Jon Moxley Claims AEW Failure Would Set Industry Back Decades

Jon Moxley has put AEW on his back.

Upset with the road AEW was heading down, Jon Moxley decided it was time for a change. And not only that he was going to force the change required himself.

This saw the star re-up the Blackpool Combat Club with the addition of Marina Shafir and run roughshod across the company. The Moxley-led revolution saw him win the AEW Title from Bryan Danielson, and end the career of his long-time friend in the process.

The group, now known as the Death Riders have continued on their path of destruction after dispatching Danielson, driven by their desire to shape AEW in their own image.

Despite his crusade, Moxley talked up AEW in a new interview with Scott Fishman for TV Insider, claiming the company has barely scratched the surface of what it’s capable of.

“The potential of AEW is so f*ckin’ huge. We’re not even scratching the surface of it. Just the roster of wrestlers is this ridiculous bounty of riches. Just a ridiculously stacked roster of the best wrestlers in the world.

So many people you haven’t even seen yet of what they can do. I’ve seen what they can do. I can imagine what they can become if we water that seed and let it grow,”

Jon Moxley Says AEW Can’t Afford To Fail

Continuing on, Moxley explained that just having potential isn’t enough, and the company needs to deliver. Not only that, there’s no room for error. The World Champion believes a failure for AEW would set the entire industry back 20 years to a time where for many, wrestling was WWE or nothing.

Moxley added that it’s his responsibility to make sure the revolution continues, which is why he can’t let himself get taken out by Orange Cassidy at Full Gear.

“There is no me being in there and losing. Everything is different now. It is life or death. AEW has to be a success. If it’s not, the business gets set back another 20 f*ckin’ years. I’m not willing to go through that again. Others who I’ve known for 15-20 years are not willing to go through that again.

It’s at the hands of our generation. This is what we wanted to do and all we’ve ever wanted to do. The future is in our hands. Whatever AEW will become in the future is up to us. Frankly, in five years nothing has been built. We’re going to build it right now. There has been no flag. AEW has not really nailed down its identity being a young company, and that’s fine.

There has been a known flag for everyone to unify to say this is who we are what we do and the direction we’re going. We’re going to plant our flag. That’s starting with me and the few people watching my back and others. We’re going to demand more of everybody around us. We’re going to unify behind one flag and march forward and turn this into what it can be.

This could be the best place I’ve ever worked. It could be 10 times better than anyone has ever worked. I can see how powerful wrestling can be. We want to build a place we can take pride in. I see all this beyond Saturday night in Newark.

That could all go up in flames if I get taken out. If the AEW title gets put in the wrong hands. It’s my responsibility to make that impossible for that to accomplish,”

Elsewhere at Full Gear, Jack Perry will defend his TNT Championship against Daniel Garcia, while Mercedes Mone will put the TBS Championship on the line against Kris Statlander. The event will also feature the in-ring AEW debut of Bobby Lashley who’s set to take on Swerve Strickland. MJF, Will Ospreay, Hangman Adam Page, Jay White, and more will also be in action.