NJPW News: Jon Moxley reveals why he isn't wrestling in jeans anymore

What’s the story?

IWGP United States Champion Jon Moxley recently spoke in an interview on NJPW’s official website. He was asked about his transition from WWE and how NJPW was different. Moreover, the topic of his ring attire was brought up, which prompted him to explain why he was not wearing jeans to the ring anymore.

In case you didn’t know...

Dean Ambrose left the WWE recently and has jumped ship to AEW and NJPW, reverting to his Jon Moxley persona in the process. He has found new success since his departure and is happy doing what he loves - wrestling. He made a huge impact on his AEW debut, when he attacked Kenny Omega after the main event of the 'Double or Nothing' event. During his NJPW appearance, however, his attire was quite different.

The heart of the matter...

In his interview, he stated:

That idea was presented to me and at first I did think it was leaning a little on things I'd done in the past. But thinking a bit about it, it was definitely the right thing to do. I don't want to be 'too cool' and ignore the things I have done. It is a cool entrance, and something I helped trail-blaze. The best thing about it was that it was a mood changer. The atmosphere instantly changed and I could feel that change. Plus, Sumo Hall is such a cool arena, so historic, and to have that view from the top of the stairs, that was a really cool sight."

He was further asked if wrestling at Sumo Hall for NJPW was different from his time with WWE. He said that he has wrestled in the arena six to seven times before, but it was different because then he wrestled as Dean Ambrose for WWE fans. Now he was wrestling as Moxley, and his focus was to build his character through his actions in the ring. Moxley enjoyed the experience and commended Japanese fans for their respect and love for professional wrestling.

Moxley surprised a lot of fans when he wrestled in short tights. He explained the change in his own words -

I wanted to change my look, for sure. When I was in WWE, I always wrestled in jeans, and there was a reason for that; everybody else had fancy tights and I wanted to be the opposite. More grungy, a street fighter type. But wrestling in jeans, honestly, it sucks. They are hot, sweaty, hard to move in. I am done with wrestling in jeans! It is so much easier to wrestle in tights.

What next?

It seems that Jon Moxley is settling into life after WWE. This will not be good news for Vince McMahon and the WWE as he is still a big match player. It will be interesting to see how things plan out for him, as he still has a long way to go in terms of his in-ring career. Let’s wait and watch!