Mox’s amazing New Japan run continues SummerSlam weekend

In the build-up to last month’s historic joint PPV from AEW and NJPW, Jon Moxley argued that he was the [expletive deleted] Forbidden Door. Then he went out and beat New Japan’s Forever Ace Hiroshi Tanahashi in one hell of a main event.

Would our man Mox rest on his laurels after that? What the [expletive deleted] do you think?

He’ll be back at it on New Japan’s show in Nashville on SummerSlam weekend, taking on one of the best super juniors/cruiserweights out there, two-time IWGP Junior Heavyweight champion El Desperado, in a No Disqualifications match.

There’s a bit of a story here — Despy is part of Minoru Suzuki’s Suzuki-Gun stable, which threw in with Jericho Appreciation Society during Forbidden Door, and the JAS are still beefing with Moxley & Blackpool Combat Club, so...

Which is nice, but this is also just one of those matches you never knew you wanted until it was announced. And the bigger story continues to be Mox living his pro wrestling dreams since leaving WWE back in 2019.

And no disrespect to El Desperado (or fellow Junior Heavyweights KUSHIDA and Hiromu Takahashi, who don’t have a match or matches yet, but are advertised for July 30 in Nashville), but the interim AEW World champ gives New Japan a big name to sell this show — happening hours before WWE’s big stadium event across town. They needed someone like Mox, since most of their big guns will be in Japan for the G1 Climax tournament while this one is going on.

Does Moxley vs. Despy get you more interest in Music City Mayhem?