Will Ospreay Opens Up About His Growth As A Wrestler

On January 4, Will Ospreay puts his IWGP United States Championship on the line at Wrestle Kingdom 17 against longtime rival, Kenny Omega. Though they've dueled in numerous tag team matches, Ospreay and Omega will battle in singles competition for the first time in seven years — the last encounter coming to a head at Pro Wrestling Guerilla's 11th annual All-Star Weekend in December 2015.

Although Omega took home the victory at the California event, Ospreay, who was 22 at the time, believes he's matured a lot since then. "I've just become my own man now," "The Aerial Assassin" told Fightful's Sean Ross Sapp. "I'm a front-runner in the United Empire. I like to say I'm a center forward for my faction."

Following the exit of Omega, the Young Bucks, and Cody Rhodes from New Japan Pro-Wrestling in early 2019, Ospreay agreed that he was "shoehorned into a position" in the company, as Omega once told him. "I was happy being a junior heavyweight. I was super happy just doing that," Ospreay said. However, he soon realized that he had the ability to alter his training, which could then catapult him to "be considered one of the best in the world."

"If you just look at the list and the matches that I've had [since 2018], it's just been a constant maturity from me, and now, I wouldn't even say I'm at my peak," he continued. "I'm one year away from turning 30. I still got plenty of gas left in the tank." 

To be more specific, Ospreay believes he has 10 years left of his prime.