Jon Moxley is the most important performer in professional wrestling

All Elite Wrestling is heading into a “new era,” whether it wants to or not. At least according to Jon Moxley. With Claudio Castagnoli, PAC, Wheeler Yuta, and Marina Shafir standing next to him, he’s kicked off his reign of violence following the decimation of Bryan Danielson at AEW WrestleDream. It is yet again the situation in which “as goes Jon Moxley, so goes AEW.” In some ways, Moxley has become the most important performer in not only AEW but perhaps all professional wrestling.

AEW counts on Moxley and the company counts on him big. When CM Punk was injured and unable to perform, the organization turned to Moxley to quickly step in as champion. Why? Because he’s a believable force in the promotion. One that fans believe in and someone who is booked in a way that he can quickly supplant any champion on the roster because he’s a “made man” within the company.

All Elite Wrestling recently announced a new rights deal and developments that include heading over to MAX for streaming purposes. This is an important time in the organization. All the hard work of the past few years led to this moment, and it’s important to keep the momentum flowing. That translates to television by pushing angles in an exciting direction. The company can’t do more of the same and expect stronger results.

One way that push was kickstarted was this new angle with Moxley. He’s talking about a hostile takeover of the promotion, hinting at working with someone. The violence that they present every show is leaving fans speechless and speculation flying online. Who is he working with? Why did Yuta join them? Who will stand up against them? Will this force The Elite to take him head-on? There’s a lot to ask and each of those questions keeps fans tuning in every week. This angle isn’t possible without Jon Moxley. AEW wouldn’t be as strong as it is without Jon Moxley.

Professional wrestling is in a boom period. Companies are leaning on their biggest stars to keep the flow of excitement and revenue going. All Elite Wrestling leans on Jon Moxley to be that performer for the company. He’s risen to the occasion multiple times and in doing so he’s cemented himself atop the list of the most important performers in professional wrestling.