Jon Moxley famously hasn’t taken much time off during his time in AEW. And unfortunately for Mox, his schedule for the rest of 2023 is pretty full considering he’s part of the first ever AEW Continental Classic tournament.
Moxley has done just fine in his two round robin matches so far, getting the maximum six points with victories over Mark Briscoe and Jay Lethal. It’s just that his road to the knockout portion of the tourney only gets tougher from here, as he still has to face Swerve Strickland, who also sits at six points, plus Jay White and Rush, who each have wins to their credit.
On top of that mountain to climb Moxley says he’s pretty banged up and not in the best mind set. As he explained in a promo AEW dropped today, though, he’s not going to stop because he views himself as the standard by which all others are measured.
“This kind of thing, this is what AEW was built on, man. Two guys in the ring, the best wrestlers in the world giving it their all, feeling that feeling of when you’ve given every ounce of yourself in the ring and pushing the limits and pushing the boundaries, and making the people stand up and go ‘oh my God, what did I just see?’ Feeling that connection with the audience that loves wrestling as much as we do, that’s what AEW is about.
“Somebody’s gotta step up and win this tournament and show the world exactly what AEW is, exactly what All Elite Wrestling can be. And that’s just gonna have to be me, because anybody can say whatever they want, but I’m the ace of the world, b—h, and that’s just the way it is.”
EXCLUSIVE: Cameras catch up with @JonMoxley after his bout against Jay Lethal in the #AEWContinentalClassic tournament on #AEWDynamite! pic.twitter.com/RR8uhNC5jk
— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) November 30, 2023
Strickland and White also shot great promos after their tournament matches, and it’s kind of a shame that AEW didn’t put them on TV. Nevertheless, Moxley’s serves as both a mission statement for the company and a personal declaration, and if you weren’t into the Continental Classic yet, speeches like this could definitely get you there.