Will Ospreay Opens Up About Fears Following Neck Fusion Surgery

Will Ospreay was fearful ahead of his return to in-ring action for AEW.

All Elite Wrestling has released the second episode of Rebuild & Destroy, with the latest instalment following the Aerial Assassin as he works through his recovery while grappling with the fear that he may not return at 100%. Early in the video, Ospreay showed off an admittedly embarrassing-looking device he was using to help work out his neck.

Ospreay also opened up about his biggest fear following surgery, admitting that he worried his level could drop when he eventually returned to the ring. He then explained how he learned to cope with those concerns.

“I am genuinely scared of coming back and being even 50% of what I once was, — As long as at the end of it I’m still a decent dad, a decent lover, and just a decent human being, that’s the main things. But the thing that gets me up and the thing that makes me happy to be alive and happy to do what I’m doing is knowing that I can wrestle again.”

-Will Ospreay

He further admitted that it took his eight years in New Japan Pro-Wrestling to build the confidence required to do what he does best: wrestle. However, the surgery had caused him to lose some of that confidence, having seen other wrestlers sidelined by the same procedure in the past. While medical treatment has evolved since those surgeries, Ospreay acknowledged that there was still a chance he would not return at 100%.

Another notable moment in the video comes when Ospreay reacts to learning that his post-surgery scans looked “pristine”, meaning he would be cleared to wrestle again. That moment ultimately became a reality, with Ospreay now less than 10 days away from main eventing All In: London with the chance to win the AEW World Championship. Should he capture the title, the emotional reaction could be similar to what was seen in the video, especially given that such a moment appeared out of reach less than a year ago.

You can find more on the latest AEW news here.

As always, we’ll aim to provide any further updates on future plans for Will Ospreay as soon as we hear more.

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