Jon Moxley Details Frustration Over AEW Backstage Figure Saying Bottom Of Card Doesn't Matter

In a recent interview with the New York Post, AEW World Champion Jon Moxley spoke about the new direction of his onscreen persona, and the real-life frustrations that birthed such a gimmick change.

Since turning heel on Bryan Danielson, Moxley has run roughshod over AEW along with stablemates Claudio Castagnoli, Marina Shafir, PAC and (the somewhat reluctant) Wheeler Yuta. His promos have consistently put forward a mission statement for the group: shaking up the "complacent" and "lazy" AEW locker room in order to save the company.

In this interview, Moxley reveals the real-world inspiration behind his character, specifying a comment made by a "backstage-type person" that angered him:

"This individual said, ‘Well, it’s the bottom of the card; it doesn’t matter. It’s the bottom of the card; it doesn’t matter. Can you imagine saying that? Like, you’re f*****g fired. [...] Go work at Sunglass Hut. You should be f*****g pistol-whipped for saying that.

"Everybody that’s on the top was at one time on the bottom. That’s how it works. You climb the ladder. You see a lot of frustration and confusion from some of these talents because there is no f******g ladder. They don’t know what to do. They’re kind of just wandering in the desert. We’re gonna grab them by the shoulder and we're gonna walk ‘em."

The first major development of Moxley's heel run saw him end Bryan Danielson's full-time in-ring career at the recent WrestleDream event, defeating his former ally for the AEW World Championship before subjecting him to a vicious attack to close the show.