Summary

Will Ospreay says his 2016 match with Vader is not one he remembers fondly, even if fans still look back on it as a notable late-career bout for the wrestling legend.

The match took place for RevPro in August 2016 after Vader had publicly criticized Ospreay's in-ring style. It lasted less than seven minutes and ended up becoming one of Vader's final matches.

Speaking in a recent interview, Ospreay said the experience behind the scenes was far rougher than the match's reputation might suggest.

Quote from Will Ospreay

Asked about facing Vader late in the veteran's career, Ospreay said:

"No, not really, mate. I’ll be honest with you, I feel like- I’m sure everyone has like a great time watching that match, but, like, that day was just a flipping nightmare for me. It’s just a lot, and he was a bit of an odd bastard to deal with. But I don’t want to talk ill of him because he’s not around anymore, but it was quite funny to say I had one of his last matches."

What Vader's match still means in Ospreay's career

Ospreay's comments give a very different tone to a match that many fans have remembered mostly for its novelty and for where it fell in Vader's timeline. Instead of treating it as a simple career footnote, Ospreay made clear the day itself was difficult for him, which changes how that RevPro meeting is likely to be viewed by fans revisiting it now.

It also underlines how unusual that period of Ospreay's rise was. Even before his run as one of AEW's top names, he was already sharing the ring with major figures from earlier eras, and this was one of the most high-profile examples.

Sources

As reported by Fightful.