Jon Moxley

Ahead of his match against Kenny Omega at All Elite Wrestling's All Out on Aug. 31, Jon Moxley resorted to some dirty deeds to beat Pentagon Jr. at Northeast Wrestling's Prison Break in Poughkeepsie, New York, on Friday night.

As seen in the following video, Moxley pulled off Pentagon's mask, which allowed him to hit a DDT for the victory:

Pentagon's face was briefly exposed, but he managed to cover it with his hands before the fans were able to get an extended glimpse.

Friday was far from the first time that Pentagon has had to guard against his identity being revealed. During his stint in Lucha Underground, he had his mask ripped open during bloody battles on a few occasions.

Since making a surprise debut at AEW's Double or Nothing in May, Moxley has been presented as a wrestler who is willing to do whatever it takes to win.

He will likely have to pull out all the stops when he faces Omega in a grudge match at All Out in Chicago.

Meanwhile, Pentagon will look to bounce back from Friday's incident when he teams with Rey Fenix to defend the AAA World Tag Team Championships against The Young Bucks in a ladder match at All Out.

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

IWGP United States champion Jon Moxley is reportedly under contract with New Japan Pro Wrestling for over four more months.

According to SI.com's Justin Barrasso, Moxley's deal with NJPW will expire after Wrestle Kingdom 14 on Jan. 4.

Moxley is also under contract with All Elite Wrestling, and he has some big dates coming up with AEW. In addition to facing Kenny Omega at AEW All Out on Aug. 31, Moxley is scheduled to appear on the debut episode of AEW on TNT on Oct. 2.

Although AEW is Moxley's "home base" promotion, he has been a key figure in New Japan since making his debut for the company in June. Moxley beat Juice Robinson for the IWGP United States title in his first match and later entered the G1 Climax tournament.

Moxley was the favorite in Block B for much of the tournament, but he dropped four matches in a row and ended up finishing behind Jay White. Moxley's final loss came against Robinson, which suggests a U.S. title rematch could be in the cards.

Whether that happens before or at Wrestle Kingdom is unclear, but it is difficult to envision Moxley working regularly for New Japan once AEW's weekly television show begins in October.

If the ultimate goal is for Moxley to drop the title back to Robinson, it can be argued that doing so prior to Wrestle Kingdom is a smart move since it would allow Mox to leave NJPW on a high note with a dream match against a new opponent at the Tokyo Dome show.

Moxley has already had big-time matches against the likes of Tetsuya Naito, Tomohiro Ishii and White, but there are many others in the company who fans would undoubtedly love to see him face.

Assuming Kazuchika Okada and Kota Ibushi are off the table since they are currently scheduled to battle for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship, potential dream opponents for Moxley's possible New Japan swansong include Hiroshi Tanahashi, Kenta and Minoru Suzuki.

It can be argued that NJPW hasn't gotten the most out of Moxley and has halted the momentum he had coming off his WWE run to some degree, but squeezing a marquee match out of him at Wrestle Kingdom would go a long way toward changing that perception.

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

In a rematch of their IWGP United States Championship bout, Juice Robinson upset Jon Moxley on Sunday at Nippon Budokan in Tokyo.

With the loss, Moxley's losing streak extended to four in a row, and he ended Block B action with 10 points. As a result, he was eliminated from contention for Monday's final when Jay White beat Tetsuya Naito in Sunday's main event. White will fight Block A winner Kota Ibushi on Monday.

Evan S of SEScoops.com noted:

"Moxley put Juice in a long chinlock, and the referee was about to call for the bell before Juice pulled on his leg to stop him. Angered by the referee's refusal to make the decision, Moxley began throwing weapons in the ring. Losing his cool gave Juice the opportunity to fire back with punches followed by the Pulp Friction to pin Jon Moxley."

NJPW World provided highlights from Moxley vs. Robinson:

Moxley entered the day in a four-way tie for first place in Block B. While he held the tiebreaker over Naito by virtue of his victory over him, both White and Hirooki Goto had the tiebreaker over Moxley.

While Robinson was already eliminated entering Sunday's match with just six points, he had plenty of incentive. For starters, he had an opportunity to play spoiler and ruin Moxley's chances to reach the G1 final. Also, since Robinson dropped the IWGP United States title to Moxley, a win might have put him in line for a rematch.

Moxley initially appeared poised to run away with Block B, as he won each of his first five matches against Taichi, Jeff Cobb, Tomohiro Ishii, Shingo Takagi and Naito. Moxley hit the skids after that, though, and saw his lead evaporate.

After losing by count-out to Toru Yano and getting pinned by both White and Goto, Moxley entered Sunday knowing he likely needed a win and for the other matches to work in his favor.

Since Moxley is set to leave NJPW soon to focus on All Elite Wrestling—beginning with All Out on Aug. 31 and continuing when AEW on TNT debuts in October—there are likely few opportunities left for him to compete for New Japan.

That created some doubt with regard to how Sunday's match would play out. A win would have potentially allowed Moxley to compete in the G1 final, while a loss likely would have eliminated him and forced him to shift back to the U.S. title scene.

Sunday's loss knocked Moxley out of the G1 Climax, but he still has plenty to accomplish in NJPW, and another bout against Robinson with the IWGP United States title on the line may be in the cards.

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

Hirooki Goto upset Jon Moxley at Yokohama Cultural Gymnasium in Kanagawa, Japan, on Thursday and is now tied with Moxley for the top spot in Block B in New Japan Pro-Wrestling's G1 Climax 29.

The win gives Goto 10 points in Block B, meaning he can eliminate Moxley with a victory in his final match of the tournament Sunday if they are the only two wrestlers tied for the No. 1 spot in the block since Goto holds the tiebreaker.

Tetsuya Naito and Jay White are also tied for first with 10 points, which means the final day of Block B action will boast multiple meaningful matches.

Moxley entered Thursday's match reeling a bit with consecutive losses to Toru Yano and White after winning his first five matches. Conversely, Goto was on a three-match winning streak with wins over Yano, Tomohiro Ishii and Jeff Cobb.

The bout was a significant one for both men since either would have essentially controlled their own destiny with a win.

Moxley is the reigning IWGP United States champion, but with less than two months remaining before All Elite Wrestling's weekly television show begins airing on TNT, his time in NJPW is running short.

There are limited opportunities left to put Moxley in some dream matches, which is why he entered the G1 as one of the top candidates to win Block B.

The 40-year-old Goto has been wrestling for 16 years, and while he is highly decorated with IWGP Intercontinental and Tag Team runs, as well as NEVER Openweight title reigns, he is still in search of his first run as IWGP Heavyweight champion.

Few expected Goto to be a major factor in a block that also included Moxley, White and Naito, but he posed a major threat Thursday. After pulling off the surprising win, Goto will face Shingo Takagi on Sunday, and a victory could make him the winner of Block B.

On that same day, Moxley will face Juice Robinson in a rematch of his IWGP United States Championship triumph, and he will need a win plus some help to take Block B.

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

Jon Moxley's deal with All Elite Wrestling won't preclude him from returning to New Japan Pro-Wrestling after G1 Climax 29.  

"Fortunately, there is no problem in fighting in New Japan while belonging to an American organization [AEW]," Moxley said in an interview with Nikkan Sports (h/t Felix Upton of Ringside News). "In the future, I can always show up in Japan and play games."

His AEW contract does appear, however, to preclude him from making any appearances in the U.S. for a different promotion. This year's G1 tournament opened in Dallas, and Moxley was conspicuously absent on the show.

Moving the opening night of the G1 out of Japan was evidence of NJPW's attempts to gain a larger foothold in the United States. Because of that, Moxley's dual allegiances with NJPW and AEW could become a slightly larger issue in the future.

For the most part, there shouldn't be a lot of overlap, which is good news for both Moxley and wrestling fans.

Moxley made no secret of his backstage issues with WWE toward the end of his run with the company, expressing frustration with the level of influence Vince McMahon exerted over his on-screen character.

Now, he gets to enjoy a level of freedom he hasn't experienced in years. In turn, fans can see the version of Moxley they embraced when he wrestled on the independent circuit prior to his WWE move.

WWE might have a near-monopoly on professional wrestling in the U.S. at the moment, but Moxley shows how stars can have a bright future in the ring by leaving the company behind.

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

Reigns Sides with Rollins in Moxley War of Words

Seth Rollins has been WWE's most vocal supporter in recent months following Jon Moxley's explosive interview with Chris Jericho where he ripped apart the company's creative process. Rollins has taken exception with complaints about booking and consistently called WWE the best product in the world. 

Roman Reigns has largely stayed out of the fray but made it clear he's on Rollins' side in an interview with ESPN's Marc Raimondi.

"That's my boy, man," Reigns said of Rollins. "He's passionate. He's always been like that, you just don't always hear it. Seth is strong, he's hard-headed, he's stubborn. That's how he's always been. He's an ultra-alpha male. He wants to be the best all the time. That's why he is where he is. That's why he's at that position—because he has that drive.

"He is emotional—of course, he is. Because we bust our ass, man. I love this place. I'll tell you straight-up: I disagree with what [Dean] Ambrose said about the creative process. I love the guy. I love him to death. He's my brother. And wrestling ain't gonna stop that. On a personal level, me and that dude can hang out, have a beer or two and just talk. And even when we don't talk, that's just our relationship. When it comes down to it, creative-wise, that's on you. Communication is communication. When you go in there and you talk to boss, you gotta let him know. He even made comments about the things I had to say, but that was in a different place. I was brand-new."

Of course, Reigns and Rollins have reasons to be passionate and defend the current product. First, they're getting paid a lot of money to be the male faces of modern WWE. Second, they're also booked pretty well all things considered—and especially in comparison to the wacky antics Ambrose sometimes had to spin into gold.

Becky vs. Natalya Set for Submission Match

Natalya got her wish as WWE announced Monday her Raw Women's Championship Match with Becky Lynch will be a submission match.

Natalya broached the idea last week on WWE programming, saying she wants to put her Sharpshooter against Becky's Dis-Arm-Her in their SummerSlam clash. The feud has been built around which submission specialist is the best and included Becky interrupting Natalya being trained to get out of the Dis-Arm-Her last week before Raw.

The Toronto pay-per-view seems to be the best possible place for Natalya to get her first Raw Women's Championship, but it's hard to see Becky tapping under any circumstances. It's possible, given WWE's love for nostalgia, that we get a reverse Montreal Screwjob to get the belt off Lynch and onto Natalya in front of her home crowd.

More likely? Becky just trounces Natalya, as she should.

WWE Set to Return to Saudi Arabia on Halloween

The company will reportedly continue its controversial relationship with the Saudi government by hosting another show in the country Oct. 31, per PWInsider (h/t Marc Middleton of Wrestling Inc.). The event is scheduled to be called Crown Jewel 2019, a successor to the network special from last year.

Odds are WWE will once again pack the card with superstars from yesteryear along with other marquee championship matches to get as many notable faces to the event as possible. It's equally likely WWE will take its fair share of criticism in the weeks leading up to the event and allow Superstars to opt-out of making the trip should they so choose because of Saudi Arabia's politics.

The Saudi events don't appear to be going anywhere and are a major moneymaker during a time where ratings are down across the board. 

After suffering his first loss since leaving WWE against Toru Yano on Thursday, Jon Moxley is now on a two-match losing streak. He fell to Jay White on Sunday at Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium in Osaka, Japan, and dropped to 5-2 in New Japan Pro-Wrestling's G1 Climax 29.

Ethan Renner of F4WOnline.com noted White pinned Moxley after connecting with the Bloody Sunday DDT and Blade Runner in a match that saw interference from Gedo, brass knuckles and a low blow.

With 10 points in Block B and two matches remaining, Moxley is still in the lead, but he can ill afford to lose again if he wants to reach the finals. Meanwhile, White is still in the hunt with eight points to his credit, but he needs Moxley to lose at least once more.

There was a great deal of anticipation surrounding a Moxley vs. White match when it was announced that they were in the same block. During Thursday's slate of matches, however, things had to break perfectly for the bout to matter.

While Moxley shockingly lost by count-out when Yano taped him to Shota Umino, White managed to stay alive with a pivotal victory over Taichi.

That set the stage for a huge clash between Moxley and White with plenty hanging in the balance. Both wrestlers needed a win for completely different reasons.

Moxley was looking to avoid a two-match losing streak to prevent other wrestlers from having an opportunity to chase him down, while White required a win to remain in contention.

Aside from the loss to Yano, Moxley entered Sunday's match with a ton of big wins under his belt. He had already defeated Taichi, Jeff Cobb, Tomohiro Ishii, Shingo Takagi and Tetsuya Naito to start the tournament.

White's road wasn't quite so smooth, as he beat Cobb, Takagi and Taichi, but lost to Ishii, Yano and Hirooki Goto.

Although he has had an up-and-down G1 thus far, White had an opportunity to turn everything around with a win over Moxley, and the former IWGP World Heavyweight champion did precisely that.

Moxley will look to return to his winning ways Thursday when he faces Goto in Kanagawa, Japan, while White will take on Juice Robinson that same day.

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

Toru Yano shockingly handed Jon Moxley his first loss in the G1 Climax 29 on Thursday at Fukuoka Citizen Gymnasium in Fukuoka, Japan. 

Yano hit Moxley with a low blow at one point during the bout, but the decisive moment came when he tied Moxley and Shota Umino together with tape, resulting in Moxley getting counted out.

While the loss ended his pursuit of a perfect tournament, Moxley is still atop Block B with a 5-1 record that includes wins over Taichi, Jeff Cobb, Tomohiro Ishii, Shingo Takagi and Tetsuya Naito.

Although Moxley was a heavy favorite entering Thursday's match, he was far from a lock to win. While Yano was only 2-3 prior to the clash with Moxley, he earned victories over a pair of former IWGP heavyweight champions in Jay White and Naito.

Yano is an accomplished amateur wrestler who can get the job done with this mat game when needed, but he is perhaps best known for his trickery, which he often uses to take advantage of his opponent when they suffer a lapse in concentration.

Moxley has had few issues with remaining focused on the task at hand throughout the G1, as the bulk of his matches throughout the tournament have featured him taking the fight to his opponent with his hardcore, brawling style.

Thursday's match represented a different kind of test for Moxley than many of his previous encounters. He had an all-out fight against Ishii, bouts against Cobb, Taichi and Takagi that required him to show some of his technical acumen and a high-profile clash with Naito that featured no shortage of mind games.

Moxley had to toe the line between being cautious and aggressive against Yano since a loss would have opened the door for some of the other wrestlers in Block B to make up ground in the standings.

A win would have given Moxley a stranglehold on the top spot in Block B and a chance to run away with it, but he is now in danger of getting chased down if he doesn't bounce back.

Moxley is still in good position with three matches remaining; however, losing even one of his final three bouts could cost him a spot in the G1 finals.

Moxley will look to rebound when he faces White in Osaka on Sunday, while Yano will attempt to build on the momentum gained Thursday against Ishii.

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

Jon Moxley remained undefeated in the New Japan Pro-Wrestling G1 Climax 29 with a victory over Tetsuya Naito at Aichi Prefectural Gymnasium in Nagoya, Japan, on Sunday. 

Moxley and Naito battled back and forth in a match that included the use of a steel chair, but it was ultimately Moxley who hit Naito with the Death Rider to seal the victory. NJPW World provided some highlights from the main event:

The American is now a perfect 5-0 in Block B following wins over Taichi, Jeff Cobb, Tomohiro Ishii, Shingo Takagi and Naito.

Meanwhile, Naito has surprisingly struggled to a 2-3 mark, after losing to Toru Yano, Taichi and Moxley.

It can be argued that Moxley vs. Naito was the most highly anticipated match of the entire tournament since they are two of the biggest stars in NJPW and had never met before.

Essentially every Moxley match is new and fresh from the fans' perspective, and his G1 run has been one of the most interesting things in wrestling since he has faced so many different styles of opponents.

In addition to all-out brawls against the likes of Ishii, Moxley has shown he can get the job done in more technically based bouts as well, such as his clash with Takagi.

Sunday marked an encounter between two unique performers. Moxley is an intense brawler willing to put his body and opponent through anything, while Naito is heralded as "tranquilo" who usually relies on his remarkable in-ring acumen and instincts to succeed.

Entering the G1, Moxley and Naito were considered the two likeliest candidates to win Block B. They are the IWGP United States and IWGP intercontinental champions, respectively, and both would be ideal opponents for IWGP heavyweight titleholder Kazuchika Okada.

Sunday's contest was especially big for Naito since a win would have helped him close the gap on Moxley, but the loss has essentially destroyed his chances of winning the block.

With a 5-0 mark, the 33-year-old is in firm control of his own destiny, while Naito likely has to win out and get some help in the form of other wrestlers beating Moxley.

Naito's next match will come against Juice Robinson in a must-win scenario in Fukuoka, Japan, on Thursday, while Moxley will look to improve to 6-0 when he faces Yano.

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