All Elite Wrestling officially announced Wednesday that Will Ospreay will be out of action indefinitely. The company confirmed the hiatus is for Ospreay to undergo neck surgery for a pre-existing injury, with no specific timeline established for his return.
Ospreay was written off television at Forbidden Door on August 24th following a brutal post-match assault. After his team won the Lights Out Steel Cage main event in his home country, Ospreay was trapped in the ring by Jon Moxley and Claudio Castagnoli. The Death Riders members delivered multiple DDTs before wrapping a steel chair around his neck and stomping on it. The show concluded with Ospreay being fitted with a neck brace and taken out on a stretcher.
The on-screen attack was orchestrated to explain a necessary absence for a legitimate medical issue. According to a report from Mike Johnson of PWInsider, Ospreay is scheduled for surgery in the near future to address two herniated discs. The recovery could potentially sideline the 32-year-old star for an extended period, with some reports suggesting up to 14 months.
The main event at Forbidden Door was stipulated as an unsanctioned “Lights Out” match specifically because AEW officials had not medically cleared Ospreay to compete due to the injury, placing the liability on the performer.
In an interview before the event, Ospreay admitted to being “terrified” about the upcoming procedure, his first major surgery. He expressed concern that he might not return as the same performer, stating, “When I heard what procedure I’ll be doing, I heard other wrestlers have had this, and they haven’t come back the same.”
To cope with the mental strain, Ospreay has sought advice from fellow AEW wrestler Adam Copeland, who famously returned from a career-ending neck injury. Ospreay also revealed that multiple people from WWE have reached out to offer medical guidance and support. He described the gestures from the rival promotion as “super lovely.”