3 most controversial Jon Moxley moments in AEW

Jon Moxley has carved out a memorable career in AEW. During his six-year-long stint with the Jacksonville-based promotion, The Purveyor of Violence has given several moments to cherish to the audience.

However, The One True King has had his fair share of forgettable moments since joining the Tony Khan-led company. The reigning AEW World Champion has been a part of numerous polarizing incidents in the past, which received criticism from the audience.

From agreeing to a life-threatening spot to shockingly squashing a top star, a few creative decisions involving the erstwhile Dean Ambrose did not sit well with the fans. In this article, let's look at the three most controversial Jon Moxley moments in AEW.

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#3. Jon Moxley squashing CM Punk in 2022 left the fans divided

Jon Moxley and CM Punk had an intense feud in the summer of 2022. After The Best in the World had to go on a hiatus due to his injury, The One True King took the main event scene by storm as the Interim AEW World Champion.

Following Punk's return in August 2022, the two stars began a heated feud over the AEW World Championship. In the August 24, 2022 edition of AEW Dynamite, Moxley and Punk battled each other to determine the Undisputed World Champion of All Elite Wrestling.

In a shocking turn of events, The Purveyor of Violence made quick work of The Voice of the Voiceless in this contest. CM Punk's foot injury resurfaced early in the match, making him a vulnerable entity against Moxley.

The Ace of All Elite Wrestling took advantage of Punk not being at 100 percent and demolished him in under five minutes to become the new World Champion. Tony Khan booked this finish to set up a rematch between the two stars at All Out 2022, where The Straight Edge Superstar went on to reclaim his title.

However, the moment did not receive the desired positive response from the audience initially. The Best in the World later revealed in his now-deleted Instagram posts that Jon Moxley refused to take a loss in their first match, as he wanted to recreate a similar scenario as the heroic Rocky 3 movie.

As per Punk, he was yet to be medically cleared after his foot surgery, but the creative team urged him to return and put Moxley over in their five-minute squash match on Dynamite.

The whole saga brought Jon Moxley in a negative light, as he was criticized for abusing his creative control.

#2. The ending to Revolution 2021 remains one of AEW's most disappointing moments

At Revolution 2021, Jon Moxley clashed against Kenny Omega in an Exploding Barbed Wire Deathmatch. The Ace of All Elite Wrestling ended up on the losing side in this contest, courtesy of interferences from The Good Brothers.

After the match, Omega and his allies left Moxley lifeless in the ring, as the timer for the detonator went off. Eddie Kingston came out to rescue his best friend, but he was not able to drag Moxley out of the ring on time.

The Elite had promised to install dangerous explosives that would leave Daily's Place in tatters after the end of the Moxley vs. Omega match. It all ended up being a facade, as fans only got to see sparkles coming out of ring posts in the name of explosives.

The match failed to live up to the expectations. The underwhelming ending further left a sour taste in the mouths of the audience. To make matters worse, The Mad King kept selling the effects of the fake explosion spot.

The Elite, Eddie Kingston, and Moxley all received their fair share of criticism for their inability to deliver a compelling end to Revolution 2021. After the dust settled, The Exploding Barbed Wire Deathmatch ended up as the most forgettable encounter of Jon Moxley's career.

#1. Jon Moxley was heavily criticized for putting himself in danger on Dynamite

Jon Moxley defended his AEW World Championship against Cope in a Street Fight on Dynamite. The two veterans seemed determined to redeem themselves from their underwhelming encounter at Revolution 2025.

The match was quite decent, filled with several entertaining spots. However, one specific spot in particular drew huge criticism from fans and critics alike.

At one point in the contest, The Rated-R Superstar planted Moxley on a plank of nails with a suplex. It was one of the grossest visuals in the history of pro wrestling, as the sight of the nails being stuck into The One True King's flesh left the audience in shock.

The Purveyor of Violence was lambasted by the majority of the wrestling community for putting himself in danger in an attempt to get a pop. The spot could have done serious damage to Moxley's spine, which could have shortened his career.

It took efforts from both Wheeler Yuta and the referee to take the board of nails off the back of The Death Riders' leader. While his dedication to the business is commendable, fans did not like Jon Moxley putting himself in a life-threatening situation for their entertainment.