Will Ospreay already has an opponent for his next AEW World Championship defense. During the media scrum after AEW All Out, "The Aerial Assassin" challenged Kazuchika Okada to a title match at Grand Slam France. The International Champion immediately accepted, confirming one of the most anticipated matchups for the special event that the company will hold on October 6th in Paris.
The match will take place at the Adidas Arena in Paris, France, during AEW Grand Slam France, which will air on Tuesday, October 6, 2026. It will be the first time that All Elite Wrestling brings an event under the Grand Slam name to French territory, making the night one of its main international showcases of the year.
The confirmation comes after a crucial night for both wrestlers at All Out. Ospreay successfully defended the AEW World Championship against Jon Moxley in a match that lasted over half an hour. The British wrestler managed to survive one of the most dominant rivals in the company's recent history to extend the reign that began less than a month ago.
Ospreay won the AEW World Championship for the first time at All In London 2026, where he defeated Kenny Omega in the main event held at Wembley Stadium. "The Aerial Assassin" had earned that opportunity after winning the Owen Hart Foundation Tournament and seized the moment to finally reach the top of All Elite Wrestling in front of his fans.
Okada also emerged victorious from Chicago. "The Rainmaker" defended the AEW International Championship against Tommaso Ciampa, thus maintaining his position among the company's top individual champions before issuing his challenge for the top title.
With both retaining their respective championships at All Out, the stage was set for a direct confrontation between two of the most important wrestlers on the roster. This time, it will be Ospreay putting his gold on the line, while Okada's International Championship will not be at stake.
The Paris showdown will not be the first encounter between Will Ospreay and Kazuchika Okada. Both built much of their shared history in New Japan Pro-Wrestling, where they were part of CHAOS before Ospreay broke away from the group in 2020 to form United Empire.
From that moment on, Okada became one of the main obstacles in the British wrestler's individual career. They faced each other several times in Japan, including matches of great importance at Wrestle Kingdom and the G1 Climax, before their paths crossed again after both joined AEW.
Their most recent individual encounter took place at AEW Worlds End 2024. Okada defeated Ospreay in the Continental Classic final, retaining the Continental Championship and becoming the tournament's second winner.
That night was particularly demanding for Ospreay. The British wrestler had previously defeated Kyle Fletcher in the semifinals and entered the decisive match after a physical battle in which he suffered a cut that caused him to bleed profusely. Okada ultimately capitalized on the wear and tear to prevail in the final and close out 2024 as the Continental Champion.
Since that showdown, both wrestlers' situations within AEW have changed significantly. Ospreay has captured the World Championship for the first time, while Okada continues to rack up individual successes and arrives in Paris as the International Champion. Grand Slam France will allow us to see how their rivalry has evolved almost two years after their last one-on-one encounter.
Ospreay versus Okada joins the showdown between Chris Jericho and Nick Wayne, which had already been announced for the event. Wayne attacked Jericho after his match on the September 16th Dynamite, sparking the rematch that will now take place in Paris.
AEW Grand Slam France will take place on Tuesday, October 6th at the Adidas Arena in Paris. The company still has to expand the card in the coming days, but the event already features a match for its top championship and a new chapter in a rivalry that began years before Ospreay and Okada arrived in All Elite Wrestling.
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