They put themselves through hell and likely nearly scared their insurance agents off, but Jim Ross is proud of Jon Moxley and Kenny Omega following their clash at Full Gear last weekend.
Mox and Kenny gave the wrestling community a match unlike they've seen in a long time, with all sorts of unhealthy instruments being used as they went full hardcore in front of an admiring JR.
The legendary announcer spoke to Sports Illustrated recently, highlighting the unsanctioned bout which he believes is a "breath of fresh air" for the industry.
“It was a different match to call," he admitted. "They weren’t working the arm. It didn’t have the standard route that a match takes. Based on the amount of legitimate physical punishment that Moxley and Kenny incurred, it may have gone a little too long but I haven’t seen two guys work any harder to get something over in years. The passion in that match was a breath of fresh air for our business.”
Ross added that he's never been as proud of two guys as he was over the two AEW superstars in a long time, noting he'd never seen such a main event before.
“It’s been years since I was this proud of two guys in a match like I am with Moxley and Kenny. I’ve never seen a main event like that," he continued. "They should be congratulated. The effort they put forth was absolutely amazing.
"This match was a great indication of the in-ring spirit of AEW. We want to be about innovation and delivering a great effort. The match gave us stunts, it gave us wrestling, it gave us drama, it gave us uniqueness. This was about two guys that were given a chance to lay out their own game plan and execute their match, and that’s what they did.”
Such A Match Can Only Come Along Once A PPV
It takes a lot to impress JR as long as he's been around, and that he's gushed over Jon and Kenny that much speaks volumes.
Fortunately, such violence will be reserved for PPVs, as there's no way anyone's putting themselves through similar ordeals on a nearly weekly basis.
So yeah, we can't wait for the next one.
Source: Sports Illustrated