Jon Moxley Names The Biggest Difference Between WWE And AEW
Jon Moxley, the number one contender for the AEW World Championship, recently spoke to TV Insiderto share some insight as the legitimacy of All Elite Wrestling and why he is looking forward to his match with Chris Jericho at AEW Revolution.
The legitimacy of AEW has been somewhat of a hot topic among fans and wrestlers, since their inception last year. Moxley opened up about why he believes the company will be around for the long haul.
"There are so many promotions that have come and gone and tried to make a go of it and failed," Moxley noted. "Over the years there are people who make a lot of big promises wherever I've been. First time you hear something like this you initially think, I'll believe it when I see it. A lot of the stuff was in play, top secret, before even people knew about it. There was infrastructure being built before the public knew this would be a thing.
"The energy and passion and excitement we get from the fans whether it's in an arena or a f—'in boat in the middle of the ocean, they are all there for us. That is what is driving this whole thing forward. That last show of the cruise everyone was just hanging out and hugging and high-fiving. It really felt like we are all on the same team and in this together as wrestling fans. We come together from different walks of life because we love this crazy thing called wrestling."
Moxley has also been impressed with the story-telling from AEW compared to what he was used to before, leading up to the championship match against Chris Jericho.
"It's what it's supposed to be," Moxley stated. "That's pro wrestling. That's the kind of wrestling I enjoyed as a kid. That's the thing. The difference for us is we don't have to have 37 pay-per-views a year and 600 network specials every year. We have Dynamite every week but four or five pay-per-views a year. We can keep those high-quality, big matches for those. A big fight feel. I think some of that has been missing over the last few years when you have to rush through stories and car crash stuff and give away so much on TV.
"The gratifying part for me is that it's so much easier. You don't have to over complicate things. The story is simple. You have professionals who know what they are doing, veteran guys. Sometimes you can take risks and try something out. Maybe it works or doesn't. It's always great to be willing to do that. The lack of 30 writers buzzing around with all this weird f—'in energy is the biggest difference. Instead of a 10-minute sports entertainment segment, at AEW I don't have anyone bugging me with 40-page script to memorize or drilled to me how it's supposed to be done. It's very stress-free when you just let guys do their jobs. It's easier when you have more in command of the rudder of the ship. Better than having the wind blowing in 50 f—-'in directions."
Moxley also knows exactly what he is getting into when faces Jericho at Revolution.
"Right now, Chris Jericho ? whether he stabs me in the eye with a spike or not ? is right up there with the greatest of all time," Moxley said. "He has been doing this at such a high level for so long. He reinvented himself and always seems to be at the right place at the right time.
"Jericho continues to become a bigger star. This only helps the profile of AEW. Anyone he gets in the ring with makes their star shine brighter? I'm going into the match looking to defeat essentially the greatest of all-time. It's about staying focused on the task at hand...I lash out in the ring, but it's more of a mature, veteran version of it."
Moxley will face Chris Jericho at AEW 'Revolution' on February 29, 2020 at the Wintrust Arena in Chicago, Illinois.