After beginning his third tenure as AEW World Champion at Grand Slam, Jon Moxley has been rewarded with a new five-year extension that will keep him with the promotion until 2027.
That's right, gone are the hopes for a Dean Ambrose return in WWE – or even a Jon Moxley match on a WWE x AEW co-produced show, considering how Triple H has tried to steal talent away from his rival promoter – and in their place are a half-decade of Moxley matches in an AEW ring with the added bonus of expanded responsibilities as a coach and backstage mentor. Check out the official press release from the company below:
October 7, 2022 – AEW CEO, GM and Head of Creative Tony Khan announced that AEW World Champion Jon Moxley has signed a five-year contract extension. This ensures that one of professional wrestling’s top stars will remain in All Elite Wrestling through 2027, while expanding his responsibilities to include mentoring and coaching talent. Moving forward, Moxley will work exclusively for AEW and its international partners, including New Japan Pro Wrestling, where he is a two-time IWGP United States Heavyweight Champion.
Moxley has had an incredible run in 2022, most recently recapturing the AEW World Championship at “AEW: Dynamite GRAND SLAM” against Bryan Danielson, pitting the Blackpool Combat Club’s top stars against one another for the grandest prize in professional wrestling. He defends the AEW World Championship next against Hangman Adam Page in his hometown of Cincinnati, Ohio, on Oct. 18 on a special Tuesday edition of “AEW: Dynamite,” live on TBS at 8 p.m. ET. Moxley will kick off the action on tonight’s live episode of “AEW: Rampage,” the first night of year four of AEW on TNT at 10 p.m. ET / 9 p.m. CT.
“Jon Moxley is on the best run of his already legendary career, and this five-year extension ensures that he was not only here for AEW’s meteoric rise, but also remains a key part of the sustained success we’re witnessing, just days after the three-year anniversary show for ‘AEW: Dynamite,’” said Tony Khan. “Jon is a great world champion for us in his third reign. His wrestling mind is invaluable, and our roster is lucky to have the opportunity to utilize him as a mentor and a coach as we continue to build the stars of today and tomorrow.”
“I love AEW and the spirit of both the company and its fans,” said Jon Moxley. “I cherish our shared passion for the sport of professional wrestling, and I’m going to dedicate everything I have in mind, body and spirit to helping AEW be the best it can be going forward.”
All things considered, that's nice, but what's that little bit in there about “work exclusively for AEW and its international partners” does that mean no more GCW, where Mox is currently champion? If so, that shouldn't be too much of a problem, as the three-time champion is, in all likelihood, about to lose his strap in a “Title vs. Career” match against none other than the leader of MDK himself, Nick “F'n” Gage.
Jon Moxley is going to put down the broken old dog called Nick Gage #GCWHomecoming pic.twitter.com/s9Oj3LfNXn
— Tripping Balls (@IsThisWrestling) August 14, 2022
Will Mox's match at Fight Club end his GCW run pre-AEW Extention?
Before Moxley turns his attention to “Hangman” Adam Page on a special Tuesday edition of Dynamite in a little under two weeks, he has an even more consequential match on the books in a bout between the proprietor of the “Death Rider” and the “The King Of Ultraviolence,” Nick Gage. If Moxley wins, then Gage has to retire, which wouldn't be the worst thing imaginable, considering the state of his body and his legendary status in the GCW Universe. And if he loses? Well, Moxley will have to drop his strap to Gage and may feel so obliged – especially after his new AEW contract – to leave the world of light tubes and door spots behind in favor of the objectively safe world of AEW.
“I love my dog, he's six years old,” Moxley stated in a promo hyping up the match. “He's probably got about four or five years left in him, he's not moving around too well. And when he's in too much pain, and it's too painful for him to move around and have a happy life, I'm going to put him down because I love him. And it was one year ago that I was trying to put you down like a dog because I love you. And your body got your message, but your brain didn't get the message. You want another shot, Nicky? I'll give you one last show. It's going to be title versus your career.”
Did Brett Lauderdale and company know about Mox's forthcoming situation when the match was booked? Probably not, but in a weird twist of serendipity, it looks like Moxley may have stumbled into the perfect finale to his career in GCW.
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