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Jon Moxley on the Revolver Women’s Grand Prix: ‘You’re going to see them reach new levels in real-time’

Moxley on commentary: “It was pretty fun. It’s actually a lot harder than you think.”

Justin Barrasso

Jon Moxley on the Revolver Women’s Grand Prix: ‘You’re going to see them reach new levels in real-time’
Jon Moxley on the Revolver Women’s Grand Prix: ‘You’re going to see them reach new levels in real-time’ /

Jon Moxley is one of wrestling’s most distinguished stars.

A former champion in AEW, WWE, and New Japan Pro-Wrestling, he added a new accolade to his portfolio this past Sunday at the WrestleDream pay-per-view.

Color commentator.

Moxley’s commentary at WrestleDream was full of expletives, as well as unfiltered passion. He took viewers–and his broadcast partners–on the highest of highs and the lowest of lows, particularly during the match between Bryan Danielson and Zack Sabre Jr.

“It was pretty fun,” said Moxley. “It’s actually a lot harder than you think. I remember doing it once or twice in WWE–there’s guys on the headset, counting down, camera shots, video packages, and you don’t want to talk while anyone else is talking. There is a lot of traffic to navigate. Hopefully I didn’t make the other three guys’ lives more difficult.”

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The most refreshing part of Moxley’s commentary was his authenticity. He was not pandering to the audience or speaking down to anyone. Moxley offered the most genuine version of himself to the audience, the highest compliment to those who paid for the pay-per-view.

“I’ve been paid to star in a movie, and I’m not a real actor,” said Moxley, revealing his sharp-but-dry sense of humor. “I got paid to write a book and I’m not a real writer. I’m barely a real wrestler. So this is another thing that someone paid me to do that I am completely unqualified to do. I don’t know how I keep getting so lucky.”

Luck has nothing to do with Moxley’s success. Not only is he a real wrestler, but he is one of the best in the world. After suffering a concussion last month against Fenix, he is currently scheduled to return to the ring next Tuesday on Dynamite (a different night due to the MLB postseason) in a rematch for the International Championship.

Prior to that, Moxley is scheduled to wrestle on Sunday at indie powerhouse Wrestling Revolver’s Revolver Redemption show in a lucha street fight against Gringo Loco. That is the night cap to a two-show event, beginning when Revolver holds its Women’s Grand Prix at 3pm ET on FITE+.

It remains to be seen whether Moxley will wrestle on either of those shows. Given the serious nature of concussions, it would not be surprising if he is pulled from one–or both. Regardless of whether he wrestles, he is excited to support the Revolver shows.

“I’m f------ stoked about the Grand Prix tournament,” said Moxley. “This is going to be the best, most competitive, spirited match you’re going to see anywhere all year.”

The Women’s Grand Prix features a talented field of eight wrestlers: Billie Starkz, Marina Shafir, VertVixen, Trish Adora, Allysin Kay, Janai Kai, Rachel Armstrong, and Emi Sakura. Renee Paquette, who stands alone as the most talented, versatile broadcaster in wrestling, is serving as the Special Ambassador for the event.

“Renee is super excited about it,” said Moxley, who is married to Paquette. “She’ll do commentary, and a few different surprises. Her with a microphone in her hand is major league. She’s taken the opportunity to help and make other people better. On both sides of the camera, it’s going to be a great learning experience for everyone involved.”

In addition to his own career, Moxley also coaches and trains aspiring wrestlers. The opportunity to teach is empowering for his mind, body, and soul–and he sees this tournament as an exquisite opportunity to learn.

“It’s a platform to show what they can do to the world,” said Moxley. “There are no restrictions. All that’s being asked is to be the absolute best version of yourself.

“Sami Callihan [who runs Wrestling Revolver] coaches a lot of wrestlers, I work with a lot of wrestlers, too. The most important thing is more experience. I can tell you something a million times, but you need to feel it click in the moment in the ring. I can dissect a five-minute match in a million different ways, but you need to get in the ring with people who are better than you. For me, that’s how I learned. I shut the f--- up, listened to what they called, heard how the crowd responded, and learned.

“All eight women were picked for very specific reasons. They’re hungry. They wrestle all over the country–any place, any style. They’re working their asses off and they’re clawing for opportunities like this. It’s a very diverse group, especially in terms of experience. If people aren’t familiar with the resume of Emi Sakura, then I highly suggest you familiarize yourself. She’s the veteran of all veterans, and she’s still every bit in her prime.”

Courtesy AEW
Courtesy AEW

The Grand Prix is filled with talent who also wrestle in AEW. That represents a major part of AEW’s ethos, which is championing all of pro wrestling.

“Minoru Suzuki was insulting me once in a promo, and said something like, ‘If everyone is the same lump of clay, it won’t be interesting,’” said Moxley. “It was actually the best compliment I ever got. That’s what sticks out to me in wrestling. I love when something is different. I love a clash of styles. If I see there is a G1 match between Kazuchika Okada and Zack Sabre Jr., or a match with Suzuki and Jun Kasai, I want to see how the f--- those matches are going to play out. In the Grand Prix, you have all these different experience levels, and we’ll see a combustion–a real clash of styles.

“I compare wrestling to music. There are a lot of parallels. When you mix hip hop and rock, like with Run DMC and Aerosmith, you have an entirely new element. Wrestling is a lot like that. Mix a style with a style, and you see something you’ve never seen before. Look at this tournament. Rachel Armstrong, I call her Ms. 450 because she does a sick-ass 450. She’s at the very beginning of her career, and she’s competing with some young veterans ascending their prime, like Allysin Kay and Marina. Wait until you see the terrifying sh-- Marina can do. Billie has these intangibles. She can make people get behind her. You’ll feel it in two f------ seconds.”

The Grand Prix especially speaks to Moxley because he is a diehard fan of wrestling tournaments. One that made a lasting impression on him was the ECWA Super 8 Tournament in 2002.

“That was the coolest indie tape I ever acquired,” said Moxley. “It was some of the first underground, super cutting-edge indie wrestling I’d ever seen. That was my first exposure to Jamie Noble, who became one of my favorite wrestlers, and my mind was f------ blown when I saw AJ Styles. Donovan Morgan beat AJ in the finals. Bobby Roode was in it. Pepper Parks, who’s now The Blade. Amazing Red. Xavier. Matt Stryker. I watched the tape so many times, I still remember everything. I hope we look back on this night the same way. ‘Remember that f------ night in Dayton, Ohio?’ That’s what I’m hoping happens.

“So I’ve always liked tournaments. It’s a whole self-contained booking ecosystem with a beginning and an end. When me and Sami Callihan were young, we were in all kinds of tournaments like this. I remember doing the Battle of Future Stars with Ricochet [in 2009], too, and that had like 50 f------ people. I love tournaments, so I’ll be living vicariously through these women on Sunday.”

Moxley admitted he was taken aback when people are surprised that he spends his off time around wrestling. For him, this is more joy than job.

“People have other stuff they like to do, and that’s cool,” said Moxley. “Jericho loves wrestling, and he loves Fozzy. Some people love to act when they’re not wrestling. I love wrestling. That’s basically my life, 24/7. If I’m not training, I’m talking about it. I love combat sports. I love watching videos from BJJfanatics.com. It’s recreational. It’s my life.”

Courtesy AEW
Courtesy AEW

The chance to be around pro wrestling excites Moxley to no end. So that is where he will be this Sunday, looking and sounding exactly like the person we saw and heard on AEW commentary last week at WrestleDream.

“I don’t think you’ve seen the best version of any of these women yet,” said Moxley. “That’s what’s really exciting. That’s where this whole idea started. It’s not to make a bunch of money. We want every one of these women in the ring to get that opportunity, and you’re going to see them reach new levels in real time on October 8.”

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Justin Barrasso
JUSTIN BARRASSO

Justin Barrasso has been writing for Sports Illustrated since 2014. While his primary focus is pro wrestling and MMA, he has also covered MLB, NBA, and the NFL. He can be reached at JBarrasso@gmail.com and followed on Twitter @JustinBarrasso.

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