display screen. “Watching WCW, and seeing Billy Kidman do a taking pictures star press, I’d pause it, rewind it,” he recollects. “The place do his arms go? I broke down little bits about it, after which I might simply go into my backyard and take a look at it on the trampoline.”
When Mother noticed her son doing backflips within the yard, she steered him towards an organized trampoline class, however the expertise that he had already taught himself made the category redundant. “I used to be there for someday, after which I handed,” he explains.
Will Ospreay Was Kicked Out of His First Wrestling College
Whereas in highschool, Ospreay was peer pressured into demonstrating his agility on a stable flooring. “Thank God they did,” he displays. “As a result of all of the issues that I may do with springs, I can do with out them now.” However whereas the younger upstart was actually honing his expertise, this danger heavy method wouldn’t be welcomed at his first wrestling faculty. In actual fact, Ospreay shares that he was kicked out of the Dropkixx Wrestling academy in London, “As a result of I used to be performing some yard wrestling outdoors the ability whereas they have been coaching,” explains Ospreay. “Truthfully, wanting again now, I might have kicked me out too.”
At age 17, Ospreay would take a extra skilled method to his second alternative to study the ropes, becoming a member of the London College of Lucha Libra, and the high-flying Mexican fashion of wrestling would show to construct his toolset even additional. Historically, Mexican wrestler’s work one another from the right-hand aspect, whereas different areas just like the U.S., U.Ok., and Japan assault one another from the left. Whereas Ospreay’s faculty predominantly taught the left-handed method, in addition they introduced in some large names to show the right-handed fashion. “We had Lucha Libre stars come over, like Cassandro and Juventud Guerrera,” he recollects.
As Ospreay’s expertise advanced, he went from sporting a masks in his debut, to getting his face acknowledged throughout the U.Ok. unbiased wrestling scene and was even advisable by the legendary A.J. Types as a possible match for Japan. Already a fan of the Japanese fashion, significantly the fast-paced Tremendous Junior weight class, Ospreay grew to become a world famous person in New Japan Professional Wrestling, profitable his first “Better of Tremendous Juniors” title in 2016. However whereas 2017 introduced Ospreay the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship, the growing consideration round him would show to be a big problem outdoors of the ring.
Will Ospreay Developed Physique Dysmorphia and Feared the Health club
“I first found my physique dysmorphia, and I received the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship, in October of 2017,” recollects of Ospreay of a time that introduced each darkness and lightweight. “And I keep in mind one tweet was saying ‘he’s within the worst form,’ and so they have been proper,” says the wrestler. “I didn’t perceive figuring out, why you do units, and why you concentrate on one physique half, and macro counting. I might go to the health club, however I actually didn’t know what I used to be doing, I’ll be sincere, and I used to be so embarrassed to ask the boys, they’re all jacked, I felt like such an fool, to attempt to (ask) ‘may I exercise with you?’ so I by no means went to the health club”
Happily, whereas wrestling in New Zealand, Ospreay found MusclePharm’s weekly exercises. “I simply stated, alright, I’m gonna do these for the subsequent six weeks,” he explains. “Inside 4 weeks, I packed on a lot muscle mass, and I began to know the way it labored. After which I invested in a private coach, his identify is Iestyn Ress, and he actually broke down macro counting, and easy methods to depend my energy, and why I do a push day and a pull day. It was so easy, however I simply by no means had the braveness to ask for assist. And I at all times inform individuals now, the individuals within the health club, they’re combating the identical demons that you simply’re in all probability combating.”
Will Ospreay Now Harnesses ADHD as a Wrestling Superpower
Will Ospreay is a kind of genuine professional wrestlers whose on-screen persona comes very near the person himself. This athlete is the primary to confess that he’s typically discovered himself embroiled in on-line spats and is working arduous to withstand burner accounts which can be set as much as set off celebrities into getting wound up. In fact, having a thick pores and skin or scrolling previous the trolls is less complicated stated and carried out, however Ospreay has additionally realized that ADHD performs each a optimistic and destructive function in his life. The positives come from his hyper focus round wrestling, however his capability to filter himself remains to be a piece in progress.
“I used to be on the spectrum for autism, however I didn’t discover out I had ADHD till I used to be 27,” he explains. “I used to be like, 5 years into Japan, I had already made a bunch of errors, like loads of points happening. At first, they thought it was despair. They thought I had insomnia as a result of I couldn’t sleep. (The ADHD prognosis) opened my eyes and gave me loads of perception into why I’ve been making these errors and the way I may mitigate them. I nonetheless have triggers, I had one a short time in the past on Twitter (X), the place I simply went again at anyone, and I want I didn’t try this, however on the optimistic aspect, wrestling is one thing that I’ve been capable of lock in and concentrate on.”
Will Ospreay Has Constructed Again Stronger for AEW All in 2026
Whereas Ospreay’s psychological well being has turn into a clearer image for the star, a critical neck harm in 2025 required main surgical procedure, and threatened the grappler on a bodily stage. Happily, AEW, the key U.S. promotion that he signed with in 2022, was of big assist, paying for the scintillating star’s surgical procedure, and serving to him to make a triumphant return simply six months later. “5 months faraway from surgical procedure, and I used to be capable of do a 440-pound (200kg) deadlift,” shares Ospreay. “I feel my weight was sitting at 202 kilos (92kg) on the time, so for me, that was an enormous carry.”
In fact, the subsequent factor that Will Ospreay is hoping to carry is the AEW World Championship, and he’ll be going through one other worldwide famous person, Kenny Omega for this dream match in London. And, true to type, the Brit has lengthy studied his Canadian opponent with critical intent.
“Watching his timing, his pacing, was so inspiring,” Ospreay tells M&F. “The stakes can’t be any larger for me. It’s one of the vital necessary moments, not solely of my profession, however of my life.”
Will Ospreay challenges Kenny Omega for the AEW World Championship, dwell on pay-per-view, at “All In” on Sunday, Aug. 30, at London’s Wembley Stadium. For ticket info, click on right here.
To observe Will Ospreay on Instagram, click on right here.
