10 Exact Moments When Ex-WWE Wrestlers Knew They'd Made The Right Decision

7. Jon Moxley

Ups Downs From AEW Double Or Nothing 2019
AEW

Why He Left WWE: Moxley, very much unlike Adam Cole, was desperately unhappy in WWE towards the end. Angles like getting a jab in the butt from some phoney doctor had pushed him over the edge, and the then-Dean Ambrose decided he wanted to get the f*ck out before he lost his mind.

He got his wish in April 2019.

The Moment: Mox's thunderous debut at AEW's Double Or Nothing 2019 breathed new life into his weary, jaded bones. The company offered two things. One, a fresh start and the chance to rebirth himself as something WWE wouldn't allow (which, at first, was a boots n' tights serious pro wrestler). Second, creative freedom.

That last one was a big deal to Jon. He wanted to show what he was capable of outside WWE's restrictive, corporately-controlled system. The outburst of emotions he experienced after crashing the closing moments of AEW's debut pay-per-view must've made Moxley feel like Superman.

WWE torture faded away right there and then.

Contributor

Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.