AEW Booked Title Match On Dynamite Because Jon Moxley Hated Being The ‘Interim Champion’

CM Punk vs Jon Moxley stands to be one of the biggest bookings in AEW in recent history. Fans thought that the championship unification match would be historic. However, Punk gave an overhead kick to Moxley and fell down screaming in pain. The match was only 11 minutes long, and many fans didn’t like that, to say the least. Moxley came out victorious, and he isn’t sorry about squashing Punk.

Dave Meltzer via Wrestling Observer Letter said that Punk and Moxley will face each other again for a rematch. Their rematch will headline the AEW All Out event, which is set for 9 September.

Meltzer says that according to the story, Punk went into the match with an injury. He adds that the match wasn’t meant to end up like that given the nature and status of the match. While it wasn’t one for getting higher ratings, it was generally their desire at the time.

A rematch between the two will headline All Out on 9/4 in Chicago. The announcers gave Punk a backstory of perhaps coming back too soon. He limped out of the ring, and no doubt the story of the Chicago match is that he goes in injured.

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This was not the original plan as far as doing the television match and this type of match. It wasn’t a ratings ploy, although the timing was such that they definitely wanted to boost ratings, as much as Moxley becoming the real champion as he personally hated the interim thing, and it being a way to tell a different story. Some didn’t like the short match. Others did. Some felt it would hurt doing a PPV rematch just 11 days later, and others felt the nature of how the match was done, being kept short and having an injury, puts more doubt and helps the PPV. Anyway, that answer to at least an extent will be determined shortly after the show.

Fans are polarized over the match. Some like it, others did. There’s criticism over a rematch being scheduled only 11 days after the real thing. However, the match will dictate whether the decision for a quick rematch falls flat or marks a new life in Punk’s performance.

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