Chris Jericho

One of the biggest questions left unanswered in AEW's first year on the air was what happened to the feud between Chris Jericho and Mike Tyson. The two legends seemed to be building to some sort of a showdown when Tyson appeared on Dynamite in May, only for the build to seemingly be abandoned.

It turns out it was all a failure to negotiate.

Jericho revealed that Tyson was his originally scheduled opponent for All Out, but Tyson and AEW could not come to terms on a deal.

"Originally, I was supposed to work with Tyson at the September pay-per-view, All Out II, and we just couldn't get it done in time," Jericho said on his Saturday Night Special show. "The second match I had with Orange (Cassidy) was originally going to be the Mimosa Mayhem match, but we moved it to the rubber match position."

Jericho instead lost to Orange Cassidy in a Mimosa Mayhem match, while Tyson is now training to fight Roy Jones Jr. in a boxing exhibition later this fall.

It's unclear if Tyson has any plans to eventually set foot in an AEW ring again after his fight against Jones. Tyson has made several appearances in pro wrestling in the past but has never been part of an actual one-on-one match.

When Jon Moxley chose not to re-sign with WWE in 2019, he instantly became the hottest free agent in professional wrestling. In addition to working with New Japan Pro-Wrestling, Moxley has called All Elite Wrestling his home since he debuted at Double or Nothing 2019.

He quickly rose through the ranks to become one of AEW's most popular stars before winning the World Heavyweight Championship at AEW Revolution on February 29. Moxley spoke with Bleacher Report about his career, goals and what it's like working with All Elite Wrestling. 

As a young boy growing up in Cincinnati, Moxley always had his eye set on a career in the ring. Like many fans, his first taste of pro wrestling was from the then-WWF, but if you have seen him wrestle, it's clear he was also heavily influenced by the Superstars of Extreme Championship Wrestling. 

"When I was young, the kids in the apartment below me had action figures and wrestling pay-per-views. I can't remember a time when wrestling wasn't the thing I liked. It was simple superhero-come-to-life stuff on TV. Bret Hart was my guy when I was a kid. In the '90s, he was the guy on top. I fell in love with ECW when I was a teenager. It was always kind of the thing that dominated my interest. I took a test one time in junior high where you find out what your career aptitude is, and it said I should be a forest firefighter. By the time I was 16 or 17, I was already selling popcorn, sweeping floors and setting up the ring. I had my first match when I was 18."

Back before the internet was as much a part of our lives as it is today, learning how to be a pro wrestler was something of a mystery to young fans. We now know there are wrestling schools all over the country, but Moxley found out completely by happenstance. 

"I didn't know how to go about it. It was like a mystery back then of 'How do I become a pro wrestler?' It's kind of like how do you become a sword swallower? I found out about a wrestling school by dumb luck. It happened over in Cincinnati. I saw a flyer for a show at a flea market and on the back was an ad for Les Thatcher's pro wrestling school, and I was like, 'Ding ding ding! That's how you become a pro wrestler, you go to wrestling school.' There was no turning back for me once I saw a pathway."

While pro wrestling has always been his main focus, Moxley also has a few movie credits to his name. His first acting gig outside the ring in the WWE Studios film, 12 Rounds 3: Lockdown. More recently, Moxley filmed a movie called Cagefighter: Worlds Collide, but don't expect to see him pursuing roles on a regular basis.

"We only get one life, and if you get the chance to experience something, you should do it. Just recently I did a movie called Cagefighter that had a limited release and is coming out in the U.S. in October. I like wrestling the most. I don't have any aspirations to take over Hollywood or be the next Rock or John Cena. That being said, if Marvel called and said 'Do you want to be in the next Avengers or be Batman' I would be like 'Hell yeah, sign me up.' It's fun, it's a challenge and it's a different craft. Unless it was some huge once–in–a–lifetime opportunity, if you offer me a role that requires me to take nine months off where I can't wrestle, I am not going to do it."

A veteran of over 16 years, Moxley still sees himself competing for quite some time before he decides to hang up his boots."I'd like to wrestle until I am in my 50s, but it can end at any time. I don't want to spend nine months filming a movie when I could have been having matches. I want to do as much wrestling as I can while I have that window of time. Acting could be a thing for later."

Mox will turn 35 in December, so he is hoping to have at least another 15-20 years in this business. We have seen some wrestlers continue into their 60s, so if he keeps himself healthy, it's likely he will be a big part of the business for a long time. 

After spending some time on the indie scene, Moxley spent eight years working for WWE and its developmental territories, so he spent a long time doing things the WWE way. Now that he is with AEW, the world champion finds himself with more creative freedom to tell stories the way he wants to tell them.

"I'll talk on the phone with Tony Khan and we'll throw some ideas out. I'll talk to whoever I'm working with and we'll throw some ideas out. We'll get on a three-way call and just loosely talk out the next six weeks of a story, and when I show up, we do it. It doesn't get changed on the day of and nobody messes with it, not that I am above taking creative direction. Even the misses are fun when you're in control because it's part of a journey. When you try again, it's even more satisfying when you get it right. I want to keep pushing myself to be the best I can be every single time."

Like all wrestlers in AEW, Mox had to get used to fighting in front of zero fans for several months. AEW has since begun allowing in a limited number of fans in the upper area of the arena. For Mox, this is what he was trained for. 

"I was trained in the Thatcher way. It was old school. You over exaggerate and play to the last fan in the cheap seats. Now, everybody is in the cheap seats, so that training paid off. I am more worried about the people in the cheap seats than I am about the camera because they bought tickets and came with their family. It's important to me that they have a good show."

He has had a chance to wrestle a lot of new and familiar faces in AEW. He spent time in WWE with guys like Chris Jericho and Miro, but he is also getting the opportunity to work with young stars who are just starting to be successful in this business.

"I love getting to work with the young dudes who are in their 20s who are getting their first chance to be on national television. They're unencumbered and not being repackaged or told who they are, so they are just going to keep getting better. Some of these guys are nuts and they have these crazy ideas and they push me to think of things in new ways. I don't go in there and go 'Let me tell you what we are going to do because I am more experienced.' I go 'What do you want to do? I'm old and slow so tell me your cool idea.' I am all about learning from the young guys because they have a different perspective than me."

"And then we have this incredible group of veterans like SCU. We have a legend in Chris Jericho, who I always learn from. And then, we have this group of guys who are in the prime of their career. We have people at every level, and it's a smorgasbord of guys to work with. It's endless opportunities of stories to tell. There is an endless sea of narrative possibilities, which is good because we have a lot of time to fill."

A lot of wrestlers are asked about their favorite match, but that is not such an easy decision for Mox after several years of having great performances. 

"Trying to pick your favorite matches is like trying to pick your favorite kid. You can't love one more than the other, and you love them for different reasons. The bit I got to do with Darby Allin was great because I had this picture painted in my head. I had that story in my head for months and it basically came off exactly how I had pictured it in my mind. To be able to create that moment exactly how I had envisioned it was the most satisfying feeling in the world."

While he doesn't have one match that stands out above the rest, Moxley did mention a few specific people he has enjoyed working with in AEW.

"The match with MJF also went exactly how I had pictured it. I have loved working with Brian Cage. I loved the whole thing with Jericho. I don't look at that as a match. I look at it as a whole eight-week story."

"I looked at myself as a bad guy in AEW. For those first few months, I acted like a bad guy. I didn't expect to be a good guy again. I was being ambiguous and just taking out everybody until I went after Chris. Then I was firmly planted on the good guy side. And then it turned into maybe I was going to join the Inner Circle, then I stole his car, he stabbed my eye out, so I had to stab his friend's eye out. And then we get to the PPV and I get my match with him. I look at all of that as one piece of work, the Jericho story. That was awesome. Each story is kind of like a painting I am hanging on my wall. I don't know how much longer I get to paint before the wheels fall off of this thing. The more paintings I can paint, the better."

Being a pro wrestler means different things to different people. Some view it as a stepping stone toward Hollywood or as a way to make money, but Moxley is all about the rush of adrenaline that comes with performing in front of thousands of fans and the satisfaction of telling a unique story.

"I love that feeling after a match of being totally drained and exhausted and being fulfilled creatively. That's why I do this at this point. I'm blessed to be able to make a living, but I don't do this for money. My goal is not to get more famous. I've had a taste of fame and I could take it or leave it. I do this for that feeling at the end of the night when I am all bloody and sweaty thinking, 'That was awesome.' That adrenaline rush of being on live TV, telling a story and feeling the fans going on a ride with you is why I do it."

A lot of athletes spend their downtime resting. Many pro athletes have started their own Twitch and YouTube channels based around video games. Moxley prefers to spend his time training and doing things that take him outside of the house.

"My biggest problem is that I don't like video games. That's what I should do, but my problem is all of my hobbies are physical things. I like mountain biking, hiking, jiu-jitsu. I like all of these things that beat your body up. That's how I relax. I like getting outdoors."

A lot of pro wrestlers have used social media with great results. Stars like Matt Cardona and Matt Hardy are especially proficient at using things like Twitter and YouTube for their benefit, but the AEW champ is not the biggest fan of social media.

"I don't have Twitter downloaded on my phone. I was coming out of a hotel the other day and I had my phone in my back pocket and I sent out a tweet. I butt-dialed a tweet. It was something innocuous like an MMA article but it could have been anything. I could have ended my career with a butt dial. So I uninstalled it. People get addicted to their phones and the virtual world. I highly recommend people go for a walk in a park or the woods. It clears your head and it's a good way to spend an afternoon. You would be surprised how quickly problems resolve themselves in your head when you're out in nature."

If you ask a lot of young wrestlers what their ultimate goal is, they will tell you it is to win a world title. Moxley has been there and done that, so for him, belts are storytelling devices that allow him to create the best possible journey for the fans. 

"This isn't like a regular sport where I would say, 'OK, my goal is to win the Olympic gold medal.' Whereas with us, [titles] are storytelling devices. You can't have goals like winning The Royal Rumble because you don't decide that. Somebody with a pencil decides that. For me, it's about telling the best stories that I can because it's the most satisfying feeling in the world when you nail a promo. AEW is the perfect place for me because I get to do what I want to do."

Other Superstars like Matt Hardy have also lauded AEW for giving them the opportunity to be the character they envisioned for themselves. When a wrestler gets to have fun and be who they want to be, it leads to the crowd being able to connect with them on a deeper level than if they were playing a gimmick like The Undertaker or Doink the Clown, not that those characters weren't great. 

While he has an eye on the future, Moxley is still living in the now. He has considered options for what he can do after his career in the ring is over, but for the time being, he is going to continue doing what he does best for as long as his body will allow.

"I want to ride this for as long as I can even if it comes down to having to take longer periods of time off. If it gets down to where I can only wrestle one match a year like The Undertaker, then so be it. I could totally see myself being in a producer or coach role. I could see myself being a trainer or booker. I probably won't know until that day comes, but there is also a good chance that one day I am just going to be gone and you will never see me again. But wherever I'm at, I'll be all good, so don't worry about it."

"I'm the luckiest guy in the world because I get to do the thing that I like as a living and got to turn it into a career. It's really cool."

Bleacher Report catches you up on the latest news from the WWE Universe.

RVD Talks Potential WWE HOF Induction

Rob Van Dam is one of the most decorated Superstars in WWE history, so it stands to reason that he will one day be honored with an induction into the WWE Hall of Fame.

During an interview with The Dropkick Podcast (h/t Felix Upton of Ringside News), RVD discussed possibly getting inducted and revealed who he would want to introduce him:

"I think the obvious answer is probably Paul [Heyman], and I think thats definitely the right person.

"I can definitely see it happening, but knowing how things work, I could also see it not happening, or not happening for a long time anyway. I used to think—and I'm still not sure, but do you have to retire in order to be in the Hall of Fame? And the fact that I've been wrestling for Impact, that's got to be a factor too. They don't want to do too much with somebody. But, who knows? Of course it'd be an honor, and we'll see."

RVD last performed in WWE in 2014. Since then, he has spent time on the independent circuit, and he returned to Impact Wrestling in 2019. PWInsider (h/t Upton) reported Monday, however, that Van Dam's time with Impact is done.

If RVD really has departed Impact, then perhaps it opens the door for a WWE Hall of Fame induction in the near future, especially if he is no longer an active performer.

Although he is 49 years old, however, Van Dam has shown no signs of wanting to retire, so he may find another company to work for, even if it is only on a part-time basis.

As a former WWE, intercontinental, European, tag team and ECW champion, there is no doubt that Van Dam's resume is Hall of Fame-worthy.

Given the fact that RVD still seems to be on good terms with WWE, it is likely a matter of when rather than if he will be inducted into the Hall of Fame.

Reason for Lack of Raw Underground This Week

For the first time in several weeks, Raw Underground was not part of WWE Raw on Monday night.

According to Fightful Select (h/t H Jenkins of Ringside News), the reasoning behind the decision was that WWE was short on people to use for the segment due to a COVID-19 outbreak in NXT.

Raw Underground features not only Superstars fighting in a ropeless ring, but the ring is surrounded by people, most of whom are contracted wrestlers who train at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida.

If there was indeed a spike in COVID-19 cases among Performance Center trainees, then holding off on Raw Underground may have been a decision made in the interest of safety.

Given the circumstances, Fightful Select noted that "the segment was deemed unnecessary."

Raw Underground has served as a way to break up Raw by providing a different look and feel at the 10 p.m. ET hour. It has also allowed some little-known performers to get more exposure than they normally would otherwise.

Former Performance Center trainees such as Dabba-Kato, Arturo Ruas and Riddick Moss have been featured heavily on Raw Underground as have main roster performers like Dolph Ziggler and Erik of The Viking Raiders.

Raw Underground was conspicuous by its absence Monday, but the Shane McMahon-hosted segment may be back in the near future if the decision to nix it this week was driven by health concerns rather than a choice made by the creative team.

Miro Discusses Contract Talks with AEW

Miro has been part of the AEW roster for the past few weeks, but it turns out that he was in contract talks with the company for quite some time before signing.

In an interview with wrestling reporter Chris Van Vliet (h/t Upton), Miro discussed why it took some time to get a deal done and why he ultimately decided to sign with AEW:

"So I was sitting at home doing my Twitch and we found out they were interested so we got in contact. It didn't start off great because I had other opportunities, but I knew I didn't want to go to just any place. I knew I wanted to go two places: AEW and another one. There's another place that I really want to go and I will go eventually because that's just how it's going to happen.

"So they called me and we talked back and forth and even Chris [Jericho] said when they wanted to bring me in, they wanted to bring me in with a purpose and not to bring me in just to be there. So they came up with the idea with Kip [Sabian] and the best man and I think the best man is so suiting because of everything that I do and I thought it was a great schtick. And it's not just a schtick, it's actually fitting because it's my personality and that's why it was a no-brainer. Yes, let's just do that."

Miro previously wrestled under the name Rusev for several years in WWE, and he experienced a good amount of success with multiple reigns as United States champion.

With Miro unable to reach the next level in WWE, however, the company released him as part of wide-ranging budget cuts in April. When Miro was let go, it was widely assumed that he would be a top target for companies such as AEW, New Japan Pro-Wrestling and Impact Wrestling.

Miro finally made his AEW debut a few weeks ago on Dynamite as Sabian's best man for his wedding with Penelope Ford. Miro then made his in-ring debut last week, as he and Sabian beat Joey Janela and Sonny Kiss.

While Miro didn't indicate where else he wants to work, it was reported by Fightful (h/t Upton) a few weeks ago that his AEW contract will also allow him to work for New Japan.

That would make Miro's contract similar to Jon Moxley's, and it would give him an opportunity to get even more worldwide exposure as an in-ring performer.

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Bleacher Report catches you up on the latest news from WWE and AEW.

Jericho Still Talks to Vince, Others in WWE

Even though Chris Jericho is one of the biggest faces of WWE's chief rival, All Elite Wrestling, he left on good terms and remains in contact with several people in the locker room—including CEO Vince McMahon.

"I haven't been speaking to a lot of people, but not for any other reason than the fact that we're all busy doing our things, going in our own directions," Jericho said on his Saturday Night Special (h/t Sai Mohan of Wrestling Inc). He continued:

"I still talk to Kevin Owens, Drake Maverick and Samoa Joe. I speak to Edge once in a while. I also text Seth Rollins once in a while.

"I also talk to Vince from time to time. But do I talk to WWE guys on a daily basis? Definitely not. We're all busy people, on different planes, flying to different parts of the world. I still have much respect and love for all of them there."

Anyone else picturing Vince texting Jericho after his Mimosa Mayhem match to say "that was such good s--t?"

It's no surprise that Jericho would still have a relationship with guys in WWE; he was there for nearly two decades and is one of the greatest wrestlers the sport has ever seen. Even if he's a rival, he still watches the product, and guys likely reach out to him for his advice or thoughts on their segments.

Sasha to Return Friday on SmackDown

If you thought Bayley's beatdown of Sasha Banks would keep her off television for a few weeks, think again. Banks will be back on Friday's SmackDown after a one-week absence to address Bayley's attack. The announcement was made during Fox's NFL coverage Sunday.

It will be interesting to see how they handle the promo, though this feels like a bit of a rush job. Bayley is already set to defend the SmackDown Women's Championship against Nikki Cross at Clash of Champions on Sept. 27. This would have been a perfect opportunity to let Banks take a couple weeks off, giving Bayley further rub for the attack and potentially set up some sort of payback at Clash of Champions.

We'll have to see what Sasha says Friday, but unless the match between Bayley and Cross is turning into a Triple Threat, it's hard to see the benefit in her returning so soon.

Rock's Daughter to Have Knee Surgery

Simone Johnson, the daughter of The Rock and NXT signee, announced she will be having knee surgery in a tweet Sunday.

No timetable has been set for her return. Nor is there any word on the severity of her injury. Johnson has yet to make her NXT debut and has been training at the WWE Performance Center since signing with the company in February.