Jon Moxley’s Reflection on Concussion at AEW Dynamite Grand Slam Spurs Call for Wrestler Safety Protocol

Jon Moxley recently opened up about a harrowing experience he had during AEW Dynamite Grand Slam in September when he suffered a concussion. In a frank interview with The Messenger, Moxley shared the details of that fateful night.

He described how the concussion left him feeling disoriented, saying, “I just kept getting progressively more lost and couldn’t figure out where the f— I was. Then I had this moment of clarity, ‘Oh, I’m f—ed up. I gotta get the f— out of here.'”

Remarkably, despite the concussion, Moxley managed to finish the match, where he dropped the AEW International Championship to Rey Fenix, a booking change from the original plan. However, Moxley’s experience shed light on the need for better concussion protocols in professional wrestling.

Moxley emphasized the challenges of recognizing concussions in the wrestling world, where the lines between reality and fiction are often blurred. He stressed the importance of involving experienced wrestlers and doctors who are trained to spot signs of concussions. He suggested that a doctor should have the authority to stop a match immediately when they observe any signs of a concussion, regardless of the circumstances.

“In pro wrestling, it’s a really touchy subject. Somebody’s gotta f—ing bring it up. Pro wrestling is such a strange thing. In football, if a guy goes down and he doesn’t go back to the huddle, you know he’s f—ed up. In pro wrestling, a lot of times it’s hard to tell what’s real and what’s fake. Maybe a really experienced wrestler and a really experienced doctor, who are trained to see signs of that sh–, are watching it on a separate feed. Even if they have a doctor close to ringside, what if the guy f—ing spills outside the ring? He doesn’t see that. The doctor and wrestler are completely untethered to the creative portion of it. They have no idea nor any interest in what the story is, who wins, who loses or how long it’s supposed to go. If a guy f—ing spins around or something and the doctor goes, ‘Is he OK?’ The wrestler can tell him, That’s just a pro wrestling thing. Don’t worry.’”

Moxley’s candid comments shed light on the need for enhanced safety measures in professional wrestling, and his call for proactive concussion protocols is a step in the right direction to protect the well-being of performers in this demanding industry.

What are your thoughts on Jon Moxley’s proposal for implementing a “red button” system to immediately stop matches when signs of concussion are observed? Leave us a comment below.