#142: AJ Styles vs. Will Ospreay, RevPro High Stakes (2/15/2015).
This is the one and only singles meeting between The Phenomenal One and The Aerial Assassin.
This is taking place just days after Styles regained the IWGP Heavyweight Championship from Hiroshi Tanahashi.
Crowd is white hot for this one already, as we get dueling chants for both men at the start. Ospreay looks like a baby here. Styles looks about the same, minus the hair. They shake hands.
They lock up, and Ospreay takes control of the back. Styles forces his way to the ropes to break the hold. They circle each other, and Ospreay pops off a quick nearfall. Styles with a roll up, and he follows by hooking Ospreay's leg out from in front of him. He goes straight to a front face lock.
Ospreay dives off the ropes, and connects with a hurricanrana. He connects with a backwards head scissors to Styles. Styles chops him, and Ospreay kicks him to the mat. Huge back suplex from Ospreay, and that gets a 2 count.
Ospreay forces Styles to the turnbuckle, and chops him hard. Drop toe hold, followed by a dropkick for a nearfall. Styles rebounds by kicking Ospreay's thigh, and then rolling into the Calf Crusher. Ospreay quickly escapes and kicks him in the gut.
Ospreay kicks Styles' leg out, and they go to the apron. Ospreay drives his elbow into the chest, and then stomps his back in the Ring. Styles fights back with some forearms. He goes for his trademark dropkick, but Ospreay wisely holds onto the ropes. He sends Styles off the ropes and hits Styles' own dropkick!
On the outside, Ospreay whips Styles into the barricade, but he smoothly slides underneath it instead! He goes to dive off the barricade with the Phenomenal Forearm, and Ospreay pushes him back into the crowd. Then, Ospreay goes for the Forearm, and Styles catches him with a nasty backbreaker!
Styles tosses Ospreay back to ringside, and then drives him spine first into the ring apron. Back in the Ring, Styles connects with another backbreaker. Styles with a chop to the chest, and Ospreay connects with a back elbow. Ospreay goes for the hand spring elbow, and Styles catches him with a backbreaker across his own back for a nearfall.
Back on the floor, Styles gives Ospreay a Urinage that lands him right on the steel barricade! Yikes, that looked rough for poor Billy Goat. Styles gets a nearfall off of that, and responds with a snap suplex.
Styles applies the Camel Clutch next, as the dueling chants continue. He transitions to a front face lock, and Ospreay is attempting to fight his way free. He connects with a springboard dropkick to Styles.
Ospreay with some hard elbows to the head, followed by the hand spring kick to the face. Forearms in the corner, and a knee to the back of the head from the apron. Styles rolls to the floor, and Ospreay follows him by hitting the Fosbury Flop! That move always looks so crisp.
Ospreay rolls Styles into the ring, and hits a standing Spiral Tap for a 2 count. He follows with a German Suplex into a bridge for another nearfall. Styles avoids a springboard attack, and then he connects with a German Suplex and a facebuster for a 2 count.
Ospreay forces Styles to the turnbuckle, and shoulders him. He comes in from the apron for a DDT, but Styles catches him and suplexes him right into the turnbuckle. Ospreay blocks the Styles Clash with a knee to the head.
On their knees, they throw forearms to the other. They slowly make their way to their feet, but the strikes continue. Ospreay with a punt kick to Styles, and he follows with an Oscutter! He covers, but Styles kicks out.
Styles avoids a Shooting Star Press, and Ospreay appears to tweak his knee. Styles applies the Calf Crusher, and Ospreay is in immense pain. Despite that, he manages to get to the ropes.
Ospreay connects with an enziguri. Styles with a kick out of the corner, and he follows with the Phenomenal Forearm. He goes for the Styles Clash, but Ospreay rolls him up for a very close 2 count.
Ospreay avoids a forearm. He then counters a dragon sleeper slam, and hits one of his own for a 2 count. He drags Styles to the turnbuckle, then scales the top rope. Ospreay goes for something, and Styles knocks him down.
Styles grabs Ospreay's prone body and goes for the Styles Clash, but Ospreay escapes and kicks him in the head. Styles throws him to his stomach, and hits the 1916. Styles tries the Clash again, but Ospreay is tenacious and gets to the top rope. Styles cuts him off with the Pele!
Styles positions Ospreay, and hits a middle rope Styles Clash! He rolls him over, and that's the win.
This was a solid and entertaining match between a veteran and a young up and comer. Ospreay was no where close to where he is present day, but Styles was more than happy to give him a chance to showcase the raw talent he's always had, and that made for a nice back and forth bout. In a way, Styles' brutal offense towards Ospreay reminded me of how Ospreay treated Michael Oku during their High Stakes match in 2022. Funny how that works.
Ospreay did enough to make you wonder, but simply not enough to dethrone Styles, who was a general ass kicker throughout this match. Now, as you read this, imagine the Will Ospreay of 2024 going against AJ Styles. Did your brain just explode?