10 Most Badass Wrestling Threats EVER

7. Jon Moxley 's Blunt Message To Kenny Omega

Eddie Kingston
AEW

The first two AEW Road To series are wild in retrospect.

AEW's means of building matches before debuting on television, the output was even. Wildly so; in one episode, Brandi Rhodes played Stephanie McMahon in an invisible camera segment that doubled as an excuse to show the women's roster in bikinis (!) and, in another, Cody cut a promo on brother Dustin so moving that it might well hold up as his best.

They are barely remembered because Dynamite has dominated the conversation since 2019, whether people delight in praising it or can't cope with the idea of it being praised alike. The build to the Jon Moxley Vs. Kenny Omega match at All Out has been forgotten entirely because it didn't end up happening on the show, but it was utterly fantastic. Mox re-contextualised his NJPW G1 run as something he did to strategise against Omega's immense range, and in a badass line, he settled on one core area of attack.

"Kenny Omega, the myth, seems to think I'm some kind of joke. Well, we're gonna be in the ring together, and I assure you: it's not going to be the least bit funny when I break your f*cking jaw. This ain't a f*cking video game, dude. You only get one life. I'm trying to hurt you. I'm trying to injure you - and I'm going to."

This was both an excellent soundbite and an awesome penny-drop moment: Mox perfectly articulated the idea that he wasn't aiming for a classic. He was out for blood, and this promise of Omega in a frightening new context premised not on match quality but rather survival was beyond compelling.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and surefire Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!