Jon Moxley promises AEW coming to "under served market" [Exclusive]
I reported earlier this week that AEW Dynamite will be coming to southwest Ohio not once, but twice this year. I have not been able to confirm either the dates or locations but AEW superstar Jon Moxley has all but guaranteed to me that Dynamite will be making it's debuts in both Dayton and Cincinnati in 2020. Dayton's event will be happening first, and then Cincinnati at a later date.
The arena issues in Cincinnati hit the news in recent weeks with Fightful being the first to report on them. The Heritage Bank Center is the largest arena in the Queen City and has traditionally been the place where all WWE events in the area are held. It's because of that relationship that the Heritage Bank Center has reportedly refused to work with AEW.
Jon Moxley, who is from Cincinnati, joined me on my radio show this weekend on ESPN1530. He said he's been pulling the strings backstage for a while now, trying to bring a Dynamite to his hometown.
"I've been bugging the hell out of them (AEW management) to do a Dynamite in Cincinnati. Ideally US Bank Arena (now known as the Heritage Bank Center). Obviously my hometown. I used to work at US Bank Arena when I was like 16, 17, when I was in High School. I worked like event staff. - I used to watch, you know, Cincinnati Cyclones games you know, stand there in a bomb, kind of imagine you know... one day wrestling in that arena."
Mox said some of the best moments of his career came at the now Heritage Bank Center, including the last time he was there when he took on Seth Rollins in a steal cage match at WWE Starrcade. So naturally, he was very anxious to bring AEW Dynamite there. However, Mox says the arena shut them down.
"We call up US Bank Arena... My home Arena! And they don't want to do no business with AEW. 'Naw we do WWE.' I'm like WHAT?! What? I used to work for you for like 6 dollars an hour. I'm trying to bring the hottest show in wrestling to your arena, and you're afraid of pissing Vince off?"
For the record I have reached out to the Heritage Bank Center to get their side of the story. They have yet to respond to me. Moxley jokingly (?) said the arena is now on his "list", but he did assure Cincinnati fans that Dynamite will be coming to town in 2020 at another venue. He could not name the venue at this time, but he's extremely excited to come back home. Bringing a big show to Cincinnati is something Moxley is very passionate about.
"Cincinnati is an under served market. I feel like they don't get the love you know, they don't get the big PPV's.- They get the generic RAW and SmackDown, but it's like they (WWE) save the really cool stuff for like Chicago or New York. I feel like Cincinnati's underserved and it's a uh... city with a good wrestling history. We had the Brian Pilman Memorial Shows there at Cincinnati Gardens and HWA where I started, Les Thatcher's school, has produced countless top tier talent."
The last WWE PPV to come to Cincinnati was Cyber Sunday back in 2006. The main event that night saw King Booker defeat the Big Show and John Cena to retain his World Heavyweight Championship.
You can hear my full conversation with Jon Moxley below:
This article was written exclusively for Sportskeeda. Follow me on Twitter @RickUcchino