All Elite Wrestling (AEW) star Jon Moxley was recently interviewed by TV Insider to talk about several professional wrestling topics.
Here are the highlights:
When he realized AEW is here for the duration:
There are so many promotions that have come and gone and tried to make a go of it and failed. 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. When I first came into the fold, it became real. I thought how this was where I want to be and do with my career.
My goals aligned with theirs, so we were all on the same page. A lot of people think we are in some honeymoon period and the hot thing right now, but we already proved we are not going to go away. We have this audience that was underserved for so long. When we started, they [WWE] were starting to counter-program right out of the gate without us getting a foothold or established in the market. Now we are here. That was gratifying to see us on top. Kind of like a middle finger. The main thing that is driving all this forward is the fans.
There is a bigger fan base for wrestling than people maybe ever thought. You have wrestling fans in the closet so to speak. Now there is this alternative, it’s cool to be a wrestling fan in 2020. There is an audience for this. 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.
Enjoying putting his feud with Chris Jericho together:
It’s what it’s supposed to be. 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 overcomplicate 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.
The transition from WWE’s schedule to AEW:
The schedule for me hasn’t really let up at all. Other than that initial month after I put my foot on the gas pedal. I did shows in Japan and AEW starting going into the summer. I also had to deal with injuries too on top of that….I just went from Jacksonville to Tokyo to Memphis to home for like 30 seconds and to Cleveland and Japan and back to Alabama. I’m all over the place, but I feel more in control of that. It’s less someone put a trip to Japan or Australia or England because I have to.
I’m excited. Even today on my day off doing media, it doesn’t feel like something I have to do because I’m passionate about this product. I want to get people in the building and help out. I do have to be mindful not to overextend myself. When you work for AEW and Japan and do movies and other projects not related to wrestling, I have to make sure I have enough energy for it. But it’s all stuff I’m passionate about and stuff I would essentially do for free.
I was wasting time the last five or six years. I don’t want to waste any more time. There is a balance. I do have to factor in my wife and where she is at and make sure we meet up and I can be with her. We figure out a way to make it work. It’s ingrained in my head at this point to go, go, go. I’m older, smarter, and made all these mistakes. I’m not going to blatantly work through injuries or break my body down until it’s purple. I can take a few days off and be in control. It’s a transition but a positive one.
Also Read: Eric Bischoff Explains Why He Doesn’t See Jon Moxley as AEW’s Top Guy
