30-Year-AEW Star and Seth Rollins’ Fantasy Opponent Now Shares a ‘Wealthy’ Similarity With a Prime WCW Hulk Hogan

Tony Khan successfully lured another massive talent to his rather crowded roster by offering him a fat paycheck. Staying true to his business moves, the AEW head honcho played the stroke right before WWE could even set the wheels rolling in motion to give it a thought. The star in question is, however, none other than the prized NPJW star Will Ospreay.

After Khan made the huge tease to bring new members to the business at AEW Full Gear, Ospreay turned out to be the man. The Aerial Assassin is finally ‘All Elite’. Let’s delve deep into the nature of his newest contract.

Will Ospreay finally turned ALL Elite, bearing a similarity to Hulk Hogan’s 1994s move

As per the latest report by Fightful Select, the 30-year-old is now officially an asset of Tony Khan’s court and the timeline of the deal will stretch over three years.

But there’s a slight odd to the equation. Ospreay is still under his NPJW contract and it will remain active until 2024. So, technically, it should be impossible for him to pen a deal with a new promotion. However, the reports later revealed that, given the good relationship between AEW and NPJW, he was allowed to continue with his NPJW endeavors till the end of his contract, even after confirming his status as an official AEW star.

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Moving ahead, Ospreay’s AEW move resembles WWE Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan’s decision to snub WWE for a seven-digit paycheck from WCW in 1993. However, he later reverted to his old wrestling home again.

But in the case of the newest AEW product, the only difference is he never dipped his feet in the Stanford-based company, unlike Hogan.

Why did Ospreay opt to choose AEW instead of WWE? 

The news of the availability of the hottest free agent in town prompted WWE to assess their options. Several rumors suggested that the promotion had set the wheels in motion to sign the established NPJW talent ever since his contract expiration loomed large. But it was Ospreay who outright rejected their offer, gearing up his AEW alliance.

But what was his motivation to bypass WWE, the pinnacle of the wrestling world, in favor of AEW? Well, the reasons go beyond the mere monetary gain or any other wrestling-related motives. Citing the reason, the AEW star revealed during a recent interview that his decision to let the WWE opportunity slip off his hand was due to his familial priorities.

He noted that the mandatory relocation to the United States was a primary concern for him. An upheaval would affect his stability and familial bonds to a great extent. In fact, settling full-time in America didn’t appeal much to him despite the increased monetary and professional benefits at play. Despite having to perform for AEW, it is understood that the NJPW star would be able to stay in the UK as part of his deal with the Florida-based promotion.

Now, we need to see how things pan out for him in AEW down the line. What’s your take on the recently revealed contract nature of the AEW signee Will Ospreay? Sound off in the comments.

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