WWE HOFer Ric Flair Praises Ring Work Of Top AEW Star But Hasn't Heard Him Cut Promos

Pro wrestling legend Ric Flair knows plenty about excelling in the ring, and his praise of a wrestler's in-ring ability carries weight. Flair recently assessed AEW star Will Ospreay, lauding the Brit's ring work but pointing out one thing that he doesn't know yet about him: his mic work.

Ospreay is regarded by many as one of the best in the ring of his era, a sentiment echoed by "The Nature Boy" in his recent interview with "Escapist" magazine. However, he feels that Ospreay hasn't yet proved himself on the mic, with Flair stating that he hasn't yet heard him talk. Flair also reserved some praise for Ospreay's former opponent, Konosuke Takeshita.

"His ring work is unbelievable. But I've never heard him talk yet. I've never heard him do an interview. Until I hear him do an interview, because you can be tremendous in the ring. But if you can't talk, sayonara. I've never heard him talk, but he is a phenomenal guy. He's really respectful to me, and that Japanese kid [Takeshita] that he wrestled when Sting retired is tremendous too. The big Japanese boy, oh, he's really good."

Flair congratulated Ospreay following his match with Takeshita at Revolution 2024, meeting the Brit backstage and praising his in-ring work, a compliment that Ospreay treasures. The March 2024 match, held on the same card as Sting's final match, was won by Ospreay and remains the only singles encounter between the two stars. While Flair has expressed his admiration for the AEW star, he still believes that the best wrestler in the world is, unsurprisingly, his daughter and WWE star Charlotte Flair, while Charlotte's fellow WWE star Randy Orton comes a close second, as per him.