Tony Schiavone has been involved in the wrestling business for nearly four decades, so his recent comments on AEW World Champion Jon Moxley carry a lot of water. The Death Rider won the interim AEW World Championship at AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door, and will eventually face CM Punk in a title unification bout. That is likely several weeks away at least, and it seems likely that Moxley will carry the championship through the rest of the summer.
Moxley was reportedly opened up the hard way while facing Hiroshi Tanahashi at Forbidden Door, and he spent several minutes of the match bleeding rather profusely. That gash was reopened during the Blood & Guts fight on June 29, which falls right in line with the character he is playing on television. According to Schiavone, however, there isn't all that much character work going on with Moxley. Mox is just Mox, it turns out.
Speaking about the new World Champion on the AEW Unrestricted Podcast alongside Aubrey Edwards, Schiavone shared this high praise: "Jon Moxley is [on] a different level. He's [on] a different level than anybody I've ever been around in my life. The Jon Moxley that you see on the screen is the Jon Moxley that we see backstage. Just a no-nonsense guy."
Moxley wasn't supposed to be in the main event of Forbidden Door but was given that role following CM Punk's untimely injury. He proved to be AEW's ace in the hole, immediately stepping into a high-end match with an international superstar in Tanahashi. It's a bout that Moxley has been chasing since parting ways with WWE, and the timing for the fight was pretty much perfect. He'll be a steady and reliable champion for AEW as Punk heals, and those two will likely have a lengthy and intense program once everyone involved is healthy and able to compete. While the injury to Punk was remarkably unfortunate, the unification of the two titles could elevate the championship to new heights in terms of prestige and history.
It won't be long until fans know who Moxley's next opponent will be. On the July 1 episode of Friday Night Rampage, there will be a 20-man royal rampage battle royale, and the winner will receive a shot at the interim AEW World Championship. Noteworthy names involved in that bout include Keith Lee, Darby Allin, Orange Cassidy, and Hangman Adam Page. Spoilers for that fight are available online elsewhere since Rampage does not air live, but the winner won't be revealed here.
(If you use any of the quotes from this post, please credit the AEW Unrestricted Podcast and h/t ScreenRant.com for the transcription.)
Source: AEW Unrestricted Podcast