Will Ospreay has opened up about his return to the ring following neck surgery, emphasizing his desire to prove he remains one of the top performers in the industry.

Since coming back earlier this year at AEW Revolution, Ospreay has resumed a demanding schedule, including a high-profile match at AEW Dynasty where he was defeated by Jon Moxley.

Speaking with The Sportster, Ospreay discussed the mindset behind his return, particularly his goal to maintain the standard he set before his injury.

“For sure, man. Like, I mean, I set such a high volume of, like, pay-per-view standard and pay-per-view quality matches before I got hurt. I wanted to come back and still be able to reassure people that pay-per-view Billy Goat is still one of the best wrestlers in the world, and undeniably, like, I feel like I proved it once again. It’s super scary because it still doesn’t feel like my head. I’m still getting used to this new neck that I’ve got now. So it’s a test, but so far I feel like I’ve been able to do all the old things that I did beforehand.”

Ospreay also addressed the possibility of competing in this year’s Owen Hart Cup, noting that his current results may not guarantee him a spot despite reaching the final last year.

“I’m hoping that I qualify anyway, but I’ve had… four matches I think so far and like I’ve barely escaped with the wins and quite a lot of them. So I don’t know if I’ll be like in contention. Hopefully the fact that I was a finalist last year is enough to put me in there. But I need to start racking up some big wins because I know, I know like the the toll it’s taking on my body and I’m not meeting the mark and like not like getting the the big wins I need to get. So hopefully like this match with (Mark) Davis will change this Wednesday.”

Looking further ahead, Ospreay shared his thoughts on a potential AEW World Championship match at AEW All In, possibly against current champion Darby Allin.

“I know Darby doesn’t fear anything in this world, but I think nothing would scare him more than seeing however many British people chanting horrible things at him whilst I’m kicking the ever-loving shit out of him. That moment would be… I couldn’t put it into words because years ago when they first done that Wembley show, it didn’t seem like it was real and it didn’t seem like it was possible to especially fill it at the time, and I wasn’t even a part of the company back then. So the fact that I could never imagine what Wembley Stadium would look like, and now I’ve been in there, and I felt winning a championship in that venue, to win the most coveted prize in all pro wrestling, I think honestly it would just be one of those moments where I finally did something cool in my life that I can actually look back on and be proud about.”

Ospreay’s comments highlight both the physical challenges of returning from injury and his ongoing ambitions within AEW, as he looks to rebuild momentum and position himself for another major opportunity.

Will Ospreay Reflects on AEW Return After Neck Surgery, Eyes Future Goals

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WWE has released an official statement highlighting the success of WrestleMania 42, pointing to major milestones across attendance, revenue, and digital engagement.

According to the company, WrestleMania 42 became one of the highest-grossing events in WWE history, delivering record or near-record performances in multiple categories. These included gate revenue, sponsorships, merchandise sales, WWE World experiences, On Location VIP packages, and digital metrics.

The two-night event took place at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, drawing a combined attendance of 106,072 fans. WWE noted that tickets were purchased from all 50 U.S. states and more than 69 countries, reflecting the global reach of the event.

In-ring highlights included Roman Reigns defeating CM Punk to win the World Heavyweight Championship in the Sunday main event. The Saturday main event saw Cody Rhodes retain the Undisputed WWE Championship against Randy Orton, despite interference from Pat McAfee.

WWE also reported a record number of marketing partners for the event, with 32 brands involved. These included Snickers, 2K, Riyadh Season, DoorDash, Wingstop, PepsiCo, and Chumba Casino, among others.

Broadcast performance was also strong. WrestleMania Saturday was the most-viewed telecast of the year on ESPN2, while WrestleMania Sunday ranked as the most-viewed program of the weekend on ESPN.

The WWE World fan experience, held over five days in partnership with Fanatics, achieved all-time highs in paid experience sales. The event also featured a dedicated lounge for fans enrolled in the new Club WWE Gold membership program.

Digitally, WrestleMania 42 set a new benchmark with more than 1.3 billion views across WWE’s social platforms. That figure represents an 18 percent increase compared to WrestleMania 41, underscoring continued growth in online engagement.

Overall, WWE positioned WrestleMania 42 as a major commercial and global success, supported by strong attendance, sponsorship expansion, and record-setting digital reach.

WWE Touts WrestleMania 42 Success with Record Attendance and Revenue

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The fan‑related incidents that surfaced online during WrestleMania 42 weekend were only a small sample of what WWE talent experienced at the company‑assigned hotel, according to extensive reporting from Fightful. Wrestlers across all locker rooms described the situation as far more chaotic and intrusive than the public realized, with many expressing frustration at what they viewed as a lack of adequate security from WWE and TKO.

Fightful noted that when wrestlers were asked about hotel security, several responded with the same question: “What security?” The sentiment was nearly unanimous — talent believe WWE and TKO should provide on‑site security at major events, especially when performers are housed in a centralized location. While talent typically book their own hotels for most shows, WWE arranges accommodations for WrestleMania. Even so, multiple wrestlers chose to stay elsewhere specifically to avoid crowds of fans and autograph seekers, though doing so reportedly complicates WWE’s travel logistics.

WWE Talent Slam Security Issues at WrestleMania 42

The incidents that did become public represented only a fraction of what occurred. CM Punk knocked a fan’s phone away after the individual followed AJ Lee and Bayley into an elevator bank. Nearly every wrestler Fightful spoke to said the fan “had it coming,” with only one talent suggesting Punk should have handled it differently given his history. WWE sources do not expect legal action.

Other issues included Royce Keys asking a fan to respect his time, Booker T revealing that a fan filmed him in a bathroom — something multiple wrestlers privately echoed — and Seth Rollins nudging a fan who stepped directly into his path while he and Becky Lynch were walking through the hotel. Sean Waltman said he was physically assaulted and had a camera shoved in his face. Damian Priest confronted a fan who refused to respect the personal space of female wrestlers.

A WWE source also raised concerns about physical contact at Meet and Greets, noting that videos have surfaced of fans initiating unsolicited hugs with talent. The source encouraged fans to avoid physical contact unless invited, citing both comfort and health concerns.

Talent offered various theories on why the situation has escalated. One wrestler pointed to rising prices under TKO and Fanatics, suggesting that fans who can no longer afford official meet‑and‑greet access instead approach wrestlers in uncontrolled environments. “They charge inaccessible prices,” the wrestler said.

Others expressed frustration with fan behavior. Drew McIntyre said fans often use their children to pressure wrestlers into signing items, adding, “If we don’t, they put phones in our face and try to guilt trip us.” Another superstar offered a more resigned perspective: “It’s WrestleMania and there are wrestling fans in town. What do people expect?” A staff member joked that talent “should be allowed to superkick one annoying fan a day.”

One prominent women’s wrestler summarized the structural issue bluntly: “It’s Vegas, we were fed from the beginning. WWE never actually pre‑arranges good security. It’s like they wait until s*t happens, then they do damage control or add security. We love the personal security teams, and they did as much as they could, but hotel security was busy taking care of the problems you already have in Las Vegas.”

Across the board, talent agreed that the responsibility now falls on TKO and WWE — either provide proper security at major events or begin covering the cost for talent to hire their own.

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