5 Opponents for Jon Moxley in AEW after Brian Cage

Jon Moxley had a rough couple of weeks. His wife, Renee Young, was diagnosed with COVID-19. His friend Danny Havoc passed away at the tragically young age of 34. You certainly wouldn’t blame him for not having his full focus on professional wrestling.

But at AEW Fight for the Fallen, Jon Moxley showed up in a big way. He had excellent in-ring work throughout the World Title Match. When Taz threw in the towel, Moxley retained his title yet again. Jon Moxley is having one of the best years in his professional career and it was truly on full display last Wednesday night.

The question is, what happens next for Mox? AEW had had a pattern on bringing in fresh talent and having Jon Moxley defeat him on a major show. As we look forward to the AEW’s All Out pay-per-view, Jon Moxley is going to need a credible opponent to face on that major event. It will be a real challenge.

As we look forward to the future AEW World Title Opponents, I present my list of top five opponents for Jon Moxley after his Brian Cage victory:

#5 Chris Jericho

Is it time to revisit this long feud?

Chris Jericho has been really busy lately. Whether it is fighting The Elite, discussing his role as the Demo King or getting drenched in gallons of orange juice. Chris Jericho has been doing some great work against Orange Cassidy in recent weeks. But he isn’t called Le Champion for nothing.

Chris Jericho was excellent as the top guy in the company. It seems strange he never really got a rematch with Moxley for the AEW World Title. Jericho could show his frustration with being ignored in the AEW title hunt and with some just cause. He led the company quite successfully at the World Champ for nearly six months. It seems time for him to get another shot at the man he stole his title.

#4 Lance Archer

Is it time to bring the New Japan feud to the United States?

What has happened to Lance Archer? He was an unstoppable monster for months as he destroyed every opponent in his way. The path of destruction ended in clean fashion against Cody at AEW Double or Nothing. Since then, Lance Archer has had little to do except a short feud with Joey Janela. He hasn’t been a major part of Dynamite in weeks.

It seems like it is the right time to build him back up again.

Lance Archer has shown himself to pretty talented in the ring. A match with Jon Moxley would be a great contrast of styles. You can see it the one time they met at Wrestle Kingdom this year. It led to a very physical and hard-hitting feud.

But one of the best reasons to have a feud is the possibilities with Lance Archer’s manager, Jake “The Snake” Roberts. Jake has been fantastic on the mic since his return. Could you imagine his promos against a talented talker Jon Moxley? It would be amazing fun and give Jon Moxley a chance to work with one of his pro wrestling idols in Roberts. It seems like an excellent route for the AEW Championship to go in coming months.

#3 Darby Allin

Can these two put on a great feud?

At the end of last week’s Fight for the Fallen, Darby Allin returned after a long absence to assist Jon Moxley and attack Brian Cage. While it makes a lot of sense to begin a Cage-Allin feud, it also makes sense to start a major Allin-Moxley feud too. I mean, why not save the guy and the title you want?

Darby Allin has clearly established himself as one of the best young talents in the company. Just look at his series of matches with Cody as clear examples of his amazing in-ring talent. Darby also is one of the biggest risk-takers in the company. He always seems willing to put his body on the line no matter the physical cost to himself. Hence the reason he has been injured a lot in his short time in AEW.

That seems like the perfect opponent for Jon Moxley. Moxley’s career as a hardcore wrestler is well established in promotions like CZW. Jon Moxley has even been involved in some brutal affairs with Joey Janela and Kenny Omega in AEW. What would happen if we put the young risk-taker against the hardcore legend? I am sure it would be painful, bloody and highly entertaining for all the wrestling fans.

#2 Kenny Omega

Can these two top their match at Full Gear?

I am sure we all remember the last time Kenny Omega and Jon Moxley met in the AEW ring. It was the Lights Out Match at AEW Full Gear. It was one of the most violent and brutal hardcore matches in a long time in mainstream professional wrestling. Jon Moxley won that night, but it seemed like the two could pull off some other great matches in the future.

But that didn’t happen. Jon Moxley went on to a World Title feud. Kenny Omega went on to the Tag Team division. However, Fight for the Fallen brought an interesting twist. Kenny Omega attack Marko Stunt after their six-man tag match. Could Kenny Omega be turning to the dark side?

That would seem to open up a lot of possible feuds if he did. Besides The Elite, he does have a lot of unfinished business with Jon Moxley. Mox had gotten the better of Kenny Omega at every turn in AEW. As New Japan proved, Kenny Omega can be a great heel too. A feud with the champion might be just what he needs to be a bigger star again.

#1 MJF

He is better than us and he knows it.

As I sure he would tell you constantly, MJF hasn’t lost a singles match in AEW. It is amazing to think it has been nearly five months since MJF defeated Cody at AEW Revolution. It seems like that would have been his major breakthrough moment. It was not. Since that time, he has feuded some with Jungle Boy and the Jurassic Express but otherwise hasn’t been involved in any title feuds. It seems beyond time to change that.

Since Cody is going to the dark side, it makes the most sense for MJF to turn his sights to Jon Moxley. It is exciting to image the promos the two could pull off. After all, neither MJF nor Jon Moxley has lost a singles match in All Elite Wrestling. MJF is one of the best heels and best talkers in the entire company. It would be a lot of fun to see what he and Jon Moxley could come up with. It is also important to remember that both are wrestling at an extremely high level in 2020. Just look back at MJF match against Jungle Boy at AEW Double or Nothing as a great example.

The feud between MJF and Jon Moxley would be between one of the best young talents in the company against the biggest name in the company. I am sure all AEW fans cannot wait for this feud to begin.