Schiavone Compares Ospreay-Omega to Flair-Steamboat Classic
Tony Schiavone said the recent AEW All In match between Will Ospreay and Kenny Omega reminded him of the legendary 1989 trilogy between Ric Flair and Ricky Steamboat. He noted the parallel in quality and significance. The two wrestlers are currently tied 2-2 in their series.
The 1989 Flair-Steamboat rivalry is remembered for three consecutive pay-per-view main events between January and May, with Steamboat taking the first two encounters—including a two-out-of-three falls match in April—before Flair regained the NWA Worlds Heavyweight Championship at WrestleWar. Flair has long cited Steamboat as the greatest babyface of his era.
Ospreay and Omega have built their own four-match series across PWG, NJPW, and AEW, with the score currently even at 2-2. The Young Bucks, who watched the All In: London bout from ringside, also ranked it among the finest matches they have ever witnessed live.
This comparison could shape how wrestling fans and critics frame modern rivalries, lending historical weight to Ospreay and Omega's ongoing series. It may also bolster AEW's reputation as a venue for classic in-ring storytelling, potentially influencing audience expectations for future encounters between the two performers. However, such lofty parallels risk overburdening subsequent matches with unrealistic standards, which could color how fans judge what might otherwise be excellent work on its own terms.