The current AEW Continental Champion is officially opening up about the internal drive that led to the creation of his latest faction. During a recent appearance on the “Close Up” podcast, Jon Moxley discussed a variety of professional topics, including the philosophy of the Death Riders. He explained that the group was born out of a desire to build a specific “culture” that he felt was missing from the locker room.
Moxley admitted that he is more proud of this group than almost anything else he has achieved in his storied career. He noted that the name “Death Riders” originally stems from a term used for him in Japan, and he has since adopted it to represent a unified front of disciplined professionals. The group includes Claudio Castagnoli, Wheeler Yuta, PAC, and Marina Shafir.
“I don’t think there’s anything I’ve ever done that I’m more proud of in my career than what we’ve built with The Death Riders,” Moxley stated. “I just decided that I would build the culture on my own. And it started with just me… Claudio is next to me, whom I would trust with my life. Wheeler, who is basically an adopted child of me. PAC, who is a professional through and through.”
The champion also specifically highlighted the courage shown by Wheeler Yuta at the recent Grand Slam Australia event. Yuta agreed to have his head shaved in the middle of the ring on live television, a risk that Moxley believes showed incredible character. He praised Yuta for staying true to his word and embracing the “humiliation” for the benefit of the storyline.
Furthermore, Moxley took a moment to praise Marina Shafir, whom he referred to as the “heart and soul” of the operation. He touted her immense work ethic, describing her constant training and “pitbull” mentality as the standard for the entire roster. He believes that if every athlete worked as hard as Shafir, the entire industry would be a thousand times better.
“Marina has become my lieutenant, my head of security, the heart and soul of the entire operation,” Moxley added. “She never turns it off.” The Death Riders are officially set for a massive role at the upcoming Revolution pay-per-view this Sunday at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. The group is focused on their unified mission as the road to the spring stadium shows reaches its final stretch.
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