Will Ospreay has seen the feedback and critiques that the promotion has received from certain fans.
WWE is currently experiencing a surge in popularity, while AEW seems to have hit a rough patch.
In an interview with Shakiel Mahjouri of CBS Sports, Ospreay shared his perspective on the current situation.
“It’s all fairly new to me. I do believe we’ve had this string of bad luck when it comes to criticism where the ratings come in, and a lot of people live on that. Right now, we’re in a rebuilding phase and they’re always hard. I was discussing this with some of my friends a little while ago. Even as a wrestler, five years in, you do find yourself…you always hit a plateau. Whether that’s within your character or ability or trying to get booked elsewhere, there is always that five-year growing pain. I think every company goes through it. If we were going to look back five years to what WWE was doing, it was low. The way that they’re thriving right now, it’s inspiring and is something to hit. ‘Okay, you guys are doing that, we have to change the bar and see what we have to do to change things up.’ I’m not one of these people who shy away from it. I enjoy criticism. Someone was criticizing the way I dress. I completely understand that’s their flavor of a championship representative. If ever walk around my area of Essex, that is how people dress and the complete authenticity of how I look and how the people around my area talk. I do get it, but I live in a world where this is how people dress, act, and talk. I do love saying look at all the good we’re doing. Look at all the killer matches we’re doing. In the same sense, we do have to take the criticisms on board because that’s how we’re going to grow as a company.”
H/T to Fightful for the transcription