During a recent interview with Sports Illustrated, AEW World Champion Jon Moxley commented on his Wrestle Kingdom 14 match with Lance Archer, the one-year anniversary of AEW Dynamite, and more. You can check out some highlights from the interview below:
On his Wrestle Kingdom 14 match with Lance Archer: “We had a kickass match at the Tokyo Dome [at Wrestle Kingdom 14 in January], and it ties in perfectly to what we’re doing here. That was a Texas Death Match, last-man-standing rules, which is pretty unique for Japan. That allowed us to be something really different on the show. I was able to survive that match in the Tokyo Dome by getting to my feet and escaping before the count of 10. I barely got out of there with my head on my shoulders. Now he wants to finish the job, so to speak. Maybe he’s my kryptonite. The only guy I haven’t been able to pin or submit this year is Lance.”
On one-year of AEW Dynamite: “One year of Dynamite, this is a landmark moment. At first, it all sounded too good to be true. But I think back on that first night, doing a live show on TNT. It actually happened, we did it. Then we built momentum, which was shut down like everyone else’s during COVID, but we’re surviving and thriving despite all that’s been put in front of us. That’s a credit to our talent and crew, suffering through horrible Jacksonville humidity all summer, so it’s going to be a celebration this Wednesday. And the lights are going to be bright this week. With an opponent like Lance Archer, you can imagine the lengths I’m going to take to make this a memorable night.”
On his thoughts on carrying AEW during the pandemic: “I’m the guy carrying the torch during a pandemic. It’s a weird time, and COVID is f—— up the bookings every week, but I want to carry the torch through tough times. Even though I didn’t originally picture myself in a good-guy, protagonist role when I first came here, it’s the way it happened. I can send a message of perseverance and picking yourself up after you fall down. People have lost their jobs, lost their business, and I can project strength, with no fear in the face of adversity, for those watching our show. I want to give stability in an unstable time. I need to give AEW some stability as we build a secure future for this brand, because it’s vital for this industry that AEW is a success.”
