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Jon Moxley Knows Best Way to Celebrate Title Defense

Moxley defeated Shota Umino on Saturday–and offered some in-depth analysis about his career

Justin Barrasso

Opponents continue lining up for Jon Moxley, and he keeps knocking them down.

The reigning IWGP world heavyweight champion, Moxley successfully defended the title three times in his first month with the belt, including a defeat against Shota Umino last night at the Resurgence show.

That is a remarkable pace, and a stark change in the way New Japan Pro-Wrestling presents its world champion. Sanada, for instance, who held the same belt for 267 days last year before losing it on January 4, only made four title defenses during his entire reign as champ. In March of 2021, the IWGP world heavyweight title replaced the IWGP heavyweight championship, so it is still a relatively new title, but Moxley is setting a new clip as champ.

Moxley and Umino
Moxley and Umino / NJPW

If Moxley defends the title two more times, he will set a new record for IWGP world heavyweight title defenses. And he has two especially prominent bouts lined up in the next month. One of which is a title defense against Konosuke Takeshita, potentially at the Forbidden Door pay-per-view next month on June 30.

Another title bout has been made official, as Moxley puts the belt on the line against Evil at Okasa Jo Hall on June 9 in the Dominion main event. Evil attacked Moxley after his victory on Saturday, setting up the main event at the annual event at Osaka Jo Hall.

Evil spraypainted the IWGP title
Evil spraypainted the IWGP title / NJPW

Despite the beatdown from Evil and House of Torture, it will not stop Moxley from enjoying one of his favorite hobbies: reading.

A member of the BCC book club, Moxley is constantly inspired by the written word.

“Yeah, we f------ like to read,” said Moxley, who recently found an excerpt from Ozan Varol’s Awaken Your Genius that perfectly describes his career. “The line is like, ‘A genius, in the words of Thelonious Monk, is the one most like himself. Genius, in its Latin origin, refers to the attendant spirit present at birth in every person. Each of us is like Aladdin, and our genie–or our genius–is bottled up inside of us waiting to be awakened.’ It’s kind of what I think of when I say there’s only one me.

“That’s why I try to focus on what I’m doing. What’s the saying? Comparison is the death of happiness? I’m the only one of me. Forgive me for speaking in the third person, but I’m the only Jon Moxley there is. I don’t see another one walking in any f------ time soon.”

Moxley attacks Umino
Moxley attacks Umino / NJPW

Though Moxley was one-third of the iconic Shield group, he has crafted a very different career than Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins. Moxley paved his own path outside of WWE, and now he is carving a new chapter of his legacy in Japan.

“When it’s all said and done, and I’ve been eaten by a cougar or something and people look back on everything, I like the idea that you won’t know where to classify me in history,” said Moxley. “You don’t know where to put me on your lists or your rankings or whatever the f---.

“You have no idea where to classify me, but you can’t ignore me, so you’re going to have to give me my own space. I like that.”

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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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