There is no more exclusive club in wrestling than the one that exists at the very peak of the tallest mountaintop. No, I don’t mean Rushmore. I don’t even mean Everest. Those in wrestling who are able to transcend championships and main events live here. That might be easy to say, but it’s nearly impossible to accomplish in practice.
Professional wrestling carries with it always a rich history of special human beings doing incredible things. Perhaps only a few out of every generation can be rightfully called “greats.” It’s a word thrown around as easily as any other these days, but I urge each of you to peel back its layers and really sit with it before you use it again, if only for the duration of this feature alone. A great isn’t simply a champion. Champions come and go. There have been hundreds. Thousands even. How many can you remember and call great?
A great doesn’t just author memorable moments for their fans, they do so for ALL fans. Love or hatred aside, a wrestler of this caliber demands the respect of everyone in the business. For their work ethic. For their mastery of the craft. For their unparalleled love for the business. Because you cannot be truly great without it.
More than any of that though, these extraordinary men and women possess one quality that is inherent to greatness. And it begins with a dream.
I would venture a guess that most professional wrestlers started as dreamers. In a profession as uniquely wild as this is, you must! What separates the great from the good though is the template. Let me explain. A childhood dream can carry someone so far if accompanied by the appropriate amount of work. What someone does after seeing a dream through is their choice. For most, that’s enough, and I get it. Work is hard. It’s tiring. Work is work! Right?!
Not for these athletes. From the very beginning, whether they realize it or not, they are constantly molding and evolving their once innocent dream into something much bigger and bolder. And they never stop. Behind them they leave breadcrumbs for those coming after to follow. They leave a template. Their love for their sport burns so intensely, that they never stop caring for it. They know that as it succeeds, they succeed.
What I’m not going to do is tell you my Mt. Rushmore. To be honest, I don’t have one. Wrestling is too unbelievably massive and layered to have just four human beings at its peak. Instead, let me tell you about a current wrestler who I have full confidence will go down in the history books as one of the very greatest to ever do it. Let me tell you about a man whose love for this thing of ours is palpable every time he steps through those hallowed ropes.
Let me tell you a little bit about Will Ospreay.
For those hoping for detailed accounts of his best matches or play-by-play storytelling notes from his legendary feuds, you won’t get that from me. For one, you already know all that. We all do. As a wrestling fan in 2023, it’s impossible not to. Secondly, and this is a personal thing, I care much more about the human being behind the wrestler than I do a few moves or words on a mic. Now sure, bits and pieces of oneself can often be found in unforgettable promos or even in the matches themselves if you watch closely enough. But for what I do – for what I enjoy most – I’ll stick to the basics. Because it’s in the basics where you’ll find the real magic.
A love of wrestling isn’t uncommon among those who do it. For that hustle, you better love it with your whole heart and then some. Sometimes even that isn’t enough. If you’ve read my work before, you’ll know that my favorite thing to do when watching a match or promo is to look into the eyes of the performers. I promise it’s not as creepy as it sounds.
Within someone’s eyes lives everything you need to know about them. You can’t hide anything there. Confidence. Love. Fear. Passion. It goes on and on. I often urge people to try this. Watch your favorites AND those you don’t like as much. I promise it will change how you both consume and appreciate professional wrestling.
One look into the eyes of Will Ospreay and within seconds you’ll find his passion and deep-seeded love for the business undeniable. The sacrifices he has made are evident and available to read about online. We don’t need to talk about them again, but they are immense. Evident as well is the love he carries with him always. Love of the business, sure. That’s obvious. But love of family? That’s the ticket.
He spoke of his family with such emotion and admiration in a recent feud with Chris Jericho, and I have not been able to stop thinking about it since. Lots of wrestlers use family to motivate on screen and intertwine reality with kayfabe when useful. This didn’t seem like that. This seemed like a man fighting for respect and for security. The pride in his eyes was matched by that in his voice as he delivered one of the most memorable promos of the year.
Now, maybe he worked us. I’m about the most naïve mark you’ll ever find, so it’s not a hard thing to do, but my heart tells me that the Will Ospreay we’re seeing this year is running on pure love and passion. It burns within him and we’re all lucky enough to witness it.
He’s had one of the very best years I can remember as a fan – 25 years. That’s a matter of opinion. I know that. But c’mon.
What’s crazy to me is that the vast majority of Will’s career has come across the Pacific, away from the eyes of the mainstream. I know we live in a time where almost everything associated with wresting is available to stream in some way (except PWG…I think they’re still on delayed VHS somehow). Still, there is a fairly sizable chunk of Will’s career I have yet to see, and I’ll bet that’s true for many fans.
As his impending free agency looms closer and closer, I am anxious for the chance to witness not just his greatness on a more regular basis, but his heart as well. Nothing gives me more joy as a fan than watching good people do what they love. For Will, it’s inarguable. The big companies know that too, and he’s about to be paid like the absolute superstar he is.
It makes me smile that he’s going to get the respect he deserves, not just for what’s coming, but for all that he’s done already. It makes me smile even more that he’ll be able to take care of his beautiful family the way he’s dreamed of. I don’t have any inkling on what his decision will be, nor do I much care. He’ll do what’s best for himself and those he carries in his heart, and we’ll watch him with wide eyes still. Because that’s what we do.
I understand those who might see my high praise of Will Ospreay as a leap, proclaiming him a GOAT well before his peak (how scary is that?!). I get it. But just watch. That’s all I can say.
As much as generational talent is undefeated, passion is even more so.
Thirty years old and he’s already got elite professional wrestlers following the model he forged. He already has them acknowledging his importance to their fledgling careers. He’s not just working to leave the business better than he found it, he’s building it up and taking people with him as he rises to the top himself. That’s something to be admired. That’s greatness.
The peak is a fitting place for an aerial assassin. The company is as good as you’ll ever find. And mark my words, a seat is being warmed as we speak. As it should be.
