In a recent interview with WhatCulture Wrestling, reigning AEW World Tag Team Champion Cash Wheeler lavished praise on NJPW star Will Ospreay for his ability to connect with the audience without showing off any flashy moves or relying on dynamic athleticism.
Wheeler also offered his advice on how talents can craft a captivating in-ring performance.
You can check out some highlights from the podcast below:
On the value of a less overt, more nuanced approach: “The athleticism the generation has now is better than it has ever been, but then you have guys that never evolve past that. And then you have guys like Will Ospreay who learned that he doesn’t have to do everything all the time, even though he’s one of the most gifted athletes in the world. When he started realizing how to tell all the stories he wanted to do and getting those moments and those emotions, he gets more reactions now from just doing something and standing there and looking at the crowd, than he ever would have to do it as opposed to a 630, or something to the outside.”
On finding your niche and playing to your strengths: “I love watching Vikingo and Komander, for instance, last night at Supercard of Honor. But man, those guys are going to do those things, and they’re a different class than everybody else. And if you can’t do those things to that level, you better find something else, because if the fans don’t take to you and you’re doing things second rate?”
