This is where the Billy Goat wrestles, and I'm ready to take that top spot.
In the long tradition of athletes who carry their childhood dreams into the arena, Will Ospreay emerged from AEW's Double or Nothing in New York having defeated Samoa Joe and moved one step closer to wrestling at Wembley Stadium — the same ground where, as an English boy, he once dared to imagine himself a professional wrestler. The Owen Hart Tournament offers more than a trophy; it offers a world championship match at All In, and with it, the rare convergence of personal myth and professional ambition. Ospreay's journey back from injury, through reinvention, now bends toward a single question: can one man become the face of a company on the grandest stage it has ever offered?
- Ospreay dispatched Samoa Joe with ruthless efficiency — multiple Hidden Blades, no ambiguity, a statement made in front of a New York crowd.
- The stakes are not merely a tournament bracket; the winner earns a world title shot at Wembley, a venue that holds the weight of Ospreay's entire childhood dream.
- When asked directly if he could carry AEW as its top star, Ospreay didn't deflect — he invoked the word 'elite' and declared himself the best professional wrestler on the planet.
- A neck injury, a rebuilding period with the Death Riders, and a rivalry with a frustrated Samoa Joe all converge into this moment of momentum.
- The semifinals pit Ospreay against either Mark Davis or Jack Perry, with the tournament finals set for Forbidden Door on June 28 — the last gate before Wembley.
Will Ospreay left AEW's Double or Nothing in New York on Sunday night with a first-round tournament victory and something rarer — a clear line of sight to the dream he has carried since childhood. He defeated Samoa Joe in the opening round of the Owen Hart Men's Tournament, finishing the match with a series of Hidden Blades that left no doubt. It was a contest Ospreay had long wanted, and he got everything he needed from it.
What makes the victory matter beyond the moment is what it unlocks. The Owen Hart Tournament winner earns a world championship match at All In, held this year at Wembley Stadium in London. For most wrestlers, Wembley is a prestigious venue. For Ospreay, who grew up in England dreaming of performing there while his classmates dreamed of football, it is something closer to a life's purpose made tangible.
At the post-match press scrum, Ospreay was asked plainly whether he could be the face of AEW. He answered without hesitation, pointing to what the letter 'E' in the company's name stands for — elite — and declaring himself the finest professional wrestler anywhere in the world. The confidence wasn't bluster; it was the voice of someone who had fought back from a serious neck injury, rebuilt himself through training with the Death Riders, and earned the right to speak that way.
The road ahead runs through either Mark Davis or Jack Perry in the semifinals, with the tournament finals scheduled for Forbidden Door on June 28. Ospreay has made his intentions plain. He is not managing expectations or softening his ambitions. He believes the tournament, the title, and Wembley are his — and he intends to prove it.
Will Ospreay walked out of AEW's Double or Nothing event in New York on Sunday night with his hand raised and a clear path forward. He had just dispatched Samoa Joe in the first round of the Owen Hart Men's Tournament, a victory that came with the kind of finality Ospreay had been chasing—multiple Hidden Blades, his signature move, sent Joe to the mat for the final time. The match was everything Ospreay had wanted it to be: a dream realized against an opponent he'd long wanted to face.
But the real prize wasn't the win itself. It was what came next. The Owen Hart Tournament winner earns a shot at the AEW World Championship at All In, the company's flagship event, held this year at Wembley Stadium in London. For Ospreay, that venue carries weight beyond the usual wrestling significance. As a kid in England, while his classmates dreamed of playing soccer at Wembley, he dreamed of wrestling there as a professional. Now that dream sits one tournament away from reality.
At the post-show scrum, Ospreay was asked whether he believed he could carry AEW on his shoulders—whether he could be the face of the company if he won the tournament and then the title. His answer was unequivocal. He spoke about the letters in AEW's name, about what the "E" stands for: elite. He said there was no one better at elite professional wrestling anywhere on the planet, and he meant it. He'd earned the right to say it. He'd fought back from a neck injury, trained with the Death Riders to rebuild himself into the weapon he once was. The path had been hard. Samoa Joe had been frustrated by Ospreay's resurgence, frustrated enough that Sunday's match was the culmination of that tension.
Ospreay's next opponent will come from the other side of the bracket—either Mark Davis or Jack Perry, depending on how the semifinals shake out. On the women's side, Swerve Strickland has already advanced, defeating Bandido at Double or Nothing. The tournament structure means Ospreay could face either Claudio Castagnoli or Brody King in his semifinal, depending on how those matches fall.
The finals are set for June 28 at Forbidden Door, AEW's next major event. That's when the tournament winner will be crowned, when the path to Wembley becomes a certainty. Ospreay has made clear he intends to be standing at the end of it. He's not hedging, not being polite about his chances. He believes he's the best wrestler on the planet, and he's ready to prove it on the biggest stage AEW can offer.
Notable Quotes
When everybody talks about elite pro wrestling, there is no one better on this planet. I believe that with my heart. I believe that with my soul.— Will Ospreay, post-match at Double or Nothing
The Hearth Conversation Another angle on the story
What made the Samoa Joe match feel like a dream for him?
Joe is a legend—one of the few wrestlers who can legitimately claim to have done everything at the highest level. For someone like Ospreay, who's spent his career chasing that same status, facing Joe isn't just a match. It's validation.
And the injury he came back from—how serious was that?
A neck injury in professional wrestling is never minor. It's the kind of thing that ends careers. The fact that he came back and is now talking about carrying an entire company says something about his resilience, but also about how much he wanted this.
Why does Wembley matter so much to him specifically?
Because it's home. Most wrestlers dream of performing in front of massive crowds anywhere. Ospreay dreamed of doing it in the place where he grew up, where he watched others achieve their dreams in different sports. That's personal in a way most wrestling stories aren't.
Is his confidence justified, or is he just talking?
He backed it up against Joe. But the real test is what comes next—the semifinals, the finals, and then the championship match itself. Confidence without results is just noise. He knows that.
What's the significance of the Death Riders training?
It's a signal that he's not just recovered—he's evolved. He's learned from people who operate at the absolute top level. He's not the same wrestler who got injured. He's supposedly better.