Will Ospreay entered AEW All In: London with the weight of a career-defining opportunity on his shoulders, but the eventual AEW World Champion has revealed that he was not fully confident about how he would be received on the road to Wembley Stadium.
Speaking on Insight with Chris Van Vliet, Ospreay reflected on the uncertainty that surrounded his path to the AEW World Championship. The victory in London placed “The Aerial Assassin” at the top of the company in front of a home-country audience, yet he says the build to that landmark moment was not free of anxiety. In particular, a crowd reaction in Glasgow caused him to briefly fear that the support he expected from fans in the United Kingdom might not materialize.
“I had doubt in myself. There were so many, like, hiccups along the way,” Ospreay said.
Ospreay identified a promotional appearance in Glasgow shortly before All In as the incident that sharpened those doubts. As part of the crowd interaction before the segment began, his name was mentioned in a discussion of wrestlers, and Ospreay says he heard boos from the audience. While the England-Scotland sporting and cultural rivalry was an understandable factor, it still left him uneasy heading into the largest match of his AEW career.
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“There was a promo that I’d done in Glasgow. And it was... right before All In,” Ospreay recalled. “And just before they started doing it, they started doing, like, the ‘Oh, what do you think of this wrestler?’ And they said, ‘Ospreay,’ I’m not even joking, I heard boos.”
For Ospreay, the reaction carried added meaning because he has consistently framed himself as a British wrestler rather than solely an English one. He understood the friction that can exist between England and Scotland, but he did not want that rivalry to become part of the response to his championship pursuit.
“Between England and Scotland, there is heat. But like, I’ve never said I’m an English wrestler. I’ve always said I’m a British wrestler,” Ospreay said. “I said, ‘Please don’t boo...’ Thankfully, they cheered, and we just, we ended up riffraff between us.”
A Moment of Doubt Before Wembley
The Glasgow exchange did not derail Ospreay’s momentum, but it illustrates how unsettled the atmosphere felt to him before All In: London. Wrestlers can enter a major homecoming match with an assumption that the crowd will naturally be behind them. Ospreay’s account makes clear that he did not allow himself that certainty.
Instead, he carried the concern that even a small shift in crowd sentiment could affect a night that had enormous personal and professional importance. All In: London was not simply another arena appearance for Ospreay. It was an opportunity to win AEW’s top prize in front of a massive audience in his home country, following a journey marked by setbacks and what he described as “hiccups.”
The reaction in Glasgow also showed the distinction Ospreay draws when speaking about his identity. His explanation was not an attempt to deny the rivalry between the two nations. Rather, it was a reminder that he has presented his accomplishments as representing Britain as a whole. That made the possibility of boos feel especially concerning in the final stretch before Wembley.
Ultimately, the crowd did respond positively after Ospreay voiced his concern, and the segment settled into the kind of back-and-forth he described as “riffraff.” That resolution mattered. A potentially uncomfortable moment became one in which Ospreay and the audience found common ground, allowing his All In build to continue toward its intended destination.
The Kenny Omega Standard
Ospreay acknowledged that the Glasgow promo was not among the strongest of his career. Still, he believes the central point of the message landed: he was no longer content merely to be seen as Kenny Omega’s equal.
That idea was an important statement of ambition. Omega has long stood as a defining standard for elite in-ring performance in AEW, and Ospreay’s history with him made any comparison significant. For Ospreay, however, the goal was not simply parity. The objective was to move beyond the comparison and establish his own position at the head of the company.
Winning the AEW World Championship at All In: London gave that ambition a powerful result. Ospreay can now look at Omega from a different place in the company’s hierarchy, with the championship around his waist and the responsibility of leading AEW’s title picture in front of him.
That does not mean the questions surrounding him have disappeared. A world championship win can validate a wrestler’s ascent, but it also changes the nature of the pressure. Before All In, Ospreay was trying to prove that he belonged at the very top. After All In, he must show that he can carry the position against every challenger who believes the title should be theirs.
The concern he felt in Glasgow is revealing in that regard. Ospreay’s honesty about self-doubt does not diminish the scale of his achievement; it underlines the stakes he attached to it. The final result at Wembley Stadium was a championship celebration, but his recollection of the lead-up demonstrates that he did not experience the road there as inevitable.
Jon Moxley Awaits at All Out
Ospreay’s first major challenge as AEW World Champion will come later this month at All Out in Chicago, where he is scheduled to defend the title against Jon Moxley.
The matchup presents a particularly meaningful test because of Ospreay’s relationship with Moxley. Ospreay noted that Moxley was the man who helped revive his career after neck surgery, adding personal history to an already high-stakes championship encounter. Moxley is also a former four-time World Champion, making him one of the most accomplished opponents Ospreay could face as he begins his reign.
Chicago will offer a dramatically different environment from Wembley Stadium. At All In: London, Ospreay competed in the country he has proudly identified with throughout his career. At All Out, he will defend against an established former champion in a city far from that home-country backdrop. The atmosphere will not carry the same symbolism as Wembley, but the challenge may be even more direct: prove that the title victory was the beginning of a lasting championship run rather than the conclusion of a single emotional night.
Moxley’s place in Ospreay’s story gives the contest another layer. The champion’s comments suggest gratitude and recognition toward the man who aided him during an important point after neck surgery. Yet respect will have to give way to competition once the AEW World Championship is at stake. Ospreay’s reign will be tested by someone who has already held world-title status repeatedly and understands the demands attached to being the person every contender is chasing.
For Ospreay, the path from Glasgow uncertainty to Wembley triumph was shaped by doubt, aspiration, and the desire to surpass the standard represented by Omega. His next destination is Chicago, where Moxley stands ready to challenge both his championship credentials and his ability to sustain the momentum created at All In.
The fears Ospreay felt before London were answered by the reception and result he received at Wembley Stadium. The next question is no longer whether he can reach AEW’s summit. As champion, the question is whether he can remain there when one of the company’s most proven former World Champions comes for the title at All Out.
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Darryl Polo
Darryl Polo is a passionate wrestling fan covering WWE, AEW, TNA and beyond. He loves great rivalries, breakout stars and the moments that keep fans talking long after the bell. How we work.