Opinion
Clark: Will Jon Moxley Continue His Momentum In AEW?
Jon Moxley has experienced a career resurgence in 2019. Can AEW capitalize on Moxley’s New Japan fueled hype train?
Can AEW capitalize on Moxley’s New Japan fueled hype train?
Jon Moxley has experienced a career resurgence in 2019. The man formerly known as Dean Ambrose in WWE has flourished outside of Vince McMahon’s company and he’s become the hottest star in the business, thanks to his work in New Japan Pro Wrestling. There’s no denying that The Death Rider is light years ahead of where he was as The Lunatic Fringe.
Oddly enough, it didn’t take much for Mox to change his direction. He tweaked his look, but he’s still physically recognizable. He’s expanded his move-set in the ring, but he’s still using the same finishing move. All Jon needed was a change of scenery and more importantly, creative freedom. But will he have that freedom in AEW?
All Elite Wrestling is on the verge of making history in the industry with its prime time television debut on October 2. AEW will go live two hours every Wednesday night on the TNT Network and fans all over the world are anticipating how the program will look. But they’re also anticipating how the top stars will look and that includes Jon Moxley.
Jon’s signing with the new company wasn’t exactly a foregone conclusion. But after he left WWE, it was obvious that he needed a major platform to continue his career. Mox could have returned to the independent circuit and probably made a good living without ever returning to WWE.
But he had worked hard in that company to build his character and despite how poorly he was handled, he did become a star. It only made sense that he would want to take that star-power and name recognition to another high profile entity that would showcase him the right way. AEW definitely seemed to be the right choice.
However, a funny thing happened on Jon’s way to AEW. He made a stop in New Japan and absolutely caught fire. While his fans surely expected Mox would rise to the occasion, they perhaps didn’t realize just how impressive he would be. Jon Moxley is a new man and it’s not just because of his new paycheck.
Moxley has taken New Japan by the throat and made it his company. He’s as comfortable in his own skin right now than he ever has been and it could very well be that he’s never looked this good. It’s as if there is no other destination and AEW is not on the horizon. Moxley has gone full throttle and he’s excelled in every aspect of his game.
He works each match as if it’s his last and he always leaves everything he has in the ring. Moxley has nearly reversed every negative that he experienced in WWE, which now seems to be years behind him.
Of course much of the reason for that has to do with his aforementioned freedom. New Japan talents are not overproduced. They’re not constantly directed at every turn, or coached on what to say and when to say it. Moxley, like his New Japan peers, is allowed to do what he does best without being controlled.
But what happens when the newly revitalized Jon Moxley steps back into the corporate world of pro wrestling? AEW’s power structure of Cody Rhodes, Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks aren’t exactly a quartet of stuffed suits. In fact, AEW is their first taste of being in charge of a company. But the same is not true of the Khan family.
Tony Khan is a huge fan of the business and he seems to have great ideas. He wants a return to the old school days of pro wrestling and that’s the tone he’s attempting to set with AEW. He’s surely a fan of Jon Moxley, who he knows brings a wealth of experience and talent to the table.
But Jon Moxley, despite how much he’s respected, will need to fall in line like everyone else in AEW. Television sponsors and the mainstream audience must be satisfied and the same is true of AEW’s hierarchy. Jon may not be the death match wrestler of old, but he is operating on his own terms right now. Will he do the same in AEW?
Then there’s the issue of what happens when Moxley hits the weekly grind of TV once again. Will AEW Creative know what to do with him, or will he become the silly head-case that fans followed in WWE? Is it even possible to mishandle him that badly again?
Maybe the move from New Japan to AEW will not be noticeable. It’s possible that Moxley will not have to change a thing and he can maintain his momentum. If that’s true, then fans would definitely be happy with his prime time TV run. But if he’s creatively stifled in the slightest, then it will likely be obvious to everyone watching.
Moxley’s newfound success is a direct result of the freedom he received after leaving WWE. He was mentally ready for the new start and he was anxious to prove that Vince McMahon’s company had made a mistake by misusing him. That buzz may eventually wear off and it may not. Maybe Moxley will keep moving at this pace despite where he’s working.
AEW, like New Japan, undoubtedly recognizes what an asset Moxley is to the roster. Perhaps The Death Rider will continue on this career changing run when AEW goes live on October 2. Anything less would be lunacy.
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Opinion
Chris King: The Wyatt Sicks’ Wasted Potential By WWE
Chris King takes a look at the WWE and their wasted potential of Uncle Howdy and the Wyatt Sicks faction.
Chris King takes a look at the WWE and their wasted potential of Uncle Howdy and the Wyatt Sicks faction.
It’s that time of the year again, folks; it’s unfortunate and downright awful that so many WWE superstars got released today. I’m not going to list all of them, but I am going to talk about one of my favorite factions,
The Wyatt Sicks. Nikki Cross, Joe Gacy, Erik Rowan, and Bo Dallas (Uncle Howdy) were something special. After Bo’s brother Bray Wyatt’s tragic passing, WWE felt like there was a hole that needed to be filled. Wyatt was one of the most creative and brilliant characters, and Bo would be taking over his brother’s concept and bringing it to life. In 2024, at the end of an incredible documentary highlighting Wyatt’s career and struggles, Bo appeared on the screen portrayed as Uncle Howdy. The last time Uncle Howdy was seen on-screen was at the 2023 Royal Rumble, where Wyatt defeated LA Knight in a Pitch Black Match. Howdy jumped off a structure onto Knight.
This post-credit scene sparked so much speculation and excitement that Wyatt’s brother would carry on his legacy and possibly debut the faction that was Wyatt’s concept. On the June 17th episode of Monday Night Raw, The Wyatt Sicks made their dramatic debut ,destroying the backstage area as well as “murdering” Chad Gable. It was such an iconic arrival for Howdy as he made his menacing walk from the back into the audience who were chanting “Holy Shit.” The Sicks and American Made (Chad Gable and The Creed Brothers) battled for months, with The Sicks being victorious. On the September 9th episode of Raw, The Sicks defeated them, with Howdy getting the win with Sister Abigail.
The following year, The Sicks would move over to Friday Night SmackDown, and it seemed like WWE had a plan in place. They would win the tag team championships from The Street Profits and start to look dominant. Now, what should have happened next is Howdy should have won the United States title. The Sicks could have held all the gold over on the blue brand, but it never happened. The Sicks entered into a never-ending feud with The MFT’s (Solo Sikoa, Tama Tonga, Tonga Loa, JC Mateo, and Talla Tonga.) It started off exciting, and the WWE Universe was red-hot for their interactions.
After months of repetitive matches and The MFT’s stealing their lantern, the feud grew tiresome and boring. Even Tama asked Solo why they are still holding onto the lantern, as it was destroying them as a whole. Finally on the SmackDown before Mania, Tama
gave the lantern back to Howdy against Solo’s wishes. Please explain to me why both factions fought almost every single week instead of just having one final blowoff match at WrestleMania.
It should have been either a massive street fight or a falls count anywhere match on the grandest stage of them all. Instead, it turned into a meaningless week-after-week extravaganza that benefited no one. The MFTs won the rivalry, and The Sicks don’t even work for WWE anymore. This was the same criminalized creative process that Wyatt dealt with during his first run in the company.
We’ll never know how much of a dangerous force The Wyatt Sicks could have been in the WWE. For all their careers’ sake, I hope they stay far away from the company for as long as possible. Every superstar that was cut deserves better!
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Opinion
Chris King: Bloodline Saga: Is This the Right Call For WWE?
Chris King questions the WWE’s logic in setting up Jacob Fatu as the next challenger for World Heavyweight Champion Roman Reigns
Chris King questions the WWE’s logic in setting up Jacob Fatu as the next challenger for World Heavyweight Champion Roman Reigns
Roman Reigns is once again World Heavyweight Champion after his dominant win over CM Punk at WrestleMania 42. On the following night on Monday Night Raw, The OG Bloodline came back together as a well-oiled machine as The Usos stood side by side with Roman. With the WWE Universe asking who would be the first to challenge “The Tribal Chief,” Jacob Fatu shocked the world by answering the call.
Fatu is running hot after his impressive win over Drew McIntyre and feels like he is ready to become the new world champion. This bloodline segment ended Raw, and it picked right back up on SmackDown with even Solo Sikoa and the MFTs involved. This is now two shows that have been centered around The Bloodline saga, and it’s made me question whether or not WWE should be retelling this story.
The Bloodline (Roman Reigns, The Usos, and Solo Sikoa) ran WWE for over four years as Reigns’ henchmen, doing his dirty work to retain his title. Even though Roman has declared he doesn’t want Jey and Jimmy to serve him, it sure seems like WWE are spinning their wheels. Fatu could add a whole new chapter into the story, even if he’s not able to beat Roman at Backlash. “The Samoan Werewolf” could be forced to do the same thing as Jey did all those years ago and fall in line.
In my opinion, I feel like Fatu should be challenging for the Undisputed WWE Championship because that’s a title I feel like he should win. I understand standing up to your blood and trying to prove you’re the best, but I don’t think this is the right move. It feels like 2022 all over again, as The Bloodline is the central focus on both shows. If Fatu doesn’t win, what happens to all his momentum he’s been building over the last two years?
Why did WWE make this the best choice for storyline purposes? Why couldn’t creative have come up with a different challenger for Roman? There are so many other superstars that could challenge The Tribal Chief, such as Rusev, Bron Breakker, Gunther, or even a returning Sheamus.
I just can’t help but question WWE’s logic here, and it kind of reminds me of all the times The Shield reunited. Could WWE be pushing the same storyline too many times here? Could the WWE Universe get tired of this rinse and repeat cycle of The Bloodline Saga?
Are we about to see all the weekly episodes solely focused on The Bloodline again? Will it be cinema… Yes. Is there still money in The Bloodline… Yes. Was it the right call? That’s to be determined!
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