Jon Moxley reflected on his four-year history with Kenny Omega heading into this week’s steel cage match in Detroit.
Moxley spoke with SI.com on the rivalry that goes back to AEW’s first event at Double or Nothing in May 2019 when Moxley made his debut attacking Omega:
When me and Kenny entered each other’s spheres, AEW was just beginning. Tony was sitting at my kitchen table telling me about this theoretical TV show that might exist and this theoretical promotion that might exist. Now, four years later, we just sold 60,000 tickets to a country we’ve never been to without a match announced. There is definitely pride for those of us who’ve been here since the beginning. I don’t know if you want to call me and Kenny the definitive rivalry, but it’s important. The cool thing is, this is four years later and we just sold 60,000 tickets to Wembley f—ing Stadium.
Full Gear in November 2019 featured their first meeting with Moxley winning an Unsanctioned Lights Out match.
The two have been tied to the main event scene since the company’s inception with Moxley becoming the second AEW Champion in February 2020 when he beat Chris Jericho. Later that year, Omega unseated Moxley at the first ‘Winter is Coming’ in December and kicked off a nearly year-long title run.
Their third match headlined AEW Revolution in March 2021 in the infamous Barbed-Wire Exploding Death Match, which is remembered for the lack of explosion at the climax of the match. However, the pay-per-view headlined by Omega and Moxley reportedly generated 135,000 buys, which was a company record at the time.
Moxley also spoke about the state of his health as he gets set for Wednesday’s match in Detroit and his return last year:
Kenny has been pushing me since day one in AEW. And now I’m far better than I was then in 2019, especially now that I’m not scared of dying of a seizure in the ring. And substance abuse issues are never really over, but it’s in the rearview. Mentally, physically, this is the best I’ve felt in a long time.
Below is the full card for Wednesday’s episode of Dynamite at the Little Caesar’s Arena:
*Steel Cage Match: Jon Moxley vs. Kenny Omega
*AEW International Championship: Orange Cassidy vs. Daniel Garcia
*AEW Trios Championships: House of Black vs. Bandido & Best Friends
*No Holds Barred Match: Anna Jay AS vs. Julia Hart
*Double Jeopardy Match: Claudio Castagnoli vs. Rey Fenix
