Jon Moxley has said many times that he's enjoyed having more creative freedom in AEW. But there were times in WWE where he was left to his own devices.
Leading into WrestleMania 32, Moxley (Dean Ambrose in WWE) was red hot and stood between a showdown between Triple H and Roman Reigns in the WrestleMania main event. Moxley got to challenge Triple H for the WWE Title at Roadblock and it's a match Moxley has fond memories of.
"It was a unique, old-school wrestling match," Moxley said on My Mom's Basement. It wasn't a regular pay-per-view, it was a Network special, basically a beefed-up house show on a Saturday night. They brought in some cameras, some lights, maybe an extra producer and that was it. It had an old NWA Mid-South feel. I always heard he was the great ring general. I worked with him in six-mans but never got in the ring, didn't say a word, and see what happens. The way I was taught, if you got caught in the ring going over a spot before the show by like Les Thatcher, it was looked at like a weakness, which is the exact opposite of the way the business is now. That's the way I was brought up; call it in the ring, work, build it from the ground up. It takes a different level of patience. I think I'm very good at that. This guy is supposed to be, Harley Race and Ric Flair say that this guy is like the new top ring general. Okay, let's see what you got."
He continued, "I showed up really late and there's this weird gamesmanship that goes on with old school workers where nobody wants to be the first guy to blink or be like, 'what do we want to do, what's our spots?' Nobody wants to be the first guy to blink and it's like 'I'm the inferior worker' I got there really late and just hung out. It's like 5:30 or 6, Michael Hayes is looking for me, 'Hunter is in his locker room and wants to talk.' I go there and he's like, 'What do you want do?' 'Whatever you want to do.' That game. We basically came up with a finish, a table spot, and a false finish. The rest of it, we basically called in the ring. For me, I'd rather have that than a WrestleMania in front of a stadium. The unique, old-school setting where I'm in control. That was unique and one of the last old-school matches you'll see in WWE probably. I'll take that over a 'created moment' that we overproduced. That was a pure wrestling moment."
Moxley wasn't victorious against Triple H, but the Dirty Deeds near fall had the entire crowd biting and believing that Moxley was going to WrestleMania as WWE Champion.
Instead, Moxley went on to battle Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania, which didn't quite go as Moxley was hoping. You can find his thoughts on the match with Lesnar by clicking here.
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