Dean Ambrose reverted to the sadistic and violent Jon Moxley when he left WWE. The Lunatic Fringe transformed into the Purveyor of Violence and gave AEW fans one of the greatest signings in company history.
Ambrose was a solid competitor, no doubt, but he was told to tone it down in WWE. AEW had no such restriction and ‘Mox’ was finally able to let his violent side take charge.
The evolution, both in gimmick and work rate, allowed Moxley to put on some of the best matches of his multi-year career in Tony Khan’s promotion.
These are his five best matches in AEW.
Jon Moxley vs. Mr. Brodie Lee (Double or Nothing 2020)
Moxley and Brodie Lee’s feud dates back to their time on the independent circuit, notably CZW. The pair had a fondness for brutality; one they exercised to some extent through their use of foreign objects in WWE. AEW, with its penchant for ECW-esque violence, allowed the two old rivals to showcase their brutality in a much more creative way.
Moxley and Brodie Lee co-main evented AEW Double or Nothing in 2020. The extremely physical match-up saw the then-AEW World Champion deliver three Paradigm Shifts to the Exalted One; the last one sent the two crashing through the stage. In the end, Mox prevailed by forcing Lee to pass out to a chokehold.
Moxley Vs. Bryan Danielson (Revolution 2022)
Dean Ambrose and Daniel Bryan were bitter rivals in WWE. The bad blood boiled over into AEW when Bryan joined the promotion in 2021. After working solo for a few months, Danielson approached Moxley with an offer to form an alliance. Mox initially refused and their animosity led to a classic at AEW Revolution 2022.
The former champions didn’t let their mutual respect distract them from beating the life out of each other. By the time the match reached its conclusion, both men had been busted wide open. Mox won the bout, but still refused to accept Danielson’s offer. It took the debuting William Regal to slap some sense into both men and they ended up forming the Blackpool Combat Club.
The rest was history.
Moxley Vs. Wheeler Yuta (Rampage – April 8, 2022)
Being a veteran doesn’t mean that you are carrying years of experience on your back. It means stepping in whenever you are needed to help rising stars resonate with the crowd. This is exactly what Jon Moxley did with Wheeler Yuta in 2022.
Yuta was looking to break away from Best Friends, but faced the uncertainty of going solo without direction. Moxley stepped in and helped Yuta give one of the best matches of 2022. Another great thing about this match was that it happened on free television.
Moxley Vs. Orange Cassidy (All Out 2023)
Orange Cassidy spent over 320 days as AEW International Champion. The 39-year-old proved himself to be a fighting champion through multiple successful title defenses. Not only that, Cassidy delivered great matches against his opponents.
His greatest match, perhaps, came against Jon Moxley at All Out 2023. The pair main evented the September 3rd pay-per-view event for the AEW International Championship. It was a fitting conclusion to a terrific reign as Mox finally subdued Cassidy’s undying resolve for the win.
Moxley vs. Kenny Omega (Full Gear 2019)
Jon Moxley’s AEW debut at Double or Nothing 2019 may be one of the greatest debuts in pro wrestling history. The former Dean Ambrose appeared from the crowd to enter the ring. He then destroyed Chris Jericho and the referee. The spot was followed by a brawl with Kenny Omega.
The duo gave fans a taste of what was to come at Full Gear with their Double or Nothing brawl. Mox brought Omega to his world of violence as they faced each other in one of AEW’s earliest Unsanctioned Lights Out Match at Full Gear.
The match was all sorts of brutal and had the two competitors use everything in their arsenal to destroy each other. Omega showed he was more than capable of withstanding Mox in his own environment.
However, the Purveyor of Violence spiked the Cleaner with the Paradigm Shift on the exposed wooden boards to pick up the win.
Also read: Jon Moxley Takes Pride In His Reliability, Vince McMahon Said WWE Took Him For Granted
