Will Ospreay Reveals Honest Thoughts About the Death Riders Story Ahead of All In (Exclusive)

As Will Ospreay prepares for the biggest match of his career, he's reflecting on the road that took him to AEW All In at Wembley Stadium.

Ospreay will take on Kenny Omega in the main event of the show, challenging for the AEW World Championship in what could end up being a defining match in a long list of all-time classics. The two have had a couple of acclaimed bouts since 2023, with their Wembley rubber match aiming to elevate Ospreay to top guy status in AEW.

The 33-year-old underwent surgery last year following Forbidden Door to heal a herniated disc in his spine, forcing him out of action for nearly seven months. His journey to the title match mirrors his opponent; Omega himself endured an excruciating battle with diverticulitis not long ago before finding his way to his second AEW World Championship reign this summer.

"I think, honestly, the challenge will be is that our bodies are completely different now. We've both gone through traumatic things - my neck and his diverticulitis - that have changed us as performers," Ospreay said.

"But in that change, we have adapted very well, and we have shown people that our ability to tell stories and to be able to conduct the emotion with the audience is still very much there, and we're still very much able to give people a caliber of wrestling match that not many of the world's elite can do."

Omega and Ospreay dig deep into their past

Kenny Omega vs. Will Ospreay goes down at Wembley. | All Elite Wrestling

While the last month or so has seen the world champion Omega be unafraid to show tough love to "The Owen" winner, the path to this program didn't begin there. The two had an emotional confrontation in the ring on the April 15 edition of AEW Dynamite, both professing their belief in one another that they could still reach the top.

It was a gripping segment, and one that gave a deeper look into the bond shared by the two that goes beyond the grappling.

"I think there's an element of realness behind that moment between myself and Kenny, because there is a lot of doubt because of what we've gone through, if we are physically able to give our audience the same level of ability that we used to be able to have. And talking to one another and supporting one another in those moments where I feel like we needed a shoulder to lean on and we both were there for one another," Ospreay said.

The moment between the two was enough to set them on their way to Wembley: Omega would have to get his way back to then-champion Maxwell Jacob Friedman, and Ospreay would simply need to win "The Owen" to punch his ticket.

Instead, the story wasn't quite as linear.

Will Ospreay: Death Rider?

Jon Moxley's Death Rider group was central to the story of last year's All In: Texas show, one that saw him lose the AEW World Championship in the main event to "Hangman" Adam Page. While many thought that would be the beginning of the end for the faction, instead, they have remained staples of AEW television, walking the line between good guys and bad guys based on who their adversaries are.

As a result, Moxley has become one of the more polarizing characters in the company. On television, Ospreay's injury was blamed on the Death Riders. While the two would have a bout at AEW Dynasty, Ospreay would come up short in his revenge match.

Surprisingly, he didn't stay vigilant. Instead, he decided that if he couldn't beat them, he'd at least consider joining them. The group would spend the next couple of months offering him training and guidance, urging him to dig deeper into darker places in his matches to come out on top.

Ospreay explained that he viewed the detour as a chance to explore one of his character's weaknesses.

"I think it's given my character a little bit of an edge. And I think it's given me a little bit, because throughout my time in AEW, after the Bryan Danielson Tiger Driver, there has been hesitation from me," he said. "And it's because there is an element of human about me where I am like a dad now, and I don't really want people to go back to their families all battered and messed up."

The former AEW International Champion explained that when he returned, his character was blinded by rage. "There was no game plan. There was no strategy. There was just, go in and try and take his head. And every week on Dynamite you would see me try and try and beat him up and try and take back what was rightfully mine, an eye for an eye and a neck for a neck. And then when it finally got to the pay-per-view, I lost. And that, for me, has completely derailed everything that I ever wanted."

Ospreay believes the grit of the Death Riders was instrumental in adding new depth to his character ahead of the All In match, even if he ultimately turned down their offer to join the group. He believes fans will see that showcased in the match against Omega.

"I've found like a new layer to my character where I do find myself very confident in those things. My character has morals, my character has lines that it will not cross. But now the hesitation has completely gone because I found myself in a situation where I have enemies all over the place and there are people that want me to stop being in those top positions," he said.

"And for me, now I'm at a time period where maybe this might be one of my last opportunities to be able to be a world champion. So I'm not letting it slip from my fingertips, and I'm not letting it go."

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