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Jon Moxley, formerly known as Dean Ambrose, is currently one of the hottest commodities in all of pro wrestling. Moxley has established himself as a legitimate box office attraction since he signed with All Elite Wrestling. He has been the face of AEW for a year now, and he has beaten wrestling legends like Chris Jericho and Kenny Omega.
But Moxley wasn't quite as successful as a member of the WWE Universe. As a WWE Superstar, he went by the name of Dean Ambrose. He was a solid upper mid-card act in WWE. Though he became a WWE Grand Slam Champion, the company never used Ambrose to his fullest potential. He was often booked terribly, and this misusage ultimately led to his departure.
Still, Ambrose's character was one of the best things for WWE in the last decade. He was a part of many unforgettable moments during his time with the company. Ambrose was also a fan-favorite star, and he established himself as a household name.
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The success of both Jon Moxley and Dean Ambrose often leads people to draw parallels between these characters. Here's a look at three reasons why Moxley is better than Ambrose and two reasons why he isn't.
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#3 Why Jon Moxley is better: He has better in-ring matches than Dean Ambrose
This one is a no-brainer. Moxley typically has better in-ring matches than Dean Ambrose. Since he left WWE, Moxley has had some unforgettable classics all over the world. These matches have allowed Moxley to showcase his tremendous wrestling ability.
While Moxley proved himself as a world-class competitor, Ambrose was always treated as an average in-ring wrestler by WWE. He had a very limited move set, which made him look weak against renowned wrestling specialists like Kevin Owens and AJ Styles.
To be fair, Ambrose had some good matches. His battles with Styles, Triple H, and Seth Rollins were some instant classics. But none of those matches can surpass the quality of Moxley's vicious bouts with Minoru Suzuki, Juice Robinson, and Darby Allin.
Moxley also has the hardcore element in his matches, which was something Dean Ambrose rarely got to use.
#2 Why Dean Ambrose is better: Ambrose was a better overall competitor
Now, it might seem contradictory to the previous point, but Dean Ambrose is a better overall in-ring wrestler than Moxley. Moxley has competed in many high-quality bouts. But plenty of those matches get overlooked by the hardcore stuff that Moxley does.
Moxley is famous for hardcore wrestling. But the excessive usage of weapons in his matches often overshadows Moxley's in-ring ability. He often gets criticized for doing too many hardcore spots. Out of Moxley's seven pay-per-view appearances in AEW, six of them involved the usage of weapons.
Some fans see this as a weakness. Relying on weapons can make it seem like Moxley is unable to tell a story in the ring. Legendary Superstars like Stone Cold Steve Austin and The Rock didn't always use weapons to assert their dominance.
Even within WWE's strict limits, Dean Ambrose managed to create his image as a dangerous character. In his matches with Rollins and Styles, Ambrose was able to tell a compelling story without using weapons.
Although he wasn't excellent in the ring, Dean Ambrose always delivered solid performances in the ring. He was able to channel the crowd's reactions during his matches. He was also a safe worker. Ambrose was a great seller, and he made his opponents look good in the ring. Moxley should also reduce the usage of weapons in his matches so he can look even stronger in the ring.
#2 Why Jon Moxley is better: He's better than Dean Ambrose on the microphone
Dean Ambrose used to be one of the best talkers in WWE. His promos were top-notch, and he instantly got everybody invested in the ongoing storyline. That is one of the main reasons why Ambrose was made the mouthpiece of The Shield. But none of those Dean Ambrose promos can be compared to what Jon Moxley does in AEW.
Moxley has cut some of the best promos of all time in AEW. All of his promos are filled with love and passion for wrestling. From wrestling veterans like Taz to rising Superstars like MJF, no one has been able to one-up Moxley as a trash-talker. Just take a look at this short clip of a contract signing between Moxley and MJF.
Moxley also has the believability element in his promos, which was not always present when Dean Ambrose had a microphone in his hands. His entire storyline with Brock Lesnar is a prime example of that weakness. Throughout the rivalry, Dean Ambrose bragged about hurting Lesnar with various weapons, but he didn't use any of them against "The Beast Incarnate."
These shortcomings hurt the credibility of the character. Luckily, Moxley backs up his words with his actions. That's why he's one of the best talkers in modern professional wrestling.
#2 Why Dean Ambrose is better: his character was more layered
This point might be a hot take, but it's fair to argue that Dean Ambrose had a better character than Jon Moxley.
Moxley's character is that of an anti-hero who believes in uncontrolled violence. He doesn't fear anyone, and he loves to fight against the odds. While the above description is enough to make Moxley an interesting character, the truth is that it makes him look like the "Stone Cold" of AEW.
Moxley's character is quite similar to Steve Austin's gimmick in the Attitude Era. Of course, it is not easy to recreate the magic of a character that has been done before. While Moxley has done a great job with his current persona, his gimmick is not as intriguing as the one Dean Ambrose had.
Dean Ambrose's character was always popular among the fans. He was an unhinged lunatic who seemingly couldn't be controlled. Just like Moxley, Ambrose was often portrayed as an underdog. But Ambrose was always more creative in the ways he handled his issues. Some of his acts might look ridiculous, but he was unpredictable.
It was a very unique gimmick, and Dean Ambrose played it to perfection. His character was at its peak in 2016, when the WWE Universe rooted for Dean Ambrose to main event WrestleMania.
Unfortunately, WWE never fully capitalized on the brilliance of Dean Ambrose. Still, he still remains one of the best WWE gimmicks of the last decade. Moxley is a decent character with proper booking. But Dean Ambrose was a magnificent character that got wasted due to WWE's poor booking.
#1 Why Jon Moxley is better: Moxley is a better champion than Dean Ambrose
Dean Ambrose was one of the few Grand Slam Champions in WWE. During his stint with the company, Ambrose captured the WWE United States Title once, the WWE Intercontinental title three times, and the WWE title once. He also became a two-time WWE RAW Tag Team Champion with Seth Rollins.
But none of those title reigns were memorable. On paper, Dean Ambrose is the longest-reigning WWE United States Champion in the modern era. Unfortunately, there was nothing significant about the reign itself, as Ambrose barely defended his title.
It seemed like Ambrose was one of those Superstars who didn't need a title to stay relevant. Still, he never got a truly successful run with a world title.
But as Jon Moxley, he quickly became one of the most unforgettable champions in wrestling history. Moxley captured his first AEW World Championship by defeating his long-time rival, Chris Jericho. He had a 9-month long reign as the champion.
During his reign, Moxley faced some of the biggest Superstars on the AEW Roster. From conquering big men like Brodie Lee and Jake Hager to taking out evil masterminds like MJF and Eddie Kingston, Moxley always prevailed as a dominant champion.
This reign was also special in another way, as it came during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Moxley did a great job in keeping the fans at home entertained. He looked like a star, and he came across as one of the leading competitors in AEW. That's why he takes the edge over Dean Ambrose.
