AEW star Will Ospreay explains how ADHD has helped him 'excel' in wrestling

AEW star Will Ospreay has explained how suffering with ADHD has allowed him to "excel" in professional wrestling as he gears up for the biggest match of his career.

Ospreay takes on Kenny Omega for the AEW World Championship in the main event at a sold-out Wembley Stadium on Sunday, hoping to capture gold in the main event of All In.

Ospreay is the first Brit to headline a major wrestling stadium show at Wembley since the British Bulldog at SummerSlam in 1992 when he beat Bret Hart to capture the Intercontinental Championship.

England weren't able to become world champions of football in the summer, instead finishing third in the World Cup in North America following elimination in the semi-finals at the hands of Argentina.

But Essex-born Ospreay is hoping to right that wrong at the 'Home of Football' by going all the way.

"Being one of the first British people to ever have a main event at Wembley Stadium in AEW is so, so important to me," he told SPORTbible in an exclusive interview.

"Like growing up, when you were in school, the teachers would ask all the boys, always the boys, they'd be like, 'I want to play football, and I want to be a football player, and I want to score the winning goal at Wembley Stadium'.

"It's the cathedral of football, isn't it? It's like the place where, like, so many football fans flock to and want to be play at. I knew I never was going to be that guy. I didn't like football as much.

"But to have that feeling of scoring country must feel like amazing. So now, being in this position where I get to be in the main event as someone that grew up in British wrestling, that applied his trade up and down the country, and now I'm in the main event fighting for the most important championship in world pro wrestling, it means the world to me."

Ospreay began wrestling in the backyard and honed his craft. Prior to signing with New Japan wrestling, he was still working with his uncle in mastic firm, putting in rubber sealants around windows in bathrooms.

Ospreay, who is dyslexic, didn't shine in education but found wrestling to be his calling. 'The Aerial Assassin'' is widely considered to be one of the very best wrestlers in the world and rejected offers from WWE.

He is neurodivergent, having been diagnosed with ADHD in 2019 as well as being on the autism spectrum.

The diagnosis helped him have a better understanding of his hyperactive behaviour and difficulty with controlling emotions.

While having ADHD is a challenge, Ospreay admits it can be also be a superpower when it comes to wrestling and he is blessed to fly the flag and raise awareness.

"I mean, it's helped me out quite a lot. It's something, that ability to just... I don't focus on one thing. I focus on so many other things. It helps me with my wrestling because I'm focusing obviously on the match and how the pacing's going and all that. But I'm also thinking about, 'Okay, are the crowd making noise?' Because if they're not, I need to give them my attention and I need to let them know that I haven't forgotten about them.

"It's really helped me out in that sense. Sometimes it's been a little bit worse for me, backstage and personally. It kind of held me back in some other places. But when it comes to wrestling, it's accelerated me and it's excelled me.

"It's just crazy. I didn't realise how much the spectrum was when it comes to that. It's wild how many people have reached out and shown their support. I'm truly blessed and grateful that I can be one of these guys for them."

Ospreay already has a Wembley win under his belt, defeating MJF to become AEW Intercontinental champion at All In back in 2024.

That same show saw the shock return of British wrestling legend Nigel McGuinness, who wrestled his first match since 2011.

He came out to a deafening ovation when Oasis blared out over the speaks. Ospreay wants the same reaction when he walks down the ramp and hinted at a special, one-off entrance for the biggest match of his career.

"I've got something in mind that we're working on, furiously to try and get the rights," he stated.

"It's my favorite song ever. I am still coming out to 'Elevated' but there is one song... I won't spoil it until I'm able to get my hands on it. But it's one song that I really, really want more than anything. Just the start, the long walk from the locker room to Gorilla just before I go out. Just because I want to feel that mood. I want to feel the vibe of a bunch of English people singing songs together.

"It's connection. It's one of these ones where I think when we go to a concert or any type of giant stadium show, we want to feel involved. That's why football fans create these chants

and then it catches on and people want to join in with that. I want to feel that."

AEW All In London will be at Wembley Stadium on Sunday 30 August. Tickets available from LiveNation.co.uk