AEW relying on Jon Moxley to 'jump-start interest'

Jon Moxley is front and center of everything AEW is doing right now. He won the world championship at WrestleDream, ending Bryan Danielson's career. That victory came hot on the heels of Moxley's turn on his former stablemate, highlighted by his attempt to suffocate him during the All-Out pay-per-view.

Tony Khan and AEW's creative team have positioned Moxley for a war against the rest of the roster. They're pulling directly out of Eric Bischoff's NWO playbook, a move that saw WCW overtake WWF for 83 weeks during the peak of that storyline.

Dave Meltzer noted in a recent edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter that AEW changed its championship plans to ensure Moxley was well positioned for his current push. Meltzer also noted that the company is hoping Moxley's current angle can "jump-start interest" in AEW.

"As noted many times, the original plan when he [Bryan Danielson] won the title at Wembley Stadium was to lose it to Allin on the 10/12 WrestleDream show in Tacoma, WA, since Allin grew up in Seattle and Danielson in Aberdeen, WA," Meltzer noted ( h/t to cageside seats ). "But the Moxley turn on Danielson after his title defense over Jack Perry at All Out in Chicago, changed the direction with the idea of putting as much heat as possible on Moxley and the BCC in an attempt to jump-start interest in the promotion."

Moxley has experience with spearheading a leading storyline for a major wrestling company. His time as Dean Ambrose in The Shield (for WWE) will undoubtedly pay dividends as AEW builds on the current angle.

Nevertheless, Moxley will need some other big names to team up with him if AEW is going to pull off such a difficult story. It can't be Moxley and the Blackpool Combat Club vs. the rest of the AEW roster. There would be too many baby faces. Someone like MJF, Cristian Cage, Swerve Strickland or a group like The Elite must join forces with him.

By pairing some star talents with Moxley, AEW can begin building new baby faces as they look to defend the company from its attack within. Daniel Garcia will undoubtedly be one of the names to receive a big push following his new deal with the company.

Moxley is still the biggest star on AEW's roster . He's one of the most experienced talents in the world. Entrusting him with such a pivotal storyline is smart business.

However, the success or failure of that narrative won't rest on his shoulders. Now is the time for AEW's creative team to prove its worth or for Khan to finally bring in some fresh writers who can elevate the product to another level.

Either way, it's going to be an interesting few months.