Kenny Omega vs Will Ospreay: Their rivalry explained ahead of AEW All In

The two stars will collide at Wembley Stadium on Sunday, August 30, with Omega's AEW World Championship on the line in the main event of the company's flagship PPV.

But this is much more than a title match.

Their rivalry stretches back more than a decade and has taken them from the independent scene to New Japan Pro-Wrestling, AEW and now one of the biggest stages in wrestling.

At the heart of it has been a question that has followed Ospreay for years: can he surpass the man whose position at the top of professional wrestling he once chased?

Here is how the Kenny Omega-Will Ospreay rivalry developed ahead of their huge meeting at All In.

Where did the Kenny Omega-Will Ospreay rivalry begin?

Omega and Ospreay first met in singles competition in December 2015 at Pro Wrestling Guerrilla's All Star Weekend 11.

They were at very different stages of their careers.

Omega was already an established international star, while Ospreay was still a rising 22-year-old beginning to attract attention for his spectacular in-ring ability.

Omega won their first meeting, but it would be more than seven years before the pair met again in a singles match.

During that period, both transformed themselves into major stars in Japan.

Omega became one of NJPW's leading names, winning the IWGP Heavyweight Championship and producing a series of acclaimed matches before leaving to help launch AEW in 2019.

New Japan Pro-Wrestling/Getty Images

Ospreay's own rise continued after Omega's departure.

The Englishman progressed from the junior heavyweight division to become an IWGP World Heavyweight Champion and one of NJPW's biggest international stars.

That helped create the foundation of their rivalry.

Ospreay had effectively taken on a position once occupied by Omega, but Omega was far from convinced that his successor had reached the same level.

Why did Kenny Omega and Will Ospreay start feuding?

The tension intensified while the two wrestlers were competing for different promotions.

Omega publicly questioned Ospreay's ability to replace him as one of NJPW's leading international stars, while Ospreay argued that he had helped carry the promotion through an extremely difficult period.

Their exchanges became increasingly personal.

Ospreay claimed Omega's issues with him stretched beyond wrestling and even suggested Omega had played a role in keeping him away from AEW.

Ospreay also used Omega's famous One-Winged Angel during a match and produced merchandise referencing the move, leading to further exchanges between the pair.

By the time Omega finally returned to NJPW, their next match felt inevitable.

Kenny Omega beats Will Ospreay at Wrestle Kingdom 17

Their rivalry reached another level at Wrestle Kingdom 17 at the Tokyo Dome in January 2023.

Omega returned to NJPW for the first time since leaving the promotion in 2019 and challenged Ospreay for the IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship.

For Ospreay, it was an opportunity to prove that he had successfully taken Omega's place.

Instead, Omega produced a dominant and brutal performance.

The Canadian defeated Ospreay with the One-Winged Angel to win the IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship and leave his rival searching for answers.

It was more than a title defeat for Ospreay.

The man he had spent years attempting to surpass had returned to Ospreay's territory and beaten him on NJPW's biggest stage.

Will Ospreay gets revenge at Forbidden Door

AEW

Ospreay did not have to wait long for another opportunity.

The rematch took place at AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door in Toronto in June 2023, this time with Omega defending the IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship in his home country.

Ospreay finally defeated Omega and regained the championship.

However, the circumstances surrounding the victory would become crucial to their rivalry.

Don Callis interfered despite having previously been removed from ringside, helping Ospreay during the match before the Englishman eventually secured the victory.

The official record therefore showed one major victory each in 2023.

For Ospreay, however, the manner of his win continued to bother him.

And for Omega, it gave him ammunition to argue that Ospreay had still never truly beaten him on his own.

Why does Kenny Omega say he is 2-0 against Will Ospreay?

That question returned during a heated sit-down interview between the pair on the August 19 edition of AEW Dynamite.

Ospreay admitted that the reaction to his Forbidden Door victory had stayed with him.

What should have been the night he finally conquered Omega instead came with questions over Callis' involvement.

Omega seized on the admission.

In his eyes, Ospreay needing outside assistance meant their rivalry was not truly tied.

That makes their All In encounter particularly important for Ospreay.

This time there can be no questions about whether he belongs at Omega's level.

Why are Kenny Omega and Will Ospreay fighting at AEW All In?

AEW

Their third major showdown comes with even greater stakes.

Omega enters Wembley as AEW World Champion, while Ospreay has the opportunity to win the company's biggest prize in his home country.

For Ospreay, the match represents the culmination of a journey that began long before either man arrived in AEW.

He has spent years attempting to prove he can match and eventually surpass Omega.

Now he gets the opportunity to do it in front of a home crowd at Wembley Stadium.

Their rivalry also became increasingly personal on Dynamite.

Omega questioned whether Ospreay could handle the pressure of the biggest match of his career before bringing the challenger's family into the argument.

He suggested Ospreay's seven-year-old son could be looking for a new hero after watching Omega defeat him at Wembley.

Ospreay reacted furiously.

Kenny Omega sends Will Ospreay through a table before All In

The situation escalated even further at the end of Dynamite.

After Omega and the Young Bucks won the night's main event, Ospreay confronted the AEW World Champion over his comments.

Security initially escorted Ospreay away, but Omega continued to provoke his challenger.

Ospreay returned to the ring and attacked the champion before security intervened.

Omega took advantage, hitting Ospreay with a V-Trigger before taking him onto the apron.

He then delivered a One-Winged Angel through a table on the floor, leaving his All In challenger amongst the wreckage as Omega stood tall with the AEW World Championship.

Less than two weeks before Wembley, a rivalry built around professional pride has become deeply personal.

How to watch AEW All In on DAZN

AEW All In takes place at Wembley Stadium in London on Sunday, August 30, with Kenny Omega defending the AEW World Championship against Will Ospreay in one of the biggest matches of the year.

Fans can watch All In live on DAZN, with the event available as a standalone pay-per-view or included as part of the DAZN Ultimate Tier subscription.

AEW lists a 4:30pm BST start time for All In.

To find AEW All In on DAZN:

• Open the DAZN app on your smart TV, phone, tablet, games console or streaming device, or access DAZN through a web browser.
• Sign in or create a DAZN account.
• Search "AEW" using the search function.
• Select AEW All In from the results.
• Follow the on-screen instructions to purchase the PPV, or watch with an eligible DAZN Ultimate Tier subscription.