Published: 3 seconds ago by Dave Adamson | Last Updated: 3 seconds ago by Dave Adamson
Dave has been a website writer for WrestleTalk since October 2022, having previously written for Den of Geek, among a number of wrestling, movie and television-related sites. Dave has been around the independent wrestling scene for more than a decade, including behind-the-scenes.
AEW
AEW All In: London saw Will Ospreay become World Champion at Wembley Stadium, with the star now sharing insight into his entrance video.
The August 31 match was the main event of AEW All In: London and the latest entry in the rivalry between Will Ospreay and Kenny Omega.
Speaking on Insight with Chris Van Vliet, Ospreay took the interviewer behind the scenes of the entrance video that played before the match, revealing some of the secrets that went into bringing it to life.
“The Most Emotional Thing”
Ospreay recounted how Nick Jackson of The Young Bucks had told him that he had rewatched the entrance, leading to the new AEW World Champion crying, saying:
“It was just probably one of the most emotional things that I could have ever come up with to walk through my past and to see all the people that got me to where I am now and to going into the future of what I wanted to be.”
The entrance video was narrated by Sue Ospreay, the mother of the AEW star, and captured her love for Will and what he has gone through to get to where he is today, playing over a backdrop of moments from his history.
“Rein It In A Little Bit”
Revealing that he asked Sue Ospreay to do the narration while they were in Orlando, with his mother setting about writing what she would say, the AEW star said that he first heard it “the night of”, leading to some changes to the delivery.
Reflecting on his mother’s theater background, Ospreay asked her to alter her narration from sounding like she was speaking at a town hall meeting to being a personal message to her son.
Baba O’Riley Wasn’t The Original Idea
With the entrance video featuring The Who’s Baba O’Riley, it certainly set the scene for the visuals with the “teenage wasteland” vibe. The track, however, wasn’t the one that Ospreay originally had in mind, explaining that “we just couldn’t get a license fee for it.”
Ospreay wouldn’t reveal which track could have been the one, hinting that he may try to source it at a later date.
“This Is It. Don’t Change A Thing”
Initially unsure about using Baba O’Riley, a track that was the idea of Mike Mansury, one of AEW’s lead producers, Ospreay would reveal that his preferred choice got his “juices flowing.”
He would reveal that it was only when he heard the voiceover provided by his mother in conjunction with the footage from across his career that he realized: “This is perfect. This is it. Don’t change a thing.”
The Inspiration Came From Forbidden Door
AEW Forbidden Door in August of last year saw Will Ospreay at The O2 Arena with an entrance video that would be narrated by Alex Windsor.
Reflecting on that moment, Ospreay looked back at wanting to do something “real cool” for his entrance at the show and how he didn’t realize his wife had done the voiceover.
With Ospreay admitting that “it was scary going into a steel cage match, knowing that I needed neck surgery, and I was just so worried”, it was the line from Windsor where she says, “If you’re not afraid of what’s next, neither am I” that hit the Aerial Assassin hard, lifting his spirits.
The inspiration led to the All In: London video, allowing Ospreay to show his mother how much she meant to him over the years and making her a part of an iconic entrance.
Capturing Lightning In A Bottle Twice
A narrated entrance could be seen in a negative light, particularly with the criticism that some shows, matches and stars face, yet Will Ospreay has managed to deliver two poignant videos along a similar theme, reminding fans and himself of the star that he is and the journey he has taken.
With Mike Mansury being a guiding light on the most recent, the emotion that Ospreay felt came through in the video itself, leading to over 1.5m views on YouTube alone.
To make sure you stay up to date with all the biggest wrestling and WrestleTalk news, follow us on Threads by clicking this link!
mailing list