Will Ospreay: "I’m Looking Forward to Continuing the Owen Hart Legacy"

Will Ospreay has expressed his excitement about continuing the legacy of the Owen Hart Cup, as he prepares to compete in the upcoming tournament at AEW Dynasty. In the first round, he will face Kevin Knight, marking another chapter in what he describes as a personal connection to the late Owen Hart.

This is not the first time Ospreay has felt a bond with Hart. He previously experienced a similar sentiment when he captured the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship in New Japan Pro Wrestling—a title Hart also held back in 1988.

Speaking to Sports Illustrated, Ospreay shared how special that moment was for him.

“The best thing about that (IWGP Jr. Heavyweight belt) is everyone that held it has their name on the belt, and I couldn’t believe how lucky I was that I had a piece of history that Owen Hart was a part of as well,” he said.

Ospreay, who has held the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Title three times since first winning it in 2017, emphasized the importance of carrying on Hart’s legacy through “The Owen” tournament.

“I remember being super grateful and just couldn’t believe how lucky I was to be in that same category of champions. I feel like the history behind ‘The Owen,’ it’s been pretty well-received. And I’m looking forward to continuing the legacy and putting on great showcase matches.”

In addition to his respect for Hart's in-ring work, Ospreay also finds inspiration in Hart’s life outside the ring. He sees similarities between their journeys, especially when it comes to balancing the demands of wrestling with being there for family.

“I watched a lot of the stuff from Japan, like his junior heavyweight stuff, and I just feel like he had a snap to him like no one else. And when I watch the documentaries or how much he was a family man and how much he loved his time,” Ospreay continued. “And I think that’s the thing that I respect the most about him, that he was always in a rush to try and get back to his family. That’s like, kind of the situation I’m in myself, flying always back and forth to the U.K.”

Ospreay’s full interview with Sports Illustrated is available now.

To coincide with Ospreay's appearance in the tournament, AEW aired archival footage of Owen Hart's time in NJPW during last night’s episode of Collision.

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