Jim Ross Says Jon Moxley Vs. Kenny Omega At AEW Full Gear "Challenged Me As A Broadcaster"

AEW Commentator Jim Ross spoke with Sports Illustrated after calling Jon Moxley vs. Kenny Omega's Unsanctioned Lights Out Match at last Saturday's AEW Full Gear PPV.

Moxley defeated Omega after the two used everything from shatter glasses to barbed wire weapons. Near the end of the match, Moxley tore off the ring apron and padding, eventually giving Omega his finisher, paradigm shift, on the exposed wood boards.

"It was a different match to call," Ross said. "They weren't working the arm. It didn't have the standard route that a match takes. Based on the amount of legitimate physical punishment that Moxley and Kenny incurred, it may have gone a little too long?but I haven't seen two guys work any harder to get something over in years. The passion in that match was a breath of fresh air for our business."

Ross believed the brutal bout gave fans everything they would want in a match: stunts, wrestling, drama, and uniqueness.

"It's been years since I was this proud of two guys in a match like I am with Moxley and Kenny," Ross stated. "I've never seen a main event like that. They should be congratulated. The effort they put forth was absolutely amazing. This match was a great indication of the in-ring spirit of AEW. We want to be about innovation and delivering a great effort. The match gave us stunts, it gave us wrestling, it gave us drama, it gave us uniqueness. This was about two guys that were given a chance to lay out their own game plan and execute their match, and that's what they did."

Last month, Ross had commented that AEW had "too many flips and flops" for his tastes, so some fans thought he wouldn't have much interest in a hardcore match like Moxley and Omega put on. Instead, it was the opposite, as Ross found the match to give him a good challenge while also showcasing that AEW can put together a wide variety of match styles.

"I loved that the Mox-Kenny match challenged me as a broadcaster," Ross said. "People kept telling me, 'JR, this match isn't for you.' How do you know that? I wasn't with ECW; that was Joey Styles' gig. I never got to call a lot of the hardcore stuff. I don't find it distasteful, I don't find it bad. We're supposed to have something for everybody, and AEW offers a variety of styles and presentations that fans are going to like. This is not a one-dimensional company."