He feels he’s matured a lot and wants to lead by example.
Will Ospreay is in the midst of his 12th year as a pro wrestler. He is signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling and in addition to his dates there, he competes for RevPro and recently returned to PROGRESS Wrestling.
As Ospreay was talking to Chris Van Vliet, he opened up about the mistakes he’s made in the past and feeling that he’s matured. Ospreay added that he never wanted to let the fans down, but realizes he’s put his ‘foot in it’ with a lot of fans. He said there’s no one who feels they’ve let their country down more than him.
The former IWGP World Heavyweight Champion wants to rehash his image. He then touched on the upcoming match between himself and Shingo Takagi at Revolution Pro Wrestling’s Copper Box Arena show.
I don’t know when to shut my mouth. I’ve noticed that has come from growing up now… I’ve never been good, like, keeping my opinion to myself. And I think that comes with the A.D.H.D. and being like, little bit, I swear man, like, I need to f*cking get round to the doctors about, I swear man. I definitely am on a spectrum for f*cking autism. Because I don’t realize people’s feelings when I f*cking said shit. And it’s only now like growing up and I never will, I won’t put it out to be like, I’m in a position now of f*cking responsibility. So now I am aware of sh*t more. I’m aware, I need to f*cking… I feel like I have let people down. And that I need to rehash my image a little bit… There are certain things I will stand by to the day I f*cking die. But, there are things where I know I’ve made mistakes and it’s no one’s fault other than my own. I’ll put myself into those mistakes. But, I’m doing everything I can to remedy those mistakes and fix everything just because like, this (is) my mom’s side of me. I mean, mom has been like, she’d be nice to everyone… I am doing my best, because I realize, I’ve put my foot in it with a lot of fans and I never wanted to let (them) down. No one feels like they’ve let down my country more than me, so now trying to really do a better job with this and to really not only fly the flag for my country because like, it’s in tatters. It was and now it’s coming back out. We’re about to do the Copper Box Arena and it’s going to be me and Shingo (Takagi) again. But, I want to be almost like — I hate the word ‘leader’, I really do. But, I want to lead by example. So, it’s just one of those things where, I’ve matured a lot. I’ve grown up a lot, and it does come from when you come into wrestling, whatever age that you came out. They say that your age freezes a little bit, so your mentality doesn’t change because this isn’t a normal life. This is not a normal life. Even hanging out with his school friends. They know he’s still doing that wrestling thing and it’s one of those things where they’ll never understand it. There’s people watching your every f*cking move and every word that you say, they try and twist things now and I didn’t understand that. I almost use social media as a f*cking diary. Like no, you lie. I should have kept a lot of these things (to) myself and realize a lot of f*cking people’s feelings, a lot of people’s support towards you (is) on the line. And I feel like I have dampened that so I am doing f*cking everything in my power to just rehash because once again, there’s a lot of responsibility at home now. And I want to do the best job I physically can.
Continuing on the topic of the maturity Ospreay brought up, he said a higher-up from New Japan Pro-Wrestling mentioned to him that he has not gotten into any trouble recently and that meant a lot to Will.
A guy who was a higher-up in New Japan has been like, ‘You haven’t got yourself in any trouble recently. Well done.’ But like, I know it is funny, but that actually kind of means a lot to me. No one feels I’ve let down not only my roster, like the team, like the country like I do. I feel sometimes I have been just so immature about how I’ve handled this, and it’s an immature industry, it’s so immature. But half the time we are naked, oiling each other up, rubbing fake tan fade out every now and again. He was like, ‘All the boys are going, ugh!’ I mean it’s a such an immature industry. So now realizing where I am or who I am or what I want to achieve and everything in between, (I really want to do) the best job I can now.
Ospreay’s contract with New Japan expires in February 2024 and he’s publicly stated that he’s ‘fairly positive’ he’ll work out a new deal with the company.
