20 Absolute Best Wrestlers In The World Right Now
17. Will Ospreay
It's divisive, the current Will Ospreay heel character. Nobody does Conor McGregor like Conor McGregor. When wrestlers who aren't as magnetic as the troubled UFC star try (read: all of them), it often comes off like a cheap performance, as if the wrestlers, as talented as they are, are trying too hard. They are chasing an uncatchable dragon in the most bombastic personality in combat sports history.
When Ospreay struts out with false swagger and forces out a cheap promo like the one aimed at Kazuchika Okada on Wrestle Kingdom 16's first night, it diminishes his case. Then, when he largely abandons the character in the pursuit of star ratings (something that seems exclusive to his NJPW work), he slides further. Transparently structuring matches for critical acclaim at the cost of character and story doesn't always make for compelling viewing.
But then you watch matches like Ospreay's repugnant heel triumph over Michael Oku and remember what a special wrestler he can be. This was all character, with only a handful of obviously giffable moments, focused on creating an incredible face/heel dynamic in a red hot room. It was Ospreay at his detestable best, and the high point in what has been a fantastic return to RevPro.
Toning down the McGregor-isms and finding more of his own voice would benefit Ospreay, though he is definitely trending in that direction. The Oku match was one of 2022's finest so far. In Britain, he feels bigger than the universe, and in Japan, too, his star continues to rise. So if the criticism in this column feels particularly strong, it comes in response to the lavish praise thrown his way. Ospreay is a phenomenal pro wrestler, albeit a flawed one.