Jon Moxley

AEW star Jon Moxley didn't have the best things to say about WWE after his departure in 2019, but at least one key figure in WWE reportedly didn't have any hard feelings toward the former Shield member.

On this week's episode of her Oral Sessions podcast (h/t WrestlingInc.com's Brie Coder), Renee Paquette discussed conversations she had with WWE official Triple H after Moxley left the company.

Paquette, who was known as Renee Young during her time in WWE as an interviewer and announcer, is married to Moxley, who wrestled under the name Dean Ambrose on WWE's main roster from 2012-19.

Shortly after leaving WWE, Moxley joined New Japan Pro-Wrestling and AEW, but it wasn't long before he suffered a MRSA infection in his elbow, which forced him to miss some time, including a scheduled match against Kenny Omega at All Out 2019.

Paquette recalled that Triple H was compassionate about the situation and offered any help WWE could provide:

Even when Jon left, there were times that Hunter pulled me aside because Jon was injured when he came back from New Japan. [Triple H] kept checking in to make sure that Jon was okay.

If he needed anything, they [WWE] would have been able to help him in any kind of capacity. So it was nice to know that that olive branch was still extended, and it wasn't that heat-seeking thing that everybody thinks that it is. We've all spent so much time together, and nothing bad went down.

Paquette was still with WWE at that time, although she eventually left as well last year to pursue other interests.

There was some thought among fans that Moxley and WWE were on bad terms after he left since he made some disparaging remarks in interviews regarding the backstage creative process in WWE.

In an interview with Wade Keller of PWTorch (h/t WrestlingInc.com's Erich Pilcher) shortly after his WWE departure, Moxley expressed his belief that the main issue with WWE creative was WWE Chairman Vince McMahon.

Moxley did, however, suggest WWE would be better off with Triple H as the chief decision-maker rather than McMahon.

Regardless of Moxley's feelings toward WWE, he apparently still has a supporter in Triple H, which is a positive development in an environment that tends to result in WWE and AEW getting pitted against each other in every scenario.

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All Elite Wrestling didn't pull any punches when revealing its big plans to return to the road this year. Rather, it threw the stiffest possible shot—it's going into the heart of WWE territory by running a show in New York. 

AEW's flagship show, Dynamite, will get a special branding for the September 22nd event at Arthur Ashe Stadium, home of the U.S. Open tennis tournament, being labeled AEW Dynamite: Grand Slam. 

It's a stunning revelation by AEW for a number of reasons. It's not just the centerpiece of the company's return to the road, the event will be the first-ever wrestling show held at the venue. 

Call it a warning shot to WWE. After a quick, somewhat predictable ascent into the upper echelon of the wrestling world (the promotion filled a critical niche for fans), AEW essentially won the Wednesday night wars as WWE shifted its NXT program away from Dynamite. After throwing around some major weight on television programming, the natural next step was elbowing into the regional and national game with its touring. 

Now fans can see the first part of the plan. This is going to be an epic spectacle for both AEW and wrestling as a whole. The venue means AEW will place the ring right at center court, making for unique, if not amazing sightlines to the action for both in-person onlookers and those tuning in via television. 

And with what's at stake, it's safe to say AEW will go all out from a booking standpoint to give this special moment in modern wrestling history a pay-per-view-level event. That means plenty of titles on the line, big stars throughout the card and likely some major surprises. 

The goal of providing an alternative to WWE is one of the reasons AEW decided to run this particular event at a venue WWE has never stepped foot in, too.

Chris Jericho told the New York Daily News' Kate Feldman:

“They're a huge successful company, especially in the New York market. That's a WWE stronghold. But there are a lot of people who are excited to see things done a little bit differently, and I think that's one of the reasons why we're making our debut in New York City in a stadium WWE's never been in."

Even so, the challenge AEW faces is immense. Getting the hopeful 16,500-19,000 fans in the stands and selling this arena out isn't going to be an easy thing to accomplish. 

There have been many, many wrestling failures in the New York area over the last two or three decades, both in one-time shows and ongoing events. Even WCW at its prime with Hulk Hogan didn't always fill up New York arenas religiously. WWE has had its problems, too, no matter the card or how historic the venue might have been. 

And the fact we're talking about a Wednesday night is a major hurdle. This isn't a weekend event or one that goes down around a holiday. It's right in the middle of a workweek in a massive city with plenty of traffic and travel considerations to tackle. 

But that's what makes this so interesting to watch and such a power play on AEW's part right in the heart of WWE territory. We are talking about international star power here, with not only legends like Sting and Jericho, but guys who have gone all over the world and excelled—Jon Moxley, Kenny Omega, the list goes on and on. 

We're also talking about the first-ever show at this particular venue. And in the backdrop is the loosening of restrictions from the coronavirus pandemic. The general public is just getting back to being able to attend live events, and it feels like pretty much anything is selling out—wrestling fans will easily prove this to be the case over the summer and into the fall. 

Other promotions have tried to challenge WWE in certain regions and failed. The McMahons, after all, made their rise by gobbling up regionals before evolving into what it is today. But other promotions tried to gain headway on television and came up short or didn't last long, too. 

AEW has. One sellout here and the competition inches ever closer. It wouldn't mean WWE can't come to New York anymore or anything hyperbolic like that. It might not even impact WWE in the short term at all.

But if one sellout leads to another and consistently packed arenas in regions where WWE has traditionally had no equal, it could mean wrestling fans start to pick and choose which events to attend per year. You never know, right? And if that slowly starts to happen, WWE won't have a choice but to evolve in a way that remains competitive. 

That still sounds a tad dramatic, sure. But just a few years ago, anybody who suggested AEW would slap around WWE in the ratings war with a new show and send the juggernaut of a company retreating to a different night would have been laughed out of the building. 

So maybe this bold September event is the beginning of a seismic shift in the industry. Maybe not. Either way, it's bound to be something with the potential for an all-time classic of a modern show, if nothing else. 

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Moxley Describes Issues with WWE Promos

AEW star Jon Moxley has not held back in his critiques of WWE since leaving the company, and he took another shot at his former employer this week.

After his wife, Renee Paquette, gave birth to their first child, Moxley filled in as the host on her Oral Sessions podcast this week.

During a discussion about his new book, Mox referenced WWE promos and why he believes they aren't as effective as they could be (h/t Lyle Kilbane of Inside the Ropes):

"As far as what to put in and what not, it's kinda like a wrestling match or like a promo. That's why WWE promos f--king suck because they jam 5,000 f--king words in there that aren't necessary. Say what you want to say, mean what you want to say, get your point across. 'I'm gonna beat your ass on Saturday night because I don't like you.' Boom, done."

Moxley, who was part of WWE's main roster as Dean Ambrose from 2012-19, signed with AEW shortly after leaving WWE.

While Mox was a top star in WWE as part of The Shield and even held the WWE Championship, there was always a sense among fans that he could have been used better.

It can be argued that he has been utilized to his potential in AEW, as he is constantly involved in big angles and held the AEW World Championship for a record 277 days.

Moxley did a few interviews after leaving WWE, and he made no secret about the fact that he didn't enjoy the creative process there, including what went into determining the content of promos.

There is little doubt that Moxley has more creative license in AEW, which is likely why he seems much happier in his current surroundings.

Foley Gets Down on His Knees, Begs WWE to Push Cesaro

WWE Hall of Famer Mick Foley is a big fan of Cesaro, and he proved it during an interview with "Stone Cold" Steve Austin.

The Broken Skull Sessions interview involving Foley and Austin will air Sunday on Peacock, but WWE provided a sneak peak this week with a video of Foley providing his thoughts on some of the top WWE stars of today:

When the subject of Cesaro came up, Foley made an impassioned plea to WWE Chairman Vince McMahon, saying:

"Can I talk to the camera? Vince, please…you [Austin] started in '88 or '89? Sixty years of experience, we know a little something. We both proved Vince wrong, right? He had us set for this level and I'd say we exceeded that level. Trust us and give him the chance. Let him prove…I'll get down on my knees, and I'll beg…Vince, please. All we're saying is give Cesaro a chance. I just believe in that guy wholeheartedly. Give him a chance."

Several years ago, McMahon was famously interviewed by Austin, and during that interview they discussed Cesaro.

Austin expressed support for Cesaro, while McMahon gave his belief that there was something missing that was preventing Cesaro from connecting with the fans and grabbing the proverbial brass ring.

Over the past year, McMahon's feelings on Cesaro have seemingly changed to some degree, as he was given his first WrestleMania singles match at WrestleMania 37 in April, beating Seth Rollins.

Cesaro also went on to challenge Roman Reigns for the Universal Championship at WrestleMania Backlash in a losing effort.

While he didn't win the title, Cesaro remains embroiled in a rivalry with Rollins, who has long been viewed as one of WWE's top stars. If Cesaro can win the feud definitively, it could be the boost he needs to sustain himself as a top star.

WWE Working on New Sets for Raw and SmackDown

A key WWE backstage figure confirmed this week that the company is working on new sets for both Raw and SmackDown.

In an interview with Edward Douglas of Below The Line (h/t WrestlingInc.com's Marc Middleton), WWE Lead Production Designer Jason Robinson confirmed the upcoming new sets:

"We're headed forward, so we're looking at new sets, new staging that we're building. My next phone call is to the graphics department, talking about augmented reality and how AR is going to interface with our set, and how we're going to make some really cool graphics for set entrances as our Superstars enter."

New Raw and SmackDown sets make sense because of the fact that WWE is set to go back on the road next month in front of live fans consistently for the first time since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic last year.

Additionally, WWE is set to make SummerSlam in August a massive event, as it will take place at the Las Vegas Raiders' Allegiant Stadium in Vegas.

Robinson noted that a large structure of some kind is in the works for SummerSlam as well, saying: 

"I think it was just announced this past weekend on NBC that we're having SummerSlam in Las Vegas on Aug. 21,. And man, that is going to be huge. It's going to be our first SummerSlam in a stadium since Wembley, years and years ago [in 1992].

"The next phone call after that, we're going to talk about a roof structure that we're going to put in at Allegiant Stadium."

Fans have been dearly missed in WWE and every wrestling promotion over the past year, which is why there's a great deal of excitement regarding WWE's return to the road.

It will essentially mark a new beginning for WWE, offering the perfect opportunity to provide fans with a fresh look.

Listen to Ring Rust Radio for all of the hot wrestling topics. Catch the latest episode in the player below (warning: some language NSFW).