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All Elite Wrestling put on its first show entitled Double or Nothing on pay-per-view and the card was stacked. While there were some disappointments, overall it was a pretty good show.
The main event ended with Chris Jericho picking up the victory against Kenny Omega in what was a pretty solid contest. And then out of the blue, Jon Moxley arrived.
A lot of you know Jon Moxley as Dean Ambrose from his time in WWE. He was a member of The Shield and one of the top babyfaces (and heels, if only for a short spell) of WWE in the current era.
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But now, he seems all set and primed to be the face of AEW.
#5 He pretty much told us that he would be appearing at AEW Double or Nothing
Jon Moxley released a video at midnight on the 1st of May, the day his contract ran out. There was a lot of speculation with regard to the fact that the video had been produced by WWE, considering the really high production budget. Little do people know that AEW is run by the Khan family, a significantly richer family than the McMahons.
In one of the scenes during the video, we see two pieces of dice that are an obvious connection to the gambling and casino theme of 'Double or Nothing'. The two pieces of dice show the numbers 'two' and 'five' indicating the fact that Moxley was always going to show up at the event. And show up he did, with little fanfare but to a lot of adulation from all the fans in attendance.
As good as the show had been up until this point, it was Moxley's arrival that pretty much changed the game. Vince McMahon should be worried.
#4 A lot more creative freedom than WWE
One of my favorite segments from last year happened when Dean Ambrose turned heel on RAW. The timing was great because it happened on the same night that Roman Reigns announced to the world that he was stepping away as he had cancer. Dean Ambrose shocked the world by turning on Seth Rollins that evening.
And then, with this base to build upon, Dean Ambrose did nothing. Week after week, they just had him show up in the crowd and cut promos about getting shots because he hates the audience so much. It was a waste of his talents and I'm sure the main reason that he quit WWE.
From the looks of it, Moxley will enjoy a hundred times more creative freedom in All Elite Wrestling. The think tank is significantly younger and as has been mentioned a million times, every match will have some significance.
#3 A fresh pool of opponents
Jon Moxley has spent many years within the WWE system. A lot of people have asked through the years what it would be like if he were to take on say, Kenny Omega or even someone like Jimmy Havoc, who has a similar hardcore background.
Even if he were to take on someone like Chris Jericho once again, it would be a very different rivalry from the one they had over 'Mitch', the infamous potted plant. Both characters feel a lot bigger and a lot more important than the underwhelming feud we were subject to in WWE.
Moxley has a lot of money right now and an artist to his core, his objective right now is to tell compelling stories. He can paint on a blank canvas in AEW, if all goes well.
Because let's be honest...do we really want to see another Ambrose vs. Rollins program as we'd inevitably see in WWE?
#2 A nod back to Scott Hall arriving from the audience
I'm sure that more than one person thought of this segment when Jon Moxley arrived through the crowd following the main event match. Some say that the Monday Night Wars really got underway when Scott Hall came in through the audience during an episode of WCW Nitro. In much the same way, Moxley's arrival was a big game changer for AEW.
The Scott Hall moment was a lot more shocking for the audience on hand because of the simple fact that there weren't speculation pages for his arrival on the internet. In fact, I'm sure that our readers know that I already posted a speculation article for Jon Moxley's arrival at AEW Double or Nothing. But this was the biggest moment from the show by far.
Before this, Double or Nothing was a show. And now, it is a statement.
#1 Hardcore wrestling
Anyone who watched AEW's inaugural show entitled 'Double or Nothing' knows that it will be a lot more 'hardcore' than WWE's PG product. If the abundance of blood during the Dustin vs. Cody match wasn't enough to convince you, the brawl between Moxley and Omega through the crowd certainly should.
Jon Moxley came up through the independents and was known for his hardcore style of wrestling. Unfortunately, this side of his personality had to be curbed during his WWE days because of the company's family-friendly policy.
But not only does Moxley now have a whole lot of hardcore specialists like Jimmy Havoc and Joey Janela to work with, but he can also actually take part in some brutal matches. AEW does not seem to be as geared towards kids as the current WWE product is, I believe.
Jon Moxley could potentially thrive in such an environment and showcase his true skill-set.
