Since his arrival in All Elite Wrestling, many wondered how sadistic or crazy Jon Moxley could be since he had to slow his role down as that kind of person during his time as Dean Ambrose in the WWE. However, it feels like the years spent as a member of the Shield or as the Iron Man of WWE were holding back Moxley and in the last five years, that statement could be very true when you look at it through the lens of the unbiased.
Upon arriving, Moxley was pitted against these three names for feuds. Kenny Omega to kick things off. Chris Jericho, to dethrone the first-ever AEW Men's World Champion. And then, the late Brodie Lee. All three men kicked off Moxley's first year in AEW and would allow him to move on to the next stack of competition as the king of the mountain. A nickname given to those who reach the very top of the company, but for Moxley, it's just another Wednesday night or a weekend where he knows he is going to have to bring out the Hyde to his Jekyll so he can dispose of the ones he doesn't feel are fit to step inside of the squared circle with him.
Fast forward to today's AEW and look at all the hard work put in by Moxley. It's not about how many winning streaks you can go on, it's not about how many controversial promos you can cut in the ring or backstage. It's not about forcing your way to the top and demanding to be the face of a company. It's never been about that for Moxley. The sport moves on from one big face to another before we're able to be given a chance to say, 'Thank you.' to the ones who paved the way and wanted to see pro wrestling blossom like a flower wrapped in barbed wire and around a pit of fire. Contributions to the sport create never-ending memories. From Harley Race to Terry Funk, to Mick Foley, to Moxley. They will always be cemented as a Mount Rushmore of guys who did it their way, for the love of the game.
Moxley's recent reign as AEW Men's World Champion took on a life of its own. Many wondered who would be the one to dethrone him. From names like Jay White, Orange Cassidy, Powerhouse Hobbs, Adam Copeland, Christian Cage, and Samoa Joe. 273 days were spent molding the perfect story and ending for Moxley, and as soon as Adam Page focused his sights on the leader of the Death Riders, it was the world that sat back at home or inside Globe Life Field where they witnessed the end of their reign, but the beginning of something incredible. Moxley could have become an egomaniac and said "That doesn't work for me, brother." Instead, he knew what the fans wanted and where they'd want it at. Texas Death, against the one man that had put Moxley through more hell than the champion did in his record-breaking fourth reign as the king of the mountain.
Even the way it ended was poetic justice. Moxley suffocated Bryan Danielson at All Out, and with the help of Wheeler Yuta at AEW's WrestleDream PPV, but how did Moxley's reign end? With him being a victim to his violence. Suffocated by the Hangman, plus forced to quit, and remember that he's right where he needed to be, for the sake and love of pro wrestling. It all comes back into a full circle and Moxley never forgets what the goal is, to elevate the elite in AEW. Everyone stepped up the game in the last year or so, but the one who piloted the entire flight was Moxley and his mind for chaos and growing the sport to a ruthless era of attitude and violence.
His recent losses have resembled trusting the process and allowing things to play out each and every single week before the culmination. Here are a list of examples. When he feuded with Hangman Page in the build to All In, he challenged the monster inside of the cowboy and wondered if he went soft on the original Death Rider, Instead, Hanger forced Moxley to submt, using a chain as a noose to win the AEW Men's World Championship for a second time in his career. Then, the return of Darby Allin and his plot for revenge resulted in Moxley doing whatever it takes to get rid of Allin, from a cage, then a casket match to trying to force the other to say I quit, both attempts only showed how much Moxley and Allin were willing to go to show the other their never-say-die attitude. In the end, the rage finally released from Allin, resulting in Moxley saying 'I quit', showing that when all the bullets are out of the chamber, the last shot was always going to belong to one of the original pillars of All Elite Wrestling.
Recently, the feud between Moxley and Kyle O'Reilly has shined another bright light on someone who is a former Ring of Honor World Champion in O'Reilly. In the matches these two have had, each result played out in a cowards way out for Moxley, from causing disqualifications with the referee and allowing himself not to tap, to allowing KOR to wrap the guillotine around Moxley's neck on the outs of the ring, allowing a count out to happen, all for the opportunity to not fall down the mountain that he was once the king of.
That was until there were no count outs, no disqualificaitons, and no results for anyone to follow except going through hell in Blood and Guts. In the end, both men were bloodied and battered to the bone, but once O'Reilly got a hold of Moxley, the only way he was going to let go was if he had the leader of the Death Riders leg in his arms, but as soon as Moxley tapped, it felt like we saw a much needed podium finish for a beloved favorite who was elevated in a massive moment during a huge marquee match from AEW.
Moxley's will to push his opponents' limits has recently resulted in the underdogs picking up wins over the big bad boss of AEW, and when it comes to the former Men's World Champion, he sure is proud of the warrior spirit he has fought against, rather than digging a ton of holes for all the victims he's fought that come and go quicker than Sting can come down from the rafters to save the day like Batman.
Moxley is everything you need him to be. Co-workers love him, the bosses love him, and the world sees him as someone who does not need to be satisfied by the number of zeroes on his paycheck when the thing that keeps him moving is finding new ways to keep AEW fresh, relevant and ready to take on whatever challenge comes their way. He has elevated the Death Riders into champions you can believe. He has elevated opponents as future beasts who could reign terror on the division or be the next face that pushes the future forward. Whichever way you look at it, Moxley truly is a wrestling genius who will do whatever it takes to keep All Elite Wrestling growing into the place we love to be at. You can be extreme, a high-flyer, a technician, or a comedian. At the end of the day, when you step in the ring with Moxley, it's the ultimate test to see what makes you elite and the future of the business.
A wrestling genius. Someone that can make you believe in every step they take. Someone that pushes their limits to get the very best out of someone. Someone who makes pro wrestling feel realer than you could imagine. From the punches, the kicks, the words left in the mind of a never resting brain. Many see CM Punk, Seth Rollins, and Cody Rhodes as the future bookers of WWE, however, if you look at what AEW currently has, the crazy minds of Moxley, Danielson, Hangman, Swerve and others have all the respect and knowledge in the world to teach the next generation about what the meaning of being elite is.
The last five years have been a re-introduction to what Moxley is all about, the next five years will be a life lesson for the naysayers that you can't be the black cloud demon that tried to take him out, all you can be is a spectator to the man that is proud of every scar on his body and the man who is proud to drink his own blood and tell every doubter that they can stick their negativity where the sun does not shine.
Moxley doesn't run from demons, he beats the crap out of them. He is the true embodiment of what a leader looks like, and he will only continue to get better each time he steps into the squared circle for All Elite Wrestling.