Will Ospreay has reflected on his lifelong admiration for TNA Wrestling, revealing that the promotion, not WWE, was the company that inspired him during his childhood.

Speaking with Baby Huey on 107.7 The Bone, the AEW star explained that his dream growing up was to one day capture the TNA X Division Championship. Watching stars such as AJ Styles elevate the title left a lasting impression and shaped his own ambitions as a wrestler.

“I was never a WWE guy. I liked it when I was a kid, but TNA was my thing, right? All I wanted growing up was to be the TNA X Division Champion. That’s all I could think about. AJ Styles was wearing that belt, and I wanted to do the old X match. Obviously, there’s a part of me that wishes I got that, but I’m not kicking myself over it. It is what it is.”

Ospreay also shared that while he still has great affection for TNA's legacy, he feels today's version of the promotion does not fully capture the spirit that made it special during its peak years.

“I don’t think the current TNA is an avid representation of what it was when I was watching. Watching guys like AJ Styles, Christopher Daniels, Amazing Red, James Storm, Bobby Roode, and Samoa Joe completely changed the culture of wrestling. They completely changed what it looked like to be a pro wrestler. I think that gave me hope.”

He went on to explain that, in his view, the company's identity shifted significantly after Hulk Hogan arrived, marking the end of the era he loved most as a fan.

“TNA was cool when it got on Spike, but I honestly felt like the moment [Hulk] Hogan and all those guys came in, it changed everything that I loved about it.”