When news broke that Will Ospreay was heading to free agency and open to signing a huge money deal with an American promotion, be that AEW or WWE, fans the world over, from his hometown of Rainham, Essex, England, to Japan and beyond had a pretty good feeling that the former has the favorite to land the “Ariel Assassin” due to his connections to the promotion, his experience working in their rings, and Tony Khan's ability to give him the biggest main even imaginable: All In at Wembley Stadium for the AEW World Championship.

And yet, just because it seemed like Ospreay was TK's guy and that he'd do just about anything to sign him didn't stop WWE performers from reaching out to the “Billy Goat” about why RAW or SmackDown was the perfect place for him to continue his career, including AJ Styles, the former NWA Champion who was a hero to the young grappler from Essex back in the day.

Discussing his free agency on the AEW Unrestricted podcast, Ospreay revealed what Styles said to him on the phone, even if it didn't ultimately change his choice in the end.

“AJ was on the phone to me when he was trying to, I guess the right word would be ‘sway' in making my decision on which company I should (sign with). And it flatters me because AJ is my hero, everything I wanted to become,” Will Ospreay explained via Cultaholic.

“I feel like he's always kept an eye on me. I feel like even now, I guess that's what the phone call was about, but he always keeps an eye on me every now and again, but for me, coming (to AEW) was the right thing to do. I just knew coming here, I wanted to make a difference, I wanted to be part of a change in the culture.”

Interesting stuff, right? Well, wait, it gets even more so, as Styles was asked about his recruiting efforts in an interview with Irish Wrestling and Entertainment ahead of WWE Backlash in France and had some pretty nice things to say about Ospreay as a worker and a person.

“Sure, of course. Well, it’s hard to keep my eye on… What I’m focused on right now would be WWE and what’s going on in my own family. So it’s hard to be focused on what’s going on outside of that. But yeah, of course. Why would I not want some of the best talent in the world to come to WWE? I mean, I think they’re great guys,” AJ Styles explained via Wrestle Zone.

“Listen, if he were a d**chebag, I probably wouldn’t have called him to see if he wants to come here. I think he’s a great talent, and there’s a lot of them out there. So it’s only a matter of time.”

Would it be cool to see Ospreay wrestle Styles before their careers come to an end? Totally, but hey, there's still time, as Styles only has nine months left on his WWE contract and could work a single match with the “Phenomenal One” in AEW or otherwise, even if his idol's full-time career is over. Don't give up on that dream, Ospreay: it could still happen.

Will Ospreay wants to take AEW's show on the road.

Elsewhere on his Double or Nothing promotional tour, Will Ospreay stopped by Swerve Strickland's podcast, Swerve City, to discuss his wrestling career, their pre-existing relationship, and his relatively new run in AEW.

Discussing the promotion's growth and his desire to make it even bigger, Ospreay revealed where he would like to see AEW take the show to next, including a few international locations that have never experienced an All Elite effort in person.

“For me, I'm a guy that enjoys seeing the world. I love doing that. Coming over here, obviously, I bring a little bit of flavor from around the world. I don't want to forget about what made me. My main goal, I want to take AEW everywhere. I want to do shows in Tokyo, I want to do shows in Osaka, I want to do shows in Sydney, Melbourne, Dublin. That's my main thing with AEW. I do want to take it around the world because I do believe that travel broadens us,” Will Ospreay explained via Fightful.

“What made me a man — [Swerve] knew me as a kid. I was annoying. I was a bit full on, but I didn't know shit about myself. I was learning about everything at such a young age and almost using social media more as a diary rather than a platform to promote. It happens. I got to learn and every single time I let anybody down, I came back on my knees and was ready to go to work to prove myself. Every single time I've grown up, I've matured, I'm in a position now where I'm a parent. I know who I am as a human being, but I still believe it's because of everything I've done. Every person I've met. Every fan I've shaken hands with. Every wrestler I've wrestled. I believe the best way AEW can grow is by traveling and wanting to do more pay-per-views out in Japan, Mexico, Canada, England, Europe, everywhere. That's my goal with AEW.”

Should AEW follow in WWE's lead and do more massive shows in international markets? Sure, multiple performers, including MJF, have been lobbying to see AEW run a show at Estadio Azteca, and considering that venue can hold 87,000 fans, it would be an ideal venue for an All In-style show partnered up with NJPW, CMLL, and beyond to ensure a massive offering for fans from around the world. If Ospreay can prove he's worthy of being the ace of AEW moving forward, then who knows, maybe he can push for such a massive swing at some point in the future and maybe even work a match against the “Salt of the Earth” in one of North America's biggest stadiums.