Will Ospreay Credits Assassin’s Creed for Bringing Parkour Into His Wrestling Style

Will Ospreay has long worn his love of the Assassin’s Creed video game franchise on his sleeve — quite literally — and the AEW star is once again opening up about just how deeply the series has shaped the way he performs inside the ring.

Ospreay, who goes by the ring name “Aerial Assassin,” has drawn from the franchise across multiple facets of his presentation, from his entrance to his gear. Now he’s elaborated further on how playing the parkour-heavy action series directly inspired him to incorporate those same fluid, acrobatic movement principles into his wrestling move-set. It’s a connection that, once you know about it, makes his in-ring style feel remarkably on-the-nose: Assassin’s Creed built its identity on rooftop-leaping, wall-running protagonists, and Ospreay built his on a similarly breathtaking aerial game.

For fans who have followed Ospreay’s career from his early days on the British independent scene through his acclaimed runs in NJPW and now AEW, the Assassin’s Creed influence has always been hiding in plain sight. His nickname, his hooded entrance attire, and a ring style that treats the ropes and the surrounding environment as tools rather than boundaries all point back to the same source. Hearing Ospreay articulate the direct line between the game and his physical craft adds another layer to understanding one of the most athletically distinctive workers in professional wrestling today.

Ospreay continues to be one of the most discussed performers in the business, and moments like this — where he pulls back the curtain on his creative process — only reinforce why his fanbase is as passionate as it is. The “Aerial Assassin” moniker was never just a cool nickname; apparently, it was always a genuine tribute.