AEW WrestleDream results: Mox returns as Barnett & Castagnoli honor Inoki

Jon Moxley returned to AEW during the pre-show for Oct. 1’s WrestleDream PPV. It’s the first we’ve seen of Mox since he was concussed early in his match with Rey Fenix at Dynamite Grand Slam back on Sept. 20, but he was his usual self at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle — playing to the camera as he walked his Blackpool Combat Club teammate Claudio Castagnoli before joining the commentary team to help call Castagnoli’s match with Josh Barnett.

The Warmaster pointed to the heavens during his own entrance as Moxley, Jim Ross, Excalibur & Nigel McGuinness talked up Barnett’s connection to the late great Antonio Inoki, the legend to whom WrestleDream is dedicated.

Their match didn’t get a lot of time, but the two men delivered a nice teaser of what they could do with more. There was just enough hard hitting and technical wrestling action to whet our appetite for more of Castagnoli vs. Barnett.

After the former UFC Heavyweight champion negated Claudio’s Neutralizer with technique (“turtling up”, as Moxley put in, by getting his knees down to prevent having his head & torso slammed into the mat), the Swiss Superman went for a submission. When Barnett fought that off, Castagnoli stacked him up for three.

Post-match, Barnett asked for a microphone. He put over Castagnoli as someone Inoki would have admired and enjoyed, then said he does want to a rematch when they can have more time. Claudio replied, “Anytime, anywhere”.

Bloodsport, anyone?

Get complete WrestleDream results and coverage of the entire show here.