Will Ospreay’s Official AEW Debut Match Announced

Will Ospreay is All Elite. After months of speculation as to where the Aerial Assassin would end up when he free agency period began in February 2024, Ospreay settled all the rumors when he put pen to AEW paper at AEW Full Gear in November 2023. AEW President Tony Khan was so keen on getting Ospreay on the AEW roster that he signed him four months before he would be able to start with the company and was able to do so thanks to a blessing from New Japan Pro Wrestling, Ospreay’s now-former employer. Ospreay would spend the next four months running business as usual with New Japan, competing at NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 18 and various other NJPW-branded shows before officially wrapping his commitments at NJPW The New Beginning in Osaka this past weekend.

Will Ospreay’s Official AEW Debut Match Announced

WILL-OSPREAY-AEW-LOGO
(Photo: AEW)

The Aerial Assassin is heading to AEW Revolution.

This Wednesday on AEW Dynamite, Don Callis took to the microphone in a backstage segment, gloating about the successes of The Don Callis Family’s Powerhouse Hobbs and Konosuke Takeshita. On the Takeshita front specifically, Callis claimed that after Takeshita’s wins over Kenny Omega and Chris Jericho, there was no one left that wants to wrestle him.

“The best wrestler in the world needs to be on this pay-per-view. The Don Callis Family needs to be on this pay-per-view, but we can’t find the talent for this man,” Callis said. “So what I’ve had to do is realize that I’ve got all the talent right here. I’ve looked within the family: Konosuke Takeshita vs. Will Ospreay.”

Callis then proclaimed that this match would be friendly competition and expects The Don Callis Family to “all be a family afterwards.”

Will Ospreay’s History With Don Callis

While this will be Ospreay’s first official match as a member of the AEW roster, he already has a storied past with his new home.

Ospreay first popped by AEW in June 2022 during the lead up to the first AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door pay-per-view. He led his United Empire faction in bouts against FTR and Orange Cassidy. Ospreay and his stablemates impressed enough to be brought back for the inaugural AEW Trios Titles Tournament later that summer. It was ahead of a trios tourney match that Callis introduced himself to Ospreay, speaking with him in his locker room and wishing him luck.

That seed of an alliance sprouted the following summer when Callis officially backed Ospreay in his AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door 2023 bout against Kenny Omega. Callis would go on to play a pivotal part in Ospreay’s victory over Omega and continued to support him in the rest of his AEW appearances in 2023. Even when he was not on AEW programming, Ospreay was featured in The Don Callis Family’s graphics during their entrances.

It remains to be seen as to if AEW plans to continue featuring Ospreay within The Don Callis Family or if he will completely severe off from the faction after AEW Revolution.

AEW Revolution goes down on Sunday, March 3rd.

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