At AEW Worlds End, Jon Moxley delivered a resonant promo following his victory over Kyle Fletcher in the Continental Classic semi-finals and his championship win in a hard-fought match against Kazuchika Okada. The powerful speech came after Moxley claimed the Continental title and emphasized that the championship represented not just his own achievement, but also the efforts of everyone who competed, the fans supporting All Elite Wrestling, and his fellow Death Riders teammates. In closing, Moxley stated that AEW was home to the most dedicated and skilled wrestlers in the industry.
The impact and timing of Moxley’s speech have since become a focal point of wrestling discussion. Many observers noted the striking emotional weight carried by his words and the sense of unity he projected toward both his peers and the audience. The promo was seen as a deliberate move by All Elite Wrestling to strengthen its public perception, particularly during a period when the company sought to counter persistent skepticism from critics and the wrestling community at large.
Addressing Criticism: The Need for a Shift in Image
Wrestling Observer Radio host Dave Meltzer recently analyzed the significance of Moxley’s promo on his program, explaining that its timing reflected AEW’s attempt to reshape the company’s public image after a challenging period marked by negative narratives. According to Meltzer, AEW was widely criticized in 2023, facing claims that the company was financially unstable and led by ineffective management. These negative perceptions, Meltzer suggested, weighed heavily on AEW’s reputation and stood in stark contrast to the company’s delivery of major events and consistent television programming success.
“I’ll tell you what, they’re probably a year late on this. They really should have done this a year ago, but they are doing a tremendous job of essentially trying to, I think, reverse that negativity that really plagued them badly, I think, late 2023 throughout a lot of 2024.When it comes to the big shows, they’ve always delivered. TV’s generally been really good, but there was always that theme of ‘this is a loser company’ and ‘they’re losing all this money’ and ‘they’re run by somebody incompetent’ and became the thing, and it really, you know, that perception was what was really killing them.” – Dave Meltzer, Wrestling Observer Radio
Meltzer noted that while Moxley’s address could have occurred sooner, its forceful and genuine delivery signaled a vital attempt to ‘reverse the negativity’ that the company had faced over the previous year. He highlighted that, despite challenges, AEW continued to stage successful pay-per-view events and maintain strong television content, yet struggled to overcome an often critical narrative surrounding its leadership and financial health.
Awards as a Strategy: Shaping the Narrative through Recognition
The push for perception change did not end with Jon Moxley’s speech. At Worlds End, AEW made frequent references to its ten victories at the Sports Illustrated 2025 Pro Wrestling Awards. This message was delivered throughout the event, with award wins highlighted in commentary segments and feature packages, all underscoring AEW’s achievements over the past year. Meltzer believes that this persistent emphasis on accolades is a deliberate tactic by the promotion to reinforce a positive public image and position AEW as a major industry force.
“They are so into this idea of the awards, but it’s the perception turnaround is what they’re into, you know? Basically, just going over and over, we had a great year. we’ve had the biggest shows, we’ve had the best wrestlers, we’ve had the best matches, and that’s the message. They’re trying to send, and I mean, you have to have a really good year to send that message, or else it’s bulls**t. But boy, are they working? It’s amazing how hard they’re working on this one. They have talked about those awards, I know those awards by heart because they keep saying them over and over and over again, every single one of those awards and who won them. It’s crazy, not crazy. I actually think it’s smart. But boy, are they into those awards?” – Dave Meltzer, Wrestling Observer Radio
These constant reminders of recognition, Meltzer suggested, are crafted to send an unambiguous message to the wrestling world: AEW’s performers and product have been celebrated for their quality, drawing attention away from prior negative headlines and reinforcing the organization’s standing in professional wrestling. The awards are not just tokens but serve as talking points to demonstrate both progress and legitimacy, especially when the narrative had skewed unfavorable in recent years.
What Moxley’s Words and AEW’s Strategy Mean for the Future
Jon Moxley’s AEW promo impact signifies a pivotal moment for the company as it works to regain control over its public perception. By spotlighting its top-tier talent—including Moxley, Kazuchika Okada, Kyle Fletcher, and the Death Riders—and emphasizing both athletic accomplishment and external recognition, AEW is signaling resilience and ambition. These efforts indicate a shift away from defending against criticism and toward proactively setting the agenda.
The company’s renewed focus on positive messaging, strategic deployment of recent accolades, and powerful promo moments convey an intent to solidify AEW’s identity as a leader in wrestling entertainment. With these moves, All Elite Wrestling aims to rally support among fans and strengthen confidence in its leadership and direction, embracing a narrative of teamwork, skill, and industry excellence that is likely to shape its interaction with the wrestling world through the coming year.
