During WWE WrestleMania 40, Jon Moxley, known for his tenure in WWE as Dean Ambrose, found himself in a different time zone, catching up on rest in Japan while the event unfolded stateside.
In the highly anticipated main event where Cody Rhodes challenged Roman Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship, familiar faces like John Cena, The Rock, and The Undertaker added to the drama.
Some fans speculated whether Moxley would make a surprise appearance when The Shield’s theme music filled the arena, but it was Seth Rollins who made the run-in instead.
Reflecting on the buzz surrounding his potential WrestleMania cameo, Moxley revealed to Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated that he was completely unaware of the speculation as he was sound asleep in Japan.
“I was asleep in Japan when that was going on,” he shared. “When I woke up, I had these messages saying, ‘I thought you were coming out!’
And I was like, ‘Coming out where?’ It’s cool that people thought it was me. But I was asleep.”
Contrary to any speculation about WWE reaching out to Moxley for a WrestleMania appearance, Tony Khan, the president of AEW, stated that no such contact was made.
Although Moxley didn’t grace WrestleMania 40 with his presence, fans can catch him in action on the April 24 episode of AEW Dynamite.
There, he will defend the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship against Powerhouse Hobbs. Moxley shared his anticipation for the match and acknowledged their shared history, particularly recalling their initial encounter at Daily’s Place.
“One of the first times Will Hobbs was on TV, we were in the ring together at Daily’s Place,” Moxley recounted.
“There was so much to like about him, and he’s worked really hard. Now, back in that same building, we’ll see what he’s got.”
