Will Ospreay ‘looking to explore every single option’ in contract talks

Will Ospreay says he will consider “every single option” as he gets closer to his NJPW contract expiring. 

Ospreay faces Mike Bailey on Saturday when Impact Wrestling presents Bound for Glory from Cicero Stadium just outside of Chicago. It’ll be his first time wrestling for the company since 2016 when he appeared on several shows the company ran in the UK that year. 

Ospreay recently told Sports Illustrated that Impact is “in the running” of companies he could sign with when his NJPW deal expires in February. 

“The deal is up in February, and we’re still in negotiations,” said Ospreay. “I’m looking to explore every single option and every single avenue. Impact Wrestling is in the running for my next home. I’m willing to test the waters. So this match against Mike Bailey is a real treat for me, and I’m excited to do it, especially with what could happen next year.”

As he potentially heads into free agency, Ospreay has had a remarkable 2023. He’s had six matches this year rated five stars or higher by our own Dave Meltzer, with three of those being rated six stars or above. His most recent match against Zack Sabre Jr. at Royal Quest was rated five and a half stars. 

In the latest edition of The Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Meltzer addressed Ospreay’s 2023 and the difficulty of measuring what is the greatest year a pro wrestler has ever had. 

“Will Ospreay retained the U.K. heavyweight title against Zack Sabre Jr., in a classic match that, now that we’re more than ten months into the year, leads to a major question,” he wrote. “What is the single greatest in-ring year a pro wrestler has ever had?”

“It’s hard to measure because in the past, wrestlers worked far more dates,” Meltzer continued. “For example, Ric Flair legitimately did more than 300 matches a year, and most of them would have ranged from very good to great. And most weren’t televised or taped. And he did this year after year.”

However, in terms of one wrestler dominating the match-of-the-year candidates, Ospreay is approaching a league of his own. 

“But as far as one person dominating the match of the year category, this will be interesting,” Meltzer continued. “Sabre’s name is added to a list of singles matches that are legit match of the year contenders that includes two with Kenny Omega, Tetsuya Naito, Kazuchika Okada, two with Shingo Takagi and one with Yota Tsuji, not to mention other close calls with Robbie X, Leon Slater, Taichi, David Finlay, Naomichi Marufuji and others.”

Following his match against Bailey on Saturday, Ospreay is scheduled to wrestle Josh Alexander at Sunday’s television tapings. He’s then scheduled to wrestle Eddie Edwards next weekend at Impact Wrestling Turning Point. 

“I want my legacy to be that I tested myself around the world,” Ospreay continued. “No one else in wrestling can say that except for one person, and that’s Mike Bailey. That makes me even more excited to face him.”