Will Ospreay wins Owen Hart Tournament match, vows to carry AEW to top

NEW YORK – Will Ospreay was able to live out his “dream match” on Sunday night at All Elite Wrestling (AEW)’s Double or Nothing pay-per-view in New York.

Ospreay squared off against Samoa Joe in the first round of the Owen Hart Men’s Tournament. The winner of the tournament will earn an AEW World Championship shot at All In – AEW’s premiere event of the year – at Wembley Stadium in England.

ZERO BS. JUST DAKICH. TAKE THE DON’T @ ME PODCAST ON THE ROAD. DOWNLOAD NOW!

Will Ospreay defeated Samoa Joe in a wrestling match at AEW Double or Nothing in Queens, N.Y., on May 24, 2026. (Lee South/AEW)

He started the match with an OsCutter, catching Joe off guard. The two battled their way through the match but it was Ospreay who hit Joe with multiple Hidden Blades to get the win. The “Aerial Assassin” was asked about his ability to carry AEW on his shoulders and become the face of the company should he win the Owen and take the title later this year.

“It’s because I have that confidence and that belief I can carry those three letters,” he said at the post-show scrum. “The middle letter, ‘E,’ that’s the standard, mate – elite. When everybody talks about elite pro wrestling, there is no one better on this planet. I believe that with my heart. I believe that with my soul.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

Samoa Joe and Will Ospreay compete in a wrestling match at AEW Double or Nothing in Queens, N.Y., on May 24, 2026. (Lee South/AEW)

“I know what I’m capable of. I know what I can do. This place, the motto, and it gets said over and over again, ‘this is where the best wrestle.’ No, mate. This is where the ‘Billy Goat’ wrestles. And I’m ready more than ever to take that top spot and to take AEW to new heights.”

Ospreay said he has dreamed about performing at Wembley Stadium as a pro wrestler while his schoolmates were dreaming of becoming soccer players.

He had battled back through a neck injury and worked out with the Death Riders to turn into the weapon he once was. The entire situation miffed Joe, which culminated in a match at Double or Nothing.

Ospreay will either face Mark Davis or Jack Perry in the semifinals. On the other side of the men’s bracket, Swerve Strickland defeated Bandido at Double or Nothing. He will either face Claudio Castagnoli or Brody King in the semis.

Will Ospreay competes in the ring during AEW Dynamite at the Petersen Events Center in Pittsburgh, Pa., on Oct. 2, 2024. (Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire)

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

The finals of the Owen Cup will be held at Forbidden Door on June 28.