15 Greatest Promos In Modern Wrestling History

12. Will Ospreay Wants The Belt

Will Ospreay Hangman Page
AEW

Where did Will Ospreay: incredible babyface promo come from? 

By his own admission, the man was too intent on levelling up to AJ Styles and Kenny Omega to care throughout the early phase of his career. While he'd leave NJPW a terrific promo, it took him a long time (and one diabolical experiment with Conor McGregor's clothes). 

Ospreay is great because he's passionate and authentic. And, in his own idiosyncratic way, Ospreay can own the room. He describes himself as your weird mate down the pub, which is such a succinct and insightful way of putting it that this 250-word copy is a waste of time. 

He traded words with Hangman Page ahead of their Owen Hart Cup final at Double Or Nothing '25. He was incredible, carrying himself with a fairness and an endearing modesty that almost captured the exact opposite of what it means to be a heel. He forgave Hangman for the friendly fire exchanged the prior week, saying "As my dad says, whenever I get hit in the face, it's a drastic improvement". 

Ospreay set out why he wanted the belt and how hard he grafted to earn the shot to do it. He spoke of the 15 hour flights he takes every week and how much the constant jet lag is worth it. He owned up to his days as an immature little tosser and expressed his desire to wear the belt for everybody who put up with him, much less supported him. He also conveyed how desperate he was to do his son proud. His tone was a little corny, but that's a wrestling babyface. They have to mean it. Ospreay isn't cool, and didn't try to be here. 

In 2025, and all that was so awful about it, Ospreay's sincerity was in. 

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!