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After eight years in New Japan Pro-Wrestling, Will Ospreay signed up with AEW earlier this year, quickly becoming a top star in the company. On Sunday, during AEW’s flagship All In pay-per-view, Ospreay captured the International Championship, but also debuted brand-new gear and entrance as a tie-in for the upcoming Assassin’s Creed: Shadows game.
Ubisoft made Ospreay an official ambassador for the game, even having Roger Craig Smith reprise his role as Ezio Auditore da Firenze, narrating Ospreay’s own story as part of his entrance for his match. The wrestler’s infatuation with the series is well known to fans, with Ospreay donning the top hat and hidden blade of Jacob Frye this past January at New Japan’s Wrestle Kingdom event. Ospreay explained that working with Ubisoft in an official capacity was a dream come true as he’s been made an ambassador for the game.
“I’ve got an amazing team. One of my guys, [media coordinator] Farbod [Esnaashari] put me in contact with Ubisoft at the beginning of the year with Wrestle Kingdom in New Japan to do the Jacob Frye entrance,” Ospreay told GameSpot. “This year they were so stoked with how that went down, right? They were as happy as Larry and it just culminated to be like we’re doing Shadows, which is obviously based in Japan. With my story and my history in Japan, it was almost like I was the perfect candidate to promote this game coming out. So it was just a perfect combination and my team sorted this out and made it so easy to communicate with Ubisoft to be an amazing ambassador for Shadows to be released later this year.”
Given his now-official status as an Assassin, thanks to Ubisoft, Ospreay went one further and named his own Assassin Brotherhood, consisting of his fellow wrestlers.
“I mean, I’m gonna say Kyle Fletcher and Mark Davis, just because they’re obviously my boys right there. Callum Newman over in New Japan right now. I would go with Gisele Shaw. She’s so sick and I’ve always had a great relationship with her. Let’s do one more,” he quickly pauses. “Let’s do Pac, as well. Love Pac.”
Ospreay has only been with AEW full-time since February, but had to adapt to a completely different schedule as it was the first time he was taking part in weekly live TV airings, something he wasn’t prepared for at the time. What’s more, as a top AEW talent, he’s done a number of media appearances and even attended San Diego Comic-Con to support the company in July.
“No one can ever prepare you for being on live national TV and the American audience takes to you so well. But I guess this is what happens when you show up to work with a big smile on your face and willing to do whatever it takes to get the train rolling and just show people your love and enthusiasm for wrestling,” he said. “This is something that I’ve just, I’ve always wanted to really stretch out for, but I’ve never thought was ever possible. So just the fact that everyone’s taken to me so well, I’m just grateful, dude. I’m really surprised that I adapted so well to it. People think I have, but I always have doubts about myself, you know? I mean I always want to make sure that I’m pleasing everyone and doing things the right way, but everything’s been going really well.”
Another aspect of his AEW career is getting his own action figures. Over the weekend Ospreay’s second figure for AEW was revealed with him outfitted with his All In gear from 2023, which almost instantly sold out. Now his sights are set on another figure–in his Assassin’s Creed: Shadows-inspired gear.
“I feel like that’s gotta be on the table. I mean, after, what we’re gonna do here in Wembley like, dude, this costume that I’ve got takes my breath away. I want to shout out Airhead Diva Sarinah, my costume designer. She designs all my jackets, and she has truly outdone herself this time. So if Ubisoft wanted to do like, a little action figure with this one, oh my God, it would be completely breathtaking.”
As for playing Assassin’s Creed: Shadows when it launches, Ospreay is quick to admit he doesn’t have nearly as much time for video games these days, given he’s a dad who travels regularly from his home in the UK to AEW’s shows in the United States. But he’ll still be finding time for his favorite video game franchise.
“Honestly, like, I don’t hardly have that much time to game at all. But like, when I do it, I’m normally playing with my five-year-old son. So he’s been playing Spyro. He loves all the little Lego superhero games. I try every now and again to sneak [Assassin’s Creed] Mirage in when he’s not around because I can’t play it in front of him, you know what I mean?” he said. “But when Shadows does come out, I need some me time to decide when I can play that game.”
Other than being an unapologetic video game and wrestling fan, Ospreay is also unapologetically English. He recently posted an Instagram story showcasing British wrestlers like Robbie X and his friend, current RevPro Champion Michael Oku where he celebrated the stars of the British wrestling scene, which he still very closely identifies with.
“Man, British wrestling means so much just because we are not as promoted in the wrestling sphere as what America is, as what Canada is, or Japan is, or even Mexico. Wrestling in England is always treated like a night out, but the talent is undeniable, man,” he said. “Every single person that I put on that photo is changing the game and is leagues and leagues above what a lot of people would consider ‘game-changers’ in wrestling. I do believe that everybody who has come from that island that is in that photo rivals whoever you guys think are the top wrestlers in the world.”
He continued with how proud he is of his country and thankful for AEW to give British fans a chance to see this kind of show on their home turf. “I’m proud of my country. I’m proud of every single milestone that we’ve done and everything we’ve enjoyed. I’m proud of our fan base for voicing how much they want pro wrestling to be here and I’m so proud of AEW for giving British wrestling fans an opportunity to celebrate wrestling over here.”
Image Credit: Farbod Esnaashari
