Why AEW Is Getting A "Hard Reset"
Jon Moxley claims Tony Khan's AEW is in the midst of a "hard reset and restart."
AEW World Champion Jon Moxley has claimed the promotion is in the midst of a "hard reset and complete restart."
Speaking with the New York Post, Moxley stated that the process is at "Day Zero", adding that while AEW might not look significantly different at the moment, this will change over time. He believes his current objectives are the most ambitious of his career, saying as much as his Death Riders stable attempts to reclaim AEW's identity in the fictional realm.
Moxley told the Post:
“Everything that has happened up until this point doesn’t matter. This is Day Zero. We begin from here, and it might not look much different right now, but it will, and things are accomplished by small incremental steps, doing little things consistently. And that is how big changes are made over periods of time... My goals going forward are probably the most ambitious things I’ve ever attempted. And you know, logically on paper, one would say they would probably be impossible, but we’re going to do it. We’re going to accomplish those things.”
Moxley's Death Riders group emerged from the Blackpool Combat Club's rubble in late August, when Mox told announcer Tony Schiavone that "AEW is not your company anymore." Aligning first with Marina Shafir, Mox orchestrated a brutal turn on Bryan Danielson at All Out 2024 (7 September), pulling Claudio Catasgnoli, PAC, and eventually Wheeler Yuta into his ranks, triggering what initially looked like a full-on takeover of AEW.
The Death Riders' Fight To Reclaim AEW's Soul
Recent months have seen a group of AEW loyalists stand up to Moxley and the Death Riders, including Daniel Garcia, Private Party, the Dark Order, and the Orange Cassidy-led Conglomeration. So far, the feud's only Full Gear 2024 (23 November) representation is Mox defending his AEW World Championship against Cassidy.
Last week's programming felt like AEW was dialling back on the takeover aspect of the Death Riders' presentation, however. The group were instead presented as a typical heel unit, so it'll be interesting to see if the full-on, company-wide war is still on the cards, or if creative has moved in a different direction.
The Young Bucks' current AEW absence has been tied to the programme. Earlier this month, the Wrestling Observer reported that Matthew and Nicholas Jackson will likely be gone until January, potentially becoming AEW's saviors against the Death Riders upon returning.