Home Away From Home: Jon Moxley on Becoming IWGP Heavyweight Champion, The Shield, & Defending The Belt in AEW

SI.com’s Week in Wrestling is published every week and provides beneath the surface coverage of the business of pro wrestling.

“I was asleep in Japan when that was going on,” said Moxley, who had traveled to Tokyo for a tag match with Shota Umino against Jack Perry and Ren Narita. “When I woke up, I had these messages saying, ‘I thought you were coming out!’ And I was like, ‘Coming out where?’Japan is a home-away-from-home for Moxley. That is only going to intensify in the coming weeks, and perhaps months, as Moxley begins his first reign with the prestigious IWGP world heavyweight championship.

“Sumo Hall is one of my favorite buildings in the world,” said Moxley. “I have a particular attachment to that building. It’s a very distinct look, and it’s set up differently. Instantly, I immediately felt like I was in the right place. When I first walked into Ryogoku, it felt exactly where I was supposed to be. I was off to the races from there.”Moxley’s legacy cannot be shared without including his success in AEW.

“All the long-ass plane rides, all the injuries, all of that went away at that moment. I’m still here. So much of decision-making in pro wrestling is out of your control, but I have this one shot. I may never get another one. Plus, I’m a father now. At first, it didn’t seem so realistic. It wasn’t even a goal. I just embraced every moment in Japan. I love being there, training there, and wrestling there. All I’m focused on there is wrestling. That’s it.

Moxley can showcase the title–and New Japan–as often as possible in AEW. He still has a lot to accomplish there, but he is also excited to start a new chapter in his storied career. All non-competes banned moving forward. Existing ones can remain in effect only for senior executives.

Roman Reigns Seth Rollins Wrestlemania AEW WWE New Japan IWGP Tokyo

United States Latest News, United States Headlines

Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.

Powerhouse Hobbs Will Challenge Jon Moxley for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship on AEW DynamiteThe stakes for Powerhouse Hobbs vs. Jon Moxley have been raised.
Source: ComicBook - 🏆 65. / 68 Read more »

Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, Jon Moxley: Shocking Statistic Regarding The Shield's Championship DominanceThe Shield is always holding a company's top prize.
Source: ComicBook - 🏆 65. / 68 Read more »

Take your daughter to work, Broadway edition: 'Hadestown' welcomes Jon Jon Briones and his daughterJon Jon Briones had the best vantage point to watch his daughter, Isa, make her Broadway debut. He wasn't sitting in the front row or hovering backstage. He was beside her.
Source: WashTimes - 🏆 235. / 63 Read more »

Jon and Carie Hallford, Colorado funeral home owners, are charged with COVID fraudA couple who owned a Colorado funeral home where authorities last year discovered 190 decaying bodies were indicted on federal charges that they misspent nearly $900,000 in pandemic relief funds on vacations, cosmetic surgery, jewelry and other personal expenses, according to court documents unsealed Monday.
Source: WashTimes - 🏆 235. / 63 Read more »

UFC star Jon Jones denies threatening testing agent at his homeUFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones is denying allegations of assaulting and threatening a testing agent at his home during a drug testing sample collection on March 30.
Source: espn - 🏆 731. / 51 Read more »

Why Jon Stewart's Home Overvaluation is Different from Donald Trump'sExperts say there are differences between the two situations.
Source: Newsweek - 🏆 468. / 52 Read more »