Heaven knows we’ve been teased and tested along the way, but heading into this weekend’s AEW All In Texas event, you get the sense that it’s finally happening. Jon Moxley’s reign of terror is coming to an end.
Reign of terror, you say? Well, how else do you describe the fact the Death Riders have ruled over the AEW world championship with an iron fist in a way not seen before in Tony Khan’s promotion? But, yes, there’s also the fact Moxley himself has been perhaps the most divisive champion in modern wrestling, and that a sizable chunk of fans see his dominance as an abomination.
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But why all the Moxley hatred? On the face of it, his whole schtick hasn’t been that big a departure from the established heel playbook. Plenty of “tough guy” champs have enjoyed dominant reigns without being popular. But how many have had fans actively jeering, “Bulls***!” when they win?
Sometimes I wonder if the rage-baiting is the whole point. When you look at how the Death Riders are presented, there’s something gratuitous about their whole biker gang vibe that goes beyond the traditional heel factions. The point isn’t just to win the match, but to actively pulverize opponents in a way you rarely see in WWE (at least when The Rock and Travis Scott aren’t around).
The mold was established on the first night Moxley became champion. Having already scored a gut-punch win over Bryan Danielson (just listen to the air go out of the room when he beats the most beloved man in the company), Moxley and his goons proceeded to beat “The American Dragon” senseless. Lowlights included suffocating him with a plastic bag and stomping on his neck in an obvious reference to Danielson’s legitimate injury history.
Jon Moxley, pictured here with the IWGP World Heavweight Championship, puts the AEW title up for grabs against ‘Hangman’ Adam Page at All In Texas, and there’s only one right choice. (Photo by Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
(Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
That sort of ultraviolence can work well when used discerningly and at the right moments — like The Bloodline savaging Kevin Owens after Royal Rumble 2024. But when it’s forced down our throats time after time, accompanied by another Moxley victory we probably didn’t want in the first place? It’s no wonder this run has tested the patience of AEW fans.
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Add on top of that, some of the more inexplicable narrative decisions — and I’m not talking about little quirks like the Death Riders locking away the title in a briefcase (Personally, I always wondered if that was a satirical commentary on Jon Jones running away with UFC’s heavyweight title). But how do you explain the Young Bucks suddenly appearing out of nowhere to kick Swerve Strickland into oblivion just when Mox was actually on the ropes for once? Did we ever get an answer to that?
It isn’t that there isn’t a place for the Death Riders in AEW. Compared to the more rigid nature of WWE, Khan’s promotion has always endorsed a wider diversity of wrestling styles, and presumably some folks like the bar-fight, death-match stuff. What should be obvious even to them, though, is Moxley isn’t working as the top guy.
In fairness, AEW has been telegraphing the end of Moxley’s reign for a while now, even if most of us erroneously guessed it would be Will Ospreay who would be doing the honors. The whole story of the last few months has been how the winner of the Owen Hart Cup will go on to challenge Moxley at All In — the biggest show on the AEW calendar. That will now culminate with “Hangman” Adam Page vs. Jon Moxley in a Texas Death Match main event.
It isn’t just that “Hangman” needs to win for narrative reasons. It’s that putting the belt on one of AEW’s most loyal soldiers and consistent performers is the perfect way to usher in a new era for the challenger promotion — one that takes hold of all the things that seem to be going in the right direction for Khan right now while also setting up things for an excellent end to the year.
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We’ve mentioned a few times at Uncrowned that AEW is on a bit of a run right now (Death Riders storyline aside). Viewing figures and live audiences have been picking up, after a noticeable 2024 slump, this year. On this week’s media call, Khan said he expects All In to do a $3 million gate in Texas, which, if accurate, is seriously impressive.
Wrestling-wise, Ospreay and Swerve are both still red-hot with fans, despite their respective setbacks. Kenny Omega is back on his feet after his health issues, while MJF is jelling nicely with The Hurt Syndicate — which looks as good as it ever did in WWE — all while having a solid feud with Místico. You also have new talents like Megan Bayne and Kevin Knight establishing names for themselves.
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As much as the gambling metaphors have been done to death with AEW, you have to admit that it all looks like a seriously strong hand for Khan. If there was ever a time to reset things at the top and tell stories that don’t end with your best babyfaces being choked out with plastic bags, now is the time to do it.
Again, all signs point to that happening this weekend. But when you’ve confidently set out predictions about how Moxley’s title run will end — only to see them go up in smoke — you learn to be a bit more cautious. Sometimes I wonder if all our hopes just end up contributing to some cosmic jinx that keeps the Death Riders on top.
Come Saturday evening, we’ll know the answer to all those questions. And right now, the smart money has been on “Hangman” scoring the victory and becoming the first non-Death Rider to even touch the world title (quite literally) in this calendar year. At that moment, AEW can finally put those “bulls***” chants firmly in the past.
On the other hand, if things go the other way, then Khan’s company might want to update its motto. I suggest: “AEW: Where the Best Wrestle — Before Being Choked Out Again by Jon Freaking Moxley.”