A new report has claimed Jon Moxley was injured before his match with Rey Fenix properly started.
Since winning the AEW International Title Jon Moxley has been a fighting champion, carrying on the legacy set by former title holder Orange Cassidy. This quest led the star to Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York City and a match with Rey Fenix.
However, the match was marred by an injury to Moxley and a seemingly botched finish.
Fenix hit a Black Fire Driver on his rival, but Moxley’s head was positioned slightly too low. This meant that Moxley’s head was driven into the canvas. With Moxley laid out, Fenix went for the pin, but the referee stopped short of counting three, despite Moxley not kicking out. Fenix then hit the move again, and this time the pin was counted and Fenix became the International Champion.
After the match, it was reported that the finish was changed on the fly, and Moxley was originally scheduled to win. At the time it was believed Moxley sustained a concussion after the Black Fire Driver, however, it’s now been reported the injury occurred much earlier.
Speaking on Wrestling Observer Radio, Bryan Alvarez reported that Moxley was concussed before the bell even rang after Fenix performed a dive from the ramp to the floor.
“So Jon Moxley was facing Rey Fenix for the international title, and the plan was that he was going to win. He was going to retain the title. And like the very first spot they did, they were brawling on the ramp. And Fenix went running and he did a flip dive off the ramp and he essentially landed right on Jon Moxley’s head. His whole body landed on his head.
I mean, he just pretty much crushed the guy. And Moxley was rocked. And, you know, he comes up, and he’s got the glassy eyes. And the announcers, I think, thought it was a work because they’re like, man, look at the glassy eyes on Jon Moxley. Those are the eyes of a man that’s been rocked. And in fact, those were the eyes of a man who had been rocked. And so if you watch it like he stumbles around, he can’t get to his feet at first.
Yeah, he got back into the ring and he kind of started to get his bearings and then, like, they had a match and it was Moxley’s in there. He’s doing a couple of lucha spots. He’s beating on the guy. And apparently what happened was the match went on. He just started not feeling good, and he realized he was not in good shape. And so, he told Fenix, you’re going to you’re going to beat me. And so Fenix hit his piledriver. His driver. Yep.
And you could see like you could see Moxley telling the ref to count, and the ref counts one, two. And then he just and he doesn’t count. And, first, you hear the crowd start just booing. Like they’re furious. They start getting on their feet for this, this, this call. And you could see Moxley on his back, looking at the ref, and goes, F**k you.
And so the referee is like, Yeah. And so Fenix picks him up and he gives him another piledriver. And this time, the ref counted the pin quickly. And that was the end of that. But the word was seemed to be a mild concussion. And, and I guess he was, doing a lot better later in the evening.”
Jon Moxley “Okay” Despite Mild Concussion
After the match, Jon Moxley reportedly made his way backstage under his own steam, although he was checked on by doctors.
Dave Meltzer noted that the three-time AEW World Champion was said to be doing okay, but had sustained a mild concussion after a “dangerous” match.
“He was okay backstage. It was diagnosed as a mild concussion. And he was not hurt by either piledriver. He got dropped on his head twice, and he got a concussion. And he did get a concussion. But it was early on. And, it’s not a good thing to work a match after a concussion, that’s for sure. But neither of those piledrivers hurt him at all. So he was as far as that aspect goes, that wasn’t that wasn’t the dangerous spot working. The match was dangerous, though, there’s no doubt.”
H/t to WrestlingNews.Co