THE BEST REVENGE IS LIVING WILL
Making a case for Will Ospreay vs Jon Moxley at All In
It should come as no surprise to wrestling fans when I say that there is very little in this business that we can all agree on. But there does seem to be, at the very least, a prevailing sentiment that Jon Moxley is going to maybe, possibly, not definitely, but more than likely drop the AEW World Championship at All In on July 8 in Texas. I think? Anyway, we don’t know who Mox will be facing yet, but we know it’ll either be Will Ospreay or Hangman Adam Page, two of the top stars in the promotion.
The headline gives away the content of this article, so what I’m about to say next actually might surprise you - In my heart of hearts, I want it to be Hangman. I’m an unabashed fan since day one and being as objective as I can be, I don’t think anyone deserves it more. Hangman’s descent into madness and the redemption angle he’s currently a part of are reason enough for him to capture the gold a second time. Factor in his somewhat less than enthralling first run with the belt and the unceremonious way in which he lost it to a certain diva-who-shall-not-be-named are also great reasons. There’s a certain “full circle” appeal to Hanger getting the strap back. And the damn thing is taking place in Texas, so it makes perfect sense that cowboy shit would prevail on that day. It would be a wonderful feel good moment.
However, the beauty of the story leading up to Double or Nothing is that both men are perfectly viable candidates to assume the throne and lead All Elite Wrestling into its next phase. Even as a fan of the cowboy, I’m here to make an argument for the aerial assassin. Maybe I’m just helping to ease us into the idea of Ospreay winning? Maybe I’m just a petty jerk who wants to write 1,000 words about how much I dislike WWE and maybe I just wanted to write a love letter to Will Ospreay. At any rate, Hangman’s redemption story has the heart and while I’m traditionally not someone who cares a lot about numbers, ratings and all that jazz, there are aspects of a Will Ospreay title reign that I feel could prove to be “best for business”, in a manner of speaking.
Before I get into what I think is best for AEW, let’s talk a bit about the wrestling promotion known as World Wrestling Entertainment. They’ve gone by many names over the years: they’ve been world wide and they’ve been federated. Sometimes, they’re simply known as New York and other times, “up north”. But a constant theme since the 1980s has been that WWF/E will do whatever it takes to destroy, humiliate, sabotage and embarrass anyone deemed as competitors to their lofty throne as the top dogs in the industry.
Whether it was creating Survivor Series to run on the same day as Starrcade 87 and refusing to allow cable companies that carried the NWA’s flagship show access to Wrestlemania IV, scheduling a Saturday Night’s Main Event on the same night as All In, or any of the myriad of dirty tactics the company has taken in order to secure their position over the years, the fact of the matter is, when the bear that is WWE perceives itself to have been poked, they strike. It can get pretty dirty (such as allegations of attempting to bribe Harley Race to no-show the first Starrcade) and it’s generally really petty. And they’ve been striking out a lot over the years. I had planned on including a lot more examples, but they threatened to dominate the entire article, so you’ll have to look them up yourself. There’s a lot. WWE has money, time and recognition on their side and they never fight fair. In the face of these odds, what’s a promoter to do?
It has been said before that the best revenge is living well. That the best way to deal with a narcissist or a bully is to simply ignore them and to live your life and thrive, being the best you that you can be. For the most part (recently anyway), Tony Kahn has operated in this fashion, letting the work speak for itself. As the World Champion, Will Ospreay could make that work speak in ALL CAPITAL LETTERS. The Champ represents the company and in that role, Ospreay can best aid AEW against these constant attacks, not by (allegedly) paying podcasters to talk shit about the competition, not by counter-programming events on the same weekend as WWE events or ripping off gimmicks and angles, but by ignoring the slings and the arrows and doing what AEW does best. There’s a reason why they say that AEW is “where the best wrestle” and a big fat shining example of that is Will Ospreay.
Remember a while back when AEW, still reeling from the shenanigans perpetrated by the aforementioned Chicago-made diva and a perceived lack of consistent quality in their programming, ran with the slogan “restore the feeling”? The idea was to get back to that magic that made AEW so special in the beginning (it is this author’s opinion that the “feeling” never went away, but that’s an article for another day). Jon Moxley never uses that phrase, but his intent as the current AEW World Champion - to elevate the competition in AEW - certainly sounds similar, doesn’t it? Though the intent and the story has meandered a bit over the months, the leader of the Death Riders’ initial goal was to get away from the influence of sports entertainment and get back to the level of competition that AEW is known for. But Ospreay, as it has been said, is on another level.
Will Ospreay is “the feeling” personified.
WWE can counter-program, talk smack and try any number of dirty tactics, but you can’t counter-program the magic that Will Ospreay does in the ring with a guy who has five moves and a handful of catchphrases and a heyday that was over a decade ago. And that’s no knock on John Cena; dude is a legend in this business and I’m certainly not here to run him down. But John Cena represents ten minute entrances and 30 minute promos every week. He represents a softer, more protected style of wrestling. Or to put it simply, John Cena represents sports entertainment. That’s their champ. The best they have to offer.
Conversely, Will Ospreay represents the future and he is a pro wrestler to the bone. While a certain subset of fans will always complain about flippy shit or finishers not being protected (likely the same way some said the drop kick would expose the business in the 1930s), it doesn’t change a thing; the business has changed, is in the process of changing and will always be changing - this shit ain’t going nowhere. And right now, Will Ospreay is the best one doing it (sorry, Kenny).
If Will Ospreay does a moonsault, it’s likely the best moonsault you’ve ever seen. If Ospreay does a hurricanrana, you’ll have to look long and hard to find someone who can do it better. I’ve heard it said that Will Ospreay is the create-a-wrestler option on a video game with all the stats cranked up to the max, brought to life, and it’s certainly hard to argue against that.
WWE prides itself on being less like the rasslin’ of smokey bingo halls and more like the glitz and glamour of Hollywood. That’s fine for them, but some of us actually like watching matches and some of us even go so far as to think that the actual focus of a wrestling program should be what happens from bell-to-bell. That’s where AEW puts their focus and that’s why they’re such a great alternative to the WWE’s monopoly. But it is also true that pro wrestling isn’t just about the in-ring action; you’ve got to have something for fans to connect with. Sometimes that’s a compelling storyline and sometimes it’s a charismatic performer. I contend that Will Ospreay is a guy who can do both. My argument for Will’s World Title run may be based on business, but make no mistake - the man has heart.
Some might say a guy like Ospreay couldn’t go toe-to-toe with someone like the Rock on the mic, but he does bring a real sense of relatability to his promos. There’s just something eminently likeable about Will Ospreay that the WWE’s homogenized, corporate characters can’t touch, because Ospreay never feels like a character, he feels like a real guy. Sure, he might occasionally ramble on a bit about how “the missus” gets upset by the more dangerous aspects of his job, but his goofiness and lack of ego makes him seem less like a comic book character and more like a good dude you’d like to go have a pint with after work. Or better yet, the kind of guy you’d like to invite over for a pay-per-view. He’s accessible and knowable and with the immense love for pro wrestling that he wears on his sleeve, he feels like one of us.
And did you happen to catch that promo battle with Hangman on Wednesday? Try to tell me that wasn’t passionate. Try to tell me that wasn’t real. Hell, even Dave Meltzer said so.
(And for the record, if you’re a wrestler who can get by on five moves and knapsack full of catchphrases, or if you’re a fan of that kind of wrestler, that’s cool too. I like those guys too! There are a million ways to make pro wrestling work and my point here is simply that not every fan wants the WWE style. I suspect that if you’re reading this, you may share that perspective)
If the best revenge is living well, then the best way to battle the sabotage, subterfuge, insults and counter-programming techniques of the WWE is to offer something that has no competition. If AEW is truly “where the best wrestle”, then why wouldn’t the best wrestler on the planet be the World Champion? If you want to show that your company is an alternative to the stale corporate aspects of the competition, then why not put that realness front and center? If you want to prove WWE is wrong about AEW being a “pissant company”, you don’t need to go on the offensive with insults of your own; you just need to put HHH’s comments about Will’s work ethic up against Will’s actual work. The proof is in the pudding and Will Ospreay is some damn tasty pudding, bruv!
I’m not advocating that Tony Kahn counter programs against WWE; I’m saying give them something they can’t counter-program against. Right now, at this moment, when AEW looks poised to make another great leap toward cementing their legacy and WWE’s grip is faltering, give fans that alternative they’ve been looking for. That’s no knock on Hangman or the story that he’s been telling us for the past two years (a story that I think may still have a few twists and turns left in it); it’s just saying that Will Ospreay might just be the right guy at the right time, right now.
Don’t beat them at their own game, TK; change the fucking rules, like you’ve done since day one. Take it to another level.
Art by Neon Ghost