Will Ospreay On Wanting a Match With CM Punk, Says He’s Been In Contact With Punk

Speaking with Chris Van Vliet, Will Ospreay discussed the possibility of a match with CM Punk in Japan. The fanciful idea of a match between the two has been speculated on for a while, ever since Punk mentioned Ospray as someone he would potentially listen to an idea from in an interview:

“Um, as far as people that I’ve worked with before, I think — you know, if there was like a clean slate, so to speak. And if the money was right, I think a guy like Daniel Bryan I would go, ‘I would listen to your idea.’ If you said John Cena, I’d probably listen to your idea. Rey Mysterio, I would listen to your idea. For people I haven’t ever wrestled before? I think Will Ospreay, I would listen to your idea. But there’s — like, I said, there’s a lot of moving parts. But I’m busy doing other stuff. And nobody, I think, has found the right combination of ways to approach me. It’s not all up to me, ladies and gentlemen. It’s up to the people who actually run the companies.”

Also in his chat with Van Vliet, Ospreay talked about his reaction when he heard about that interview and said he’s been in contact with Punk, though he has been clear that nothing about a match has been discussed. Highlights and the full video are below:

Will Ospreay on Punk naming him as someone who would potentially listen to an idea for a match: “With Punk, I didn’t really consider this a possibility at all. Because the way he would talk in the Colt Cabana interview, he was done with wrestling. He hated wrestling, and when he showed up in the UFC it was like, ‘All right, so this is him pretty much done with wrestling. It was only when I saw that interview — because my phone just went off on a random day. I don’t know what I was doing this day. My phone just started going off. And when Punk did that interview and he said, ‘I would listen to your idea if it was Cena, Mysterio, Bryan or Will Ospreay.’ And I was just like, ‘Dude!'”

Will Ospreay on being surprised he was mentioned with the others: “Those three are like legends, right?’ Those three are like the cream of the crop types. No matter what you say about my competence and ability or whatever, they’re there [at the top of their game]. I’m here [down lower]. I’m not even on the screen, like I’m somewhere down here by my foot. So in that respect I was going like, ‘Why me.’ And then I do sit there every now and again. I was like, ‘I don’t get it. He’s got Cena — if he’s coming back, he’s gonna end up in WWE. But then like, I always remember that promo where he sat cross-legged and he was like, ‘Maybe when I’m done here I go to New Japan Pro Wrestling. Maybe I go to Ring of Honor.’ And I was like, ‘So he does watch.’ And that was back in like 2012, 2011? That was then, this is now. He’s still watching, because I wasn’t about in 2011. So he’s still watching now. So it just makes me go like, okay … But like, the only person that can make this happen is him. If he says to his agent or whoever manages him — maybe he manages himself — ‘Call New Japan’s office.’ And they start talking, blah blah blah blah. January 4th, can it happen, can CM Punk vs. Will Ospreay happen. He’s the only person that can make it happen. He’s the one that’s got to pick up the phone.”

On Punk potentially being interested in Japan: “To the local American wrestling fan, I’m a no one. So I think for him to say that, he’s clearly interested in Japan. I don’t think he’s ever wrestled in Japan. I’m not too sure. Maybe he has, but I don’t think he has. That’s the reason. And I think that there’s no bigger stage for this to happen … I wouldn’t have thought of this until Chris Jericho showed up in New Japan. Once he showed up, I went, ‘We can do whatever we want. This is pro wrestling.’ The only way this can get bigger is if Punk goes to the Tokyo Dome. And I know, like I know New Japan wants it. I want it, and everyone in wrestling wants it. I just want Punk to want it. He said he’s willing to listen; I have ideas.”

On being in contact with Punk: “I’m talking to him on Instagram, that’s it. Yeah, we just need to have like — maybe when this is over, maybe when the COVID-19 is done, then maybe we can just sit down and just talk … It was this quarantine thing [The Push-Up Challenge], and he tagged me in it. I was just like, ‘I’ve never really spoken to you.’ So then I [messaged] him, and then he just started messaging me, and now we’re talking. And I’m okay, ‘Okay, what’s going on here?’

On there not being any talks about a match yet: “I just want to put it out there, there has not been one thing said. There’s not been him contacting my office. There’s not been my own office contacting his office. There’s not been one thing said, there is nothing said, there is nothing in the pipework. But if I can make it happen, I will bend over backward and fold myself in half to make it happen.”

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit Chris Van Vliet with a h/t to 411mania.com for the transcription.