Will Ospreay explains why he turned down a contract with WWE: 'I don't like the kind of wrestling they do there'

Will Ospreay is undoubtedly one of the best wrestlers of this generation. After standing out in the independent scene and NJPW, the British wrestler signed with All Elite Wrestling, where he has become one of the pillars of the company. However, his future could have been very different if he had accepted an offer that WWE put on the table.

"Representatives did it," Ospreay explained on The Ariel Helwani Show when asked if he had conversations with WWE at that time. "They were interested, for sure. There was an offer, and it was a really good offer, but it involved me moving to the United States, and I have no intention of living there."

However, Ospreay would not have accepted even if WWE had not required him to move to the United States. The reason is that he does not like the overall style of the shows and matches of the company owned by Endeavor. 

"I respect it, really, but I don't like the way it's shot, I don't like the wrestling they do there. I think it's very minimalist. I will never say no to something like that, because that's what we do to keep all our options open, but right now, with the format, how much fun I'm having in AEW and the freedom I have to be myself, I don't have anyone handing me a script," he said.

"The comparison between our main events is very different. For them, a Spear will be something tremendously satisfying. Honestly, I respect it. I wish I could get a reaction like that. I wish I could. It just doesn't sit well with me. I prefer what we do. I prefer taking the audience on a journey and showing them different ways to get to a Styles Clash and all the physical contact involved."

"I've been watching WWE lately and I saw a clip where a girl missed by a lot when trying to hit another. And it's not just with women, it's also with men. I wonder if they are telling them: 'We are already making money, you don't need to beat each other up'. I'm not saying that in AEW everyone beats each other up, but there is more contact, and I like that. I like feeling alive when I practice professional wrestling. I don't want people to miss their hits when they hit me. I prefer to be hit for real rather than look bad on television," he concluded.