Tony Khan has provided an update on Will Ospreay’s return to AEW.
The Aerial Assassin has been out of action since AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door. Ospreay was part of the Lights Out Steel Cage main event, which ended with Hiroshi Tanahashi hitting Matt Jackson with the High Fly Flow to score the win.
After the match, Claudio Castagnoli and Jon Moxley locked Will Ospreay inside the cage and delivered a brutal beatdown. Ospreay took multiple Paradigm Shifts from Moxley before being stomped while his neck was trapped inside a steel chair, writing him off television.
The angle was done so Ospreay could undergo neck surgery to repair several herniated discs pressing against his spinal cord. He successfully went under the knife in September and has since been under the care of the Body Alignment Clinic.
Tony Khan on Will Ospreay’s AEW return
Ospreay’s clinic previously stated they were targeting January 2026 for his return to AEW television, but a new update from Tony Khan suggests a revised timetable. During a recent appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show, Khan said he is hoping to see Ospreay return in the first half of 2026.
“Will Ospreay is somebody I’m glad you asked about. He’s recovering from the injury, I talk to him regularly,” Tony Khan said. “He’s doing better. It’s a neck (issue), and I think he’s been pretty open about it. So I don’t want to talk out of turn about somebody’s injuries, but Will’s been pretty open that he’s on the recovery, he’s on the mend.
“He really appreciates the support from all the fans around the world and Will Ospreay’s going to be back in AEW, I think, hopefully earlier next year. I can’t say exactly when, but it’ll be next year. And I hope it’ll be in the first half of next year.”
Tony Khan praises Will Ospreay’s contributions to AEW
Earlier in the interview, Tony Khan praised Will Ospreay for his in-ring work, referring to his match with “Hangman” Adam Page in the Owen Hart Men’s Tournament Final at AEW Double or Nothing 2025 as a great main event.
“Boy, I love Will Ospreay,” Khan said. “Will Ospreay is such an amazing part of AEW and, again, talk about someone who I think has contributed to why this has been such a great year for us. He was a huge part of last year, and this year before his injury, he was wrestling, in my opinion, at the very, very highest level.
“And that match between Will Ospreay and Hangman Page to determine who would win the Owen Hart Foundation Cup and go on to All In: Texas to wrestle Mox for the World Championship — Hangman won the match, and Hangman versus Will Ospreay… I think they are both great challengers and two great stars you can build a promotion around.
“What a great night Double or Nothing was. What a great main event they had.”
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