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7 Dream Matches for Jon Moxley in AEW and NJPW That Must Become a Reality
June 5, 20197 Dream Matches for Jon Moxley in AEW and NJPW That Must Become a Reality
Jon Moxley is a pretty hot commodity in the world of wrestling right now—if the reaction he received at All Elite Wrestling's premiere pay-per-view Double or Nothing on May 25 was anything to go by.
It didn't take him long to prove himself. Almost immediately, he was announced for several upcoming AEW events following his electric debut in addition to a handful of independent wrestling shows in the northeast.
As if that wasn't enough, news broke on Memorial Day that he is headed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling on Wednesday for the first time in his career. There, he will challenge Juice Robinson for the IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship.
While we have yet to see him compete in a match since leaving WWE in April, he's bound to bring his A-game every time he steps inside the squared circle going forward. His renewed passion for pro wrestling, combined with the change of scenery, will no doubt be a recipe for success for the wrestler formerly known as Dean Ambrose outside of WWE.
With Moxley making the rounds right now, there are quite a few dream matches involving him that fans would love nothing more than to see become a reality. His scheduled clash with Joey Janela at AEW Fyter Fest on June 29 will be the first of many exciting Moxley matchups to come.
Both AEW and NJPW are stockpiled with talent these days, but these seven stars lead the list of most anticipated opponents for Jon Moxley at the moment.
Kenny Omega
The seeds for a match with Kenny Omega were planted at AEW Double or Nothing when Jon Moxley made his debut and immediately targeted the former IWGP heavyweight champion. He didn't go down to the Dirty Deeds as easily as Chris Jericho, though; Omega reversed the move and brawled with Moxley through the crowd and to the stage.
Moxley ended up laying out Omega with his signature move before tossing him off the stack of poker chips through a platform down below. It was a well-executed angle that set the stage for a future faceoff between the two, likely at All Out in September.
Omega and Moxley were positioned as main event players in their respective promotions in the years preceding their AEW debuts. While The Cleaner contested instant classic after instant classic in NJPW, Moxley mixed it up with the best WWE had to offer during his time on top from 2016 to 2019.
Moxley was far from the greatest wrestler while with WWE (though part of that could have been because he was limited in what he could do), but he always meshed well with the likes of AJ Styles and Seth Rollins. He rose to the occasion when needed, and Omega would be no exception.
Jericho vs. Adam Page is already on the bill for All Out, and Omega vs. Moxley would be another excellent addition to that card.
Kazuchika Okada
Kazuchika Okada has been the measuring stick for success in New Japan Pro-Wrestling for nearly a decade. Although international icons such as AJ Styles and Kenny Omega have come and gone, The Rainmaker has stayed put to ensure NJPW remains a place where wrestlers from all walks of life want to work.
He is perhaps best known for his record-setting 720-day reign as IWGP heavyweight champion from 2016 to 2018. During that period, he contested a spectacular series of matches with Omega that are widely regarded by fans to be some of the best of all time anywhere.
Okada recently regained the title by beating Jay White at the historic G1 Supercard event over WrestleMania weekend. His next scheduled major title defense will come against Chris Jericho at Dominion this weekend, but after Okada runs through Jericho with ease, there aren't too many challengers waiting in the wings for him.
Enter Jon Moxley.
Granted, his status as an AEW-contracted talent would make a match between them fairly predictable, but it wouldn't necessarily have to be for NJPW's top title. In fact, fans would surely settle for a non-title affair, simply so they could witness them wage war for the first time ever.
It's virtually impossible for anyone to have a below-average match with Okada. If Moxley was determined to steal the show with him, there's no doubt they would.
Adam Page
The rest of Adam Page's buddies in The Elite tend to overshadow him more often than not, making it easy to forget just how naturally skilled the blue chipper is.
Page started out as a no-name competitor in Ring of Honor before joining Bullet Club in 2016. After adopting the Hangman persona, he quickly found his footing as a character and was eventually given more opportunities to shine in his matches.
Hangman's final match in ROH against Jeff Cobb at Final Battle 2018 showcased his strengths as an in-ring performer and only reaffirmed what most already knew: He is a future star of this business. At only 27 years old, he has his entire career ahead of him.
It's clear All Elite Wrestling plans to build around Page as one of their top talents, which would explain why he'll be involved in the first-ever AEW World Championship match with Chris Jericho at All Out in August. Page remaining in chase mode for a little longer would allow him to transition into a rivalry with Jon Moxley by the end of the year.
Both men have proved in the past they are willing to endure excruciating levels of pain in order to emerge victoriously. A Falls Count Anywhere match would suit these two the best, but even without a stipulation to work with, they would still find a way to push the limits and leave the audience in awe.
Kota Ibushi
Before signing a full-time contract with New Japan Pro-Wrestling earlier this year, Kota Ibushi prided himself on being one of the hottest free agents in the wrestling world and working wherever he pleased.
He even took his talents to WWE for the first-and-only Cruiserweight Classic in the summer of 2016. Over the course of the tournament, he put on some of the best bouts in the company all year with Cedric Alexander, The Brian Kendrick and TJP.
Ultimately, he passed on signing with WWE, which was the best decision he could have made for himself. Since then, he's been back in Japan honing his craft and stacking up victories over Cody, Kenny Omega, Zack Sabre Jr. and Tetsuya Naito.
At G1 Supercard in April, Ibushi picked up his biggest win in NJPW to date when he won the IWGP Intercontinental Heavyweight Championship.
Although Jon Moxley has his sights set on the IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship, it wouldn't be out of the question for him to shift his focus to the intercontinental title before long.
Ibushi is always a treat to watch in the ring because he holds nothing back. Title or no title, this match is a must before Moxley's time in NJPW is up.
As the gatekeeper of the promotion, Ibushi would be a real test for Moxley to see if he belongs among the elite.
Marty Scurll
Marty Scurll isn't in All Elite Wrestling just yet, but it's all but official that he will be by the time his contract with Ring of Honor expires in a few short months.
He was the sole member of The Elite to remain with ROH after Final Battle 2018, but on the bright side, he's been making the most of his time there by forming a faction of his own in Villain Enterprises.
Needless to say, Scurll has certainly been missed alongside the rest of The Elite, and it will be fun to see him where he belongs in AEW at the end of 2019. Many fresh faces on that roster are awaiting the opportunity to work with him, with Jon Moxley being chief among them.
While there are few wrestlers in the business today who have as great of a gimmick as Scurll, Moxley was a villain long before it was cool to be one. He was one of the best bad guys that wrestling had seen in years during his time in the indies, and despite being a beloved figure in WWE, he was always a heel at heart.
We may not have to wait until Scurll is a part of AEW to see this match. Thanks to ROH's working relationship with New Japan Pro-Wrestling, it's possible they cross paths before the end of the summer in some form or fashion.
It's unknown how long Moxley's stint in NJPW will last, but here's hoping he sticks around long enough to go one-on-one with Scurll. If not, AEW would waste no time in booking this bout.
Minoru Suzuki
Anyone who knows of Minoru Suzuki and his hard-hitting style should know why a match pitting him against Jon Moxley must happen eventually.
For those unfamiliar with the former IWGP intercontinental and tag team champion, he's been a celebrated staple of the Japanese wrestling scene for several decades. Regardless of where he's been slotted on the card, he has never ceased to deliver and unquestionably brings the fight to all of his opponents.
It's a shame Suzuki wasn't showcased more during the recent ROH/NJPW G1 Supercard event at Madison Square Garden in New York City over WrestleMania weekend. That would have been the perfect time for him to shine in front of a new audience and show the world what makes him so dangerous, giving fans a newfound appreciation for his unbelievable intensity and resiliency.
New Japan Pro-Wrestling is uncharted territory for Moxley. Therefore, it's unlikely that these two would have ever crossed paths before, though that needs to change sooner rather than later.
Moxley hasn't made it clear whether he intends to be as hardcore this time around as he was during his last run on the independent scene, but if so, a Suzuki vs. Moxley match without any disqualifications would be brutal (and, dare I say, deadly).
Pentagon Jr.
Luckily for fans in the New York area, Jon Moxley vs. Pentagon Jr. has already been confirmed for a Northeast Wrestling event in Poughkeepsie on August 16. It should be made available online for everyone else to watch at some point, but it isn't the same as happening on a grand stage such as AEW or NJPW.
Hopefully the incredible clash they're bound to have on that show paves the way for them to engage in a full-fledged feud with each other soon after in AEW.
Pentagon (along with his brother Fenix) was one of the first people The Young Bucks scouted to join their new promotion because of the reputation he's built for himself on the independent scene. Whether it was Impact, Lucha Underground or Major League Wrestling, he has gotten over everywhere he has wrestled and won countless championships.
As talented of a tag team competitor as he is, he has had many memorable matches on his own. Austin Aries, Sami Callihan, Ricochet, Jeff Cobb and Kenny Omega can all attest to how exceptional of an athlete he is and how he brings a certain charisma.
It's safe to say that Pentagon vs. Moxley is a match made in heaven and needs as many eyes on it as possible. Pentagon will likely be a part of the AEW tag team ranks from the get-go, but just imagine them being given the freedom to do battle and go all-out on AEW's first night on TNT in October.
A chaotic bloodbath with Pentagon would be more than enough to solidify him as a top talent for AEW.
Graham Mirmina, aka Graham "GSM" Matthews, is an Endicott College alumnus and aspiring journalist. Visit his website, Next Era Wrestling, and "like" his official Facebook page to continue the conversation on all things wrestling.