During an interview with Pat McAfee, Triple H caused controversy when he said, “If you’re not in it for the grind, at that point early in your career, you have no business being here,” which many saw as a shot at Will Ospreay. This was suspected because the British wrestler had not long before picked AEW’s lighter schedule and higher wages over WWE’s contract offer.
Ospreay would go on to fire back at WWE’s chief content officer during an episode of Dynamite, suggesting he only got to where he did because he was “grinding on” Stephanie McMahon. Subsequently, this war of words would not only capture wrestling fans’ attention online but also divide them, with sides being taken based on whether they supported WWE or AEW.
And now, while speaking to Adrian Hernandez, the AEW star has again addressed this, revealing he likes Triple H and was respectful during negotiations, so hearing his comments was “a little bit hard.”
“At the end of it, no harm done. I f*cking like Triple H. It was a little bit hard hearing that sh*t. I was nothing but respectful in all the talks. I have my own mission, my own objectives, my own goals.”
Will OspreayWhile 31-year-old Ospreay’s wrestling style might not be to everyone’s taste, to say he isn’t a grinder is harsh, considering he has wrestled over 1,000 matches, many involving weekly international travel. Therefore, Triple H’s comment came across as bitter if it was indeed aimed at Ospreay. However, it’s doubtful that the WWE executive will care about Ospreay’s response on Dynamite, given that people have questioned his relationship with Stephanie for over two decades.
