In a recent development, Will Ospreay has validated that AEW considered several possible directions for the World Championship picture heading into All In 2026 before ultimately settling on his highly anticipated showdown with Kenny Omega.
Ahead of his AEW World Championship opportunity against Omega at All In, Ospreay spoke with Scott Fishman of TV Insider about the road to the pay-per-view main pay-per-view.
Fishman asked whether there had been discussions about going in another direction, including potential matches involving MJF or Jon Moxley.
Fishman: “Kenny Omega will be your opponent at All In. Notably, you have this built-in history, but there was a point where it could have gone a different way. Building on that, we could have seen you versus MJF or even Jon Moxley. Maybe even a triple threat of some sort. To add further context, was there even discussion about it could go in another direction? What are your thoughts on how things unfolded?”
Ospreay validated that alternative possibilities were discussed but is confident that putting him against Omega was ultimately the most natural choice.
Ospreay: “There were definitely discussions that it could go into different directions. On the flip side I feel like the natural and the right choice was to go with myself and Kenny because we’ve been preaching to the world that this is where the best wrestle. Myself and Kenny are two of the most influential wrestlers in the closing decade. It's worth noting that i’ve seen it in terms of our matches, and in terms of, like, the people that have followed in our footsteps. I can see guys like Callum Newman and Nick Wayne.. Meanwhile, People who took inspiration from Kenny.”
Ospreay believes the clash represents an opportunity for two of the most influential performers of their generation to determine who is truly the better grappler on one of AEW’s biggest stages.
He in addition reflected on the different stories AEW has presented in previous All In main events, from the relationship between MJF and Adam Cole to Bryan Danielson’s championship clash with Swerve Strickland and Hangman Page’s battle with Jon Moxley.
It was more to engage the audience a certain way rather than a full sports contest. It served its purpose. As an added layer to this, then it was the crowning of the greatest wrestlers who ever did it, Bryan Danielson against Swerve Strickland, and the story that they told there. Along those lines, then it was the guts and the drive from Hangman Page to try and strip away Moxley’s briefcase to reveal the AEW World Strap. Notably, this match, to me, two of the greatest wrestlers of this generation going head-to-head and at final finding out which one is the best.”
Ospreay: “To be able to put on an All In main pay-per-view like that. You look at all the All In main events.. Meanwhile, You look at the MJF and Adam Cole clash. That was kind of more humorous leading in than a sporting contest.
Ospreay and Omega already share considerable history, with their previous encounters earning widespread acclaim and helping establish their competitive tension as one of the most celebrated of the modern era.
For Ospreay, be that as it may, their All In meeting carries a different significance. Rather than simply adding another chapter to their battle, he views the AEW World Strap battle as the opportunity to settle the question of who stands above the other as the best competitor of their generation.