Jon Moxley has become one of the hottest things in professional wrestling in 2019. After leaving WWE and exploding into both AEW (All Elite Wrestling) & NJPW (New Japan Pro Wrestling), he is arguably a more respected and talked about presence in wrestling than his days in WWE as Dean Ambrose. While he is absolutely loving the freedom provided by not being with WWE, he misses something about the company.
Turning Down Huge Money For Freedom
“The whole time from when I came back to about the beginning of the year, I knew I was leaving. But I was pissed about it. I wasn’t excited to leave, I was bitter about it. I can’t believe that they’re going to make me leave. I can’t believe they’re going to make me walk away from all this money. Can [WWE] not write just one good storyline? Can they just give me one good promo? Does everything have to be f***ing stupid? Does everything have to make me look like an idiot? For f***’s sake, you’re going to make me walk away from all this f***ing money because it’s not like I wanted that money. Yeah, I want it, but I’m not doing that sh*t. So I was pissed. I can’t believe they were so incompetent that they’re going to make me walk away from all this money. Jesus Christ, now I have to go back to the indies, f*** it, let’s go,” Moxley said in an interview with Fightful.com.
The man just wanted to not be presented like an absolute fool. He just wanted some control over his character, and to do what he does best: wrestle. Instead WWE was making him cut promos while being injected with giant prop needles. The Jon Moxley we see now could have existed within WWE, had they allowed it. Would he be as violent? Maybe not, WWE is a PG company, but that doesn’t mean he couldn’t have shined as a performer. In his Talk Is Jericho interview, Moxley mentions not even looking at the new contract they offered him, because at that point; it no longer mattered to him. The money must have been nice with WWE, but he wanted to wrestle again.
The Revival Of Jon Moxley
You can say what you will about AEW, but they have absolutely let Moxley be himself, something WWE never did with Dean Ambrose. Between them and NJPW, Moxley has had more classic matches this year than in his past few with WWE. Be it his recent war with Kenny Omega, his renowned classic with Tomohiro Ishii in the G1 Climax, and his battles with Juice Robinson, Moxley has become a star again, and one that only seems to shine brighter with each passing day.
Next on his plate is Darby Allin, who answered his call for battle on AEW Dynamite. With how these two have a lack of care for their own well-being, it will obviously be a nice clean and very technically focused matchup, with no violence involved.
