AEW Roundup: Jon Moxley’s star shines brighter in NJPW

Jon Moxley’s momentum has not slowed one bit after an all-time great debut for AEW at the promotion’s inaugural show, as he defeated Juice Robinson to win the IWGP United States Championship.

While NJPW have made it clear that they do not have an official working relationship with AEW – perhaps because of their partnership with Ring of Honor – they have taken full advantage of Jon Moxley’s growing star power in the industry. Just one month after leaving WWE, Moxley feels like wrestling’s hottest star at a time when Kofi Kingston, Will Ospreay, and Becky Lynch are producing the best work of their careers.

By defeating Juice Robinson for the IWGP United States Championship, Moxley has made another dent in the wrestling landscape. He may not be a member of the NJPW roster, but NJPW were wise to put the title on arguably the most recognizable star in America outside of WWE. Moxley’s match with Robinson was even better than expected, and I wonder if some fans forgot how good he was at his peak in WWE.

It’s important to be careful with our language when talking about Moxley’s in-ring work outside of WWE, because we shouldn’t run the risk of diminishing the quality of his previous matches. There’s no doubt that Moxley vs. Robinson was a fantastic match that told an important story around Mox’s new finisher, but Moxley’s had some elite matches in WWE, too. Remember his TLC match with AJ Styles for the WWE Championship? Or how about his Hell in a Cell and Money in the Bank bouts with wrestling soulmate Seth Rollins?

Of course, Moxley isn’t living in the past. He’s moved on from a company that didn’t use him to his full potential in recent years, even if they helped him create that platform that has allowed him to flourish on his own. In WWE, Moxley was quiet on social media, but he’s been tremendous at using Twitter as a platform for his brand in AEW and beyond. He’s used the platform wisely. See, Moxley doesn’t need to engage with us commoners, or more insidiously, the trolls. We all know who he is. Moxley has instead used Twitter in a more mysterious matter to build intrigue with what’s next for him.

“What’s next” could be a match against Kenny Omega, who failed to defeat long-time rival Chris Jericho in a match that would determine Hangman Page’s challenger for the AEW World Title. Omega recently called Moxley out, stating that he can’t afford to lose to a wrestler from “that place”.

And yes, he was talking about WWE.

Understanding the WWE animosity

That leads me to this next topic. AEW have made it clear that they are going to go right after WWE and how forcefully they continue to insult WWE remains to be seen. Cody Rhodes’s destruction of Triple H’s throne with a sledgehammer at Double or Nothing was a cathartic example of symbolism, since it was Triple H who put a cap on Rhodes’s potential in WWE. By helping head a new promotion with real financial backing after shining in NJPW and ROH, Cody has clearly destroyed the notion that he can’t rise to rule a kingdom.

For many wrestlers in AEW, there are personal, negative feelings about WWE that are mixed with positive feelings. Cody has always been realistic and well-measured when discussing the WWE machine and his time there, but it’s impossible not to feel upset when an entire corporate structure wrongfully diminishes your feelings of self-worth.

It’s from that place that Dustin Rhodes, whose portrayal of the character Goldust makes him one of wrestling’s most iconic performers, likely made the comments where he likened WWE to a “prison”. And no, there is no “good kind” of prison, nor is it wise to compare wrestling for WWE to being in a place where people are literally thrown to die.

That said, we have to meet people where they are, and I understand why Dustin speaks of WWE in this way. As a creative performer, Rhodes felt stifled at WWE over the past few years. Judging by the quality of his match with Cody, he was capable of much more than he was given, but on a crowded roster that can’t (or isn’t interested in doing this at all) cater to individual strengths, Dustin was even less than an afterthought.

Word choice and optics are everything, especially to WWE fans on the fence about AEW. But AEW are gunning for WWE in every way possible thus far. Cooling things off is possible, but I wouldn’t be surprise if stronger shots and criticisms take place. It’s refreshing to hear Dustin and others speak honestly about WWE, and not everything will be worded carefully or appropriately with so many emotions involved. Still, it’s a reminder that in all of this, Moxley, who was a huge star in WWE at one point, should be praised heavily for the nuanced way in which he detailed all the issues with a company that, again, helped make him a global star in wrestling.

Hikaru Shida vs. Nyla Rose a match to hope for

There are so many potential dream matches in AEW, but one that continues to bounce around in my head is a tilt between Hikaru Shida and Nyla Rose. AEW have done a wonderful job of adding a group of up-and-coming stars to their roster that most wrestling fans aren’t familiar with, and Shida and Rose both stood out as two of the top performers at Double or Nothing despite coming into the weekend as relative unknowns inside the ring.

After the match, Shida told ESPN 690 Jacksonville’s Austen Lane that Nyla Rose is a wrestler she’d look forward to facing. Rose and Shida would undoubtedly put together a fresh, hard-hitting match and every win means a great deal in the march towards becoming the first AEW Women’s Champion.

AEW’s Brandi Rhodes has wisely been cautious with rolling out any announcements about the women’s title, but Britt Baker appears to be in the driver’s seat after winning a Fatal Four-Way match at Double or Nothing against Rose, the legendary Awesome Kong, and close friend Kylie Rae.

But Rose vs. Shida would be as exciting as any match imaginable in AEW; it has the potential to develop into a defining feud for AEW women’s division when looking at the quality and the wrestling styles of the individual performers in question. Keep an eye on this possible rivalry after Shida spoke it into existence after her excellent AEW debut in a jaw-dropping six-woman tag match. It’s safe to say Shida and Rose will wow more fans as 2019 continues.