On this week’s (Mar. 4) episode of Dynamite, Chris Jericho’s Inner Circle closed out the show by triple powerbombing Jon Moxley through a table.
You can watch it for yourself right here:
After the #InnerCircle Powerbomb off the stage to @JonMoxley, #AEW doctors refuse to clear Moxley to wrestle until he passes their examination. Nevertheless, the champion told AEW that he won’t take any time off (“Over my dead body!”). Moxley will speak next week on #AEWDynamite! pic.twitter.com/YpGimCN6Mr
— All Elite Wrestling (@AEWrestling) March 5, 2020
This immediately raised eyebrows for many fans, because it was a move right out of The Shield’s playbook, and of course, Jon Moxley was a key member of that WWE group.
So, did AEW cross the line here by using a move that is so closely tied to Jon Moxley’s WWE persona, Dean Ambrose?
No, AEW didn’t cross any lines here.
Wrestling companies taking shots at each other on their broadcasts was a weekly occurrence during the late 90’s, the last time WWE had direct competition, and so it’s not surprising to see some form of it in play with the advent of AEW. AEW has a smaller fanbase than WWE, with a higher percentage of hardcore fans, and this sort of thing is generally well-received by that crowd.
That doesn’t mean it always comes off well, in fact sometimes it can be cringeworthy. Chris Jericho’s quip about a “stupid idea from bad creative” regarding Jack Swagger’s gimmick in WWE was funny! Cody using a sledgehammer to smash Triple H’s throne was corny! There are going to be hits and misses, and at least from my perspective as a fan, it’s all part of the fun of following the kayfabe and out-of-kayfabe drama.
Triple powerbombing Jon Moxley through a table was totally fine. The idea that one company owns a wrestling move and it cannot be used by other companies is silly. It would be like me getting angry with someone else for timing wrestling matches because I’ve been doing it here at Cageside Seats for the last seven years, deluding myself into thinking that only I should be allowed to perform a common task that’s been done forever.
Pro wrestling companies have been copying each other for all of time. I watched Vince McMahon copy a bunch of Paul Heyman’s ideas from ECW and incorporate it into his Attitude Era. AEW using one move that’s been popularized in WWE is not that big of a deal in the grand scheme of things.
AEW’s usage of the triple powerbomb on Moxley is fair game, and I’d be willing to bet that a decent amount of fans didn’t even realize it was The Shield’s move when they saw it go down.
What did you think about seeing Jon Moxley on the receiving end of a triple powerbomb on Dynamite?