Jon Moxley uses Seth Rollins' move amidst the WWE star's absence
Jon Moxley is having a fantastic run in New Japan Pro-Wrestling. The legendary wrestler is the current IWGP World Heavyweight Champion. The AEW star won the IWGP World Title by beating Tetsuya Naito at NJPW Windy City Riot last month. Since then, the former Dean Ambrose has defended his title twice.
The former WWE Superstar successfully defended the IWGP World Title against Powerhouse Hobbs on the April 24, 2024, episode of Dynamite. Moxley did an encore this weekend as he defeated Ren Narita on Night Two of NJPW's Wrestling Dontaku 2024.
During his match with Narita, Jon Moxley used an iconic move made popular by Seth Rollins, his former partner in WWE and the stable Shield. That particular move is the Curb Stomp, which has been controversial. The 38-year-old used the move at a critical point of the championship match, which saw interference by members of the House of Torture.
Moxley has been using the Curb Stomp for a while now. The former WWE Champion created waves when he employed the move on James Logan during a tag team match on a Wrestling Revolver show in August 2022.
Instances of wrestlers using the top moves of other wrestlers are rare, and it remains to be seen if The Visionary reacts to his former teammates' recent antics.
Seth Rollins, meanwhile, has been away from programming after losing the World Heavyweight Championship to Drew McIntyre on Night Two of WrestleMania XL. According to reports, The Architect has undergone knee surgery on a torn meniscus.
Jon Moxley will defend his IWGP World Title against Shota Umino at Resurgence 2024!
The former AEW World Champion will lock horns with his ''student'' and former tag team partner Shota Umino for the IWGP World Title at NJPW Resurgence. The marquee event will be held at the Toyota Arena in Ontario, California, on May 11, 2024.
Jon Moxley and Shota Umino share mutual respect and camaraderie. The duo squared off at Dominion 6.9 in June 2019, where the former Dean Ambrose emerged victorious after a hard-fought battle. Impressed by Umino's talent, Moxley took the Japanese star under his tutelage. Since then, the duo has joined forces in several tag matches in NJPW and AEW.
It remains to be seen if Jon Moxley will use the Curb Stomp in the match. The move is one of the most violent and also the most protected. For a while, the Curb Stomp was banned in WWE, as it caused wrestlers to suffer concussions and other injuries. The finishing move was eventually rebranded as The Stomp.
Nevertheless, it will be interesting to see if Shota Umino pulls off a heist at the expense of Jon Moxley.