Will Ospreay made an unnerving announcement on Wednesday, when he revealed that he was not medically cleared to compete in the upcoming Lights Out Steel Cage Match at AEW Forbidden Door on Sunday, but the unsanctioned nature of the bout meant that medical clearance meant bupkis as far as his ability to wrestle in the match.
According to PWInsider, Ospreay's neck issues are very real. Ospreay insinuated in Wednesday's promo that he would need neck surgery, and is reportedly looking into said surgery sometime in the future. A lot of Ospreay's television time has been centered around his neck, since he was attacked at All In in July, in a brutal beating that saw his neck wrapped in a steel chair and stomped on. On commentary during Ospreay's announcement, former AEW World Champion Bryan Danielson said he was roughly Ospreay's age when he got his first surgery.
Ospreay's condition adds to an already strained team for Sunday, as former AEW World Champion Kenny Omega has regularly been targeted in the areas affected by his bout with diverticulitis, while former TNT Champion Darby Allin is also returning from months away from the ring to climb Mount Everest. Add the fragile condition of NJPW President Hiroshi Tanahashi, and it seems there will be many vulnerable places where The Death Riders, The Young Bucks, and Gabe Kidd can take advantage. AEW Swerve Strickland is also dealing with an injury that could require surgery heading into his match with AEW Unified Champion Kazuchika Okada.
