Unpopular Opinion: Moxley's persona hasn't changed since leaving WWE
Jon Moxley is without a doubt, the most talked about name in professional wrestling right now. The former Dean Ambrose has been in headlines ever since his departure from WWE in late April. His shock appearance in the main event of AEW Double or Nothing was the highlight of what many are calling a historic event.
Following this, Moxley made his debut in New Japan and won the IWGP United States Championship in his very first match with the promotion by defeating Juice Robinson. He was also recently officially confirmed for the G1 Climax 2019, where he is placed in Block B with names like Tetsuya Naito, Jay White, and Tomohiro Ishii.
Moxley's recent resurgence in the wrestling world isn't surprising considering the fact that the man had created a lot of buzz prior to his departure from WWE due to the circumstances surrounding his departure. If you've closely noticed Moxley since his departure from WWE, he hasn't made any drastic change from his time in the company.
Moxley's promo following Double or Nothing, for instance, wasn't anything groundbreaking. Sure, it had a few words which did rile up Pro-AEW fans, but we believe that he had cut better (scripted) promos during his time in WWE. His demeanor and his way of delivery has more or less remained the same. The only big chance that Moxley is switch to trunks from jeans.
Throughout his WWE run, Ambrose was always presented as a brawler who would do crazy things. Apart from flipping off people and cussing during his promos, there is hardly anything to differentiate Moxley from Ambrose. He is still using an improved version of DDT as his finisher.
So, this notion that Moxley has completely re-invented himself is not true in our opinion. Moxley has generated a lot of buzz with his hype video prior to his AEW debut and was going to get a huge ovation in any promotion that he showed up. Him walking off a huge money deal from WWE and choosing not to re-sign with the company resonated with fans. This combined with reports of Moxley/Ambrose being unhappy with the creative direction of his character prior to his departure only added to his popularity.
Moxley's criticism of WWE's creative process and how he felt stifled in the company made him a hero in the eyes of hardcore fans who have been disillusioned with the WWE product for a very long time.
Judging by his recent interviews, it seems like Moxley is thoroughly enjoying his life in the independent circuit. But, at this point, we feel like any almost WWE Superstar who jumps ship to AEW or New Japan is going to get a big deal in the business, especially given the anti-WWE sentiment within the IWC.