Jon Moxley
Fans who want Dean Ambrose to come “home” haven’t read Jon Moxley’s autobiography, where his frustrations with the WWE creative system go beyond McMahon-centric creative. In AEW, the real-life Jonathan Good can be a version of himself that, through good, bad, and ugly periods, represents something more meaningful than the hollow title of the Lunatic Fringe.
Moxley is no longer reliant on props, comedy, restraint, or inconsistency for characterisation. Instead, Moxley has pushed the full range of creative boundaries in AEW through different periods while remaining at his core, the same embodiment of the alternative in pro wrestling.
It cuts both ways. The glorious AEW World Championship reign in the Pandemic contrasts with the sometimes groin-inducing and frustrating nature of the Death Riders. Although Moxley’s character can swing from an impossible-to-relate-to 90s action hero caricature to being the coolest guy in the room, he is always something more than unhinged. Moxley’s character has been an anchor for AEW through its history.
