WWE or AEW: Who Should Will Ospreay Sign With After NJPW Contract Expires in 2024?

Between The Elite reupping with All Elite Wrestling and Drew McIntyre indicating he has yet to ink a new deal with WWE, it's been an eventful few months as far as major wrestling contracts are concerned.

That includes Will Ospreay, who recently revealed on AEW Dynamite that his current deal with New Japan Pro-Wrestling is up in February 2024.

The Englishman is widely regarded as one of the best wrestlers in the world today and rightfully so. His résumé of matches in the past five years alone is unmatched, and at the age of 30, he has his entire career ahead of him if he can stay healthy and injury-free.

Needless to say, Ospreay will be one of the hottest free agents in the industry once his contract comes due, provided he doesn't decide to stick with NJPW before then.

The Aerial Assassin has called NJPW home since 2016, but a move to either WWE or AEW shouldn't be completely out of the question. Regardless of where he winds up, he is sure to shine.

What promotion would prove to be the best fit for Ospreay in 2024?

Why He'll Be Such a Sought-After Free Agent

If you haven't been exposed to much of Ospreay's work, now's the time to get familiar.

He's been making a name for himself across the globe for over a decade, primarily in Progress and Revolution Pro Wrestling. He also had a brief stint in Ring of Honor where he won the ROH World Television Championship, but it wasn't until he arrived in NJPW in 2016 that he truly started making waves within the sport.

Ospreay immediately found success in the junior heavyweight division, winning the title three times as well as the illustrious Best of the Super Juniors tournament in 2016 and 2019. His innovative aerial offense made him an absolute thrill to watch.

As he ascended the card and filled out his physique, he switched up his style inside the squared circle and evolved into the complete performer. He showed he could work well as a heel, cut a convincing promo, lead his own faction, and not only hang with but also beat the best in the business.

Kazuchika Okada, Shingo Takagi, Marty Scurll and now Kenny Omega are among his greatest in-ring rivals. Fans know exactly what they're getting whenever they see Ospreay in action: Nothing less than an excellent outing.

Where Would He Be Best Utilized?

Although AEW and WWE are the two biggest companies a competitor could sign with, there are a lot of risks that come with each of them creatively.

In AEW, there's less of a chance Ospreay would be toned down compared to if he went to WWE. AEW boasts an incredibly deep roster filled with names he'd have tremendous matches with, but that's also part of the problem there.

Even with the addition of Collision, there are plenty of people who aren't being used anywhere near as well as they should be and are relegated to the occasional appearance. Ospreay is an exceptional talent, but it wouldn't be difficult for him to get lost in the shuffle.

Interestingly, that may not be as much of an issue for him in WWE. The SmackDown and Raw rosters are bloated as well, but the company could use more main event players and Ospreay could easily fill that void without having to work his way through the NXT system.

There are numerous athletically gifted individuals in AEW, whereas Ospreay would be one of a kind on the main roster in WWE and still wouldn't have a shortage of amazing opponents to work with.

Both WWE and AEW would roll out the red carpet for him, but there are other reasons why one promotion might make more sense for him over the rest.

His Reasons for Not Wanting to Go to WWE

Ospreay seemed to shut down any speculation regarding a run in WWE with comments he made on Insight with Chris Van Vliet in May.

"I'm just living in the UK now," he said. "I'm very happy there. I don't plan on ever moving [to the States], it's too big... I get anxious just being out here."

He's maintained his stance about never wanting to leave his home country for years, and although he confirmed he'd listen to WWE about an offer, relocating simply isn't something he sees himself ever being interested in.

With the extensive travel schedule WWE Superstars have, that could be the deal-breaker for the company.

"I'm very open [about my status], and it just comes from a lot of confidence, because I am very confident me and New Japan will work something out," he told Van Vliet. "Because I just don't want to live in America. That's my full stop thing. I just don't want to. I just don't want to! It limits me. So, obviously, I've got to sign with New Japan."

The NXT UK brand would have allowed him to stay put in England while performing under the umbrella of WWE, but that would have been too small of a platform for him if it still existed today.

Of course, former NXT UK champion Gunther was previously adamant about staying put overseas, but circumstances changed and he made the move to the U.S. in early 2022. He's now one of the best-booked stars on the WWE main roster, so it's not out of the realm of possibility for Ospreay, either.

An Established Presence in AEW

It's well-known that PAC has been living in England since leaving WWE years ago and continues to compete for AEW (when he isn't out injured).

In other words, Ospreay signing with AEW is feasible as the schedule is a lot lighter and wouldn't force him to relocate. It helps that he has established himself with that audience as well.

The former IWGP world heavyweight champion first made his presence felt in the promotion leading into the inaugural Forbidden Door pay-per-view in 2022. He impressed in multiple matches on television before stealing the show with Orange Cassidy at the event itself.

He went on to take part in the AEW World Trios Championship Tournament and plant the seeds for his Wrestle Kingdom clash with Kenny Omega at the onset of 2023. Although he came up short in their initial encounter, he avenged the loss in one of AEW's best bouts ever at the second installment of Forbidden Door in June.

Ospreay racked up another massive win over Chris Jericho at All In in front of over 80,000 fans at Wembley Stadium in his home country.

Jay White made a handful of appearances in AEW before signing full-time there in April. Seeing the success he's had since then, Ospreay could follow his footsteps.

Sticking with New Japan Pro-Wrestling

Ospreay said it himself in his interview with Van Vliet that he expects to re-sign with NJPW come February 2024.

However, he'd be foolish not to let his current contract expire and entertain offers from every company. He's in the prime of his career and set to make major money on whatever deal he secures next.

He would be a big star in both WWE and AEW. The former managed to get it right with fellow ex-IWGP world champ AJ Styles and Ospreay would likely be no different, while the latter has connections with NJPW and he can continue competing there if he so desires.

Arguably, Ospreay has done all he can do in NJPW and thus signing somewhere else would be in his best interests in the long run. Now would be the time for him to make the jump while he's at his peak both physically and in popularity.

If traveling is his biggest holdup, then sticking with NJPW and maintaining the momentum he's built up there would be best bet.

Anything can change between now and then, but no matter his ultimate landing spot, Ospreay will be an even hotter commodity once he hits free agency and an incredible asset to any promotion fortunate enough to have him.

---

Graham Mirmina, aka Graham "GSM" Matthews, has specialized in sports and entertainment writing since 2010. Visit his website, WrestleRant, and subscribe to his YouTube channel for more wrestling-related content.