Will Ospreay is scheduled to have neck surgery “in a few weeks,” according to a new report in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter. The procedure is intended to repair herniated discs, an injury he has been working through for the past month. Ospreay is expected to miss a considerable amount of time for recovery.
The AEW star recently spoke about his condition before his hiatus.
“I am compromised, I’ve got a few herniated discs pushing against my spinal cord, which is affecting a couple of my nerves,” Ospreay stated. “But, I can do stuff and I can perform one last time before I need to go get it all corrected.”
Ospreay’s last match was in the main event of AEW x NJPW: Forbidden Door on August 24. He competed in and won a ten-man Lights Out Steel Cage match.
Following the bout, Jon Moxley and Claudio Castagnoli of the Death Riders executed a planned attack on Ospreay. The assault, which saw them stomp a steel chair onto his neck, serves as the on-screen explanation for his absence.
The legitimate injury involves two herniated discs, at C2 and C6, pressing against his spinal cord. The damage was initially discovered via an MRI following an attack by the Death Riders at the All In: Texas pay-per-view in July.
The injury’s severity has prompted outreach from talent across the wrestling industry. Wrestlers who have recovered from similar neck surgeries, including Adam Copeland and Bryan Danielson, have offered Ospreay their support and advice.