Reason Jon Moxley Won’t Defend IWGP World Title At Double Or Nothing

Jon Moxley will be in non-title action at AEW Double or Nothing.

It’s been announced that Jon Moxley will take on Konosuke Takeshita at AEW Double or Nothing. The bout will be a World Title Eliminator, meaning that if Takeshita wins, he’ll earn a shot at Moxley’s IWGP World Heavyweight Championship.

Moxley has held the gold since defeating Tetsuya Naito at NJPW Windy City on April 12th, defending it three times to date.

Why Is Jon Moxley Vs. Konosuke Takeshita Non-Title?

Following the announcement, some fans wondered why the match wasn’t for the title, but Dave Meltzer thinks he has the answer.

Writing in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Meltzer explained that Moxley’s already announced title defence against EVIL may have caused NJPW to block another title match before Dominion.

I would suspect Moxley vs. Takeshita being non-title is because New Japan controls the IWGP belt and doesn’t like to announce title bouts with another one scheduled. With Moxley vs. Evil at Dominion on 6/9, that would make it difficult for Moxley to defend before that date. Having said that, this is pro wrestling and all rules are situational.

The match comes after Konosuke Takeshita admitted he hadn’t been enjoying life in AEW since moving to the United States.