10 Unthinkable Masterminds Behind Legendary Wrestling Ideas

7. Jon Moxley Wanted To Squash CM Punk

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AEW

Jon Moxley is one of very few wrestlers you can be certain isn't a d*ckhead - either that, or he's an even better worker than you thought. This is a man who adores his wife, refuses to indulge in the petty bullsh*t of social media, and is enchanted by the concept of libraries.

He is over as a babyface because he scans as the complete opposite of a ruthless, soulless pro wrestling carny.

It might surprise you, then, to learn that he campaigned to squash CM Punk on free television before dropping the Interim World title to him at All Out 2022. Did Mox sense that Punk's volatility backstage was set to explode, and that he might not find an opportunity to get his win back "down the road"?

Did he leverage Punk's love of playing the hometown hero and pitch a story that would see Punk redeem himself in Chicago by getting a win out of him first?

Or did he just express to management that he was a star on Punk's level, and as such needed a win to keep his heat after the fact?

In any event, it was a smart political play, and as revealed by Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer, it was Mox's idea that Punk "eventually" agreed to.

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 current Undisputed WWE 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!