AEW’s Death Riders member has opened up on their partnership with Jon Moxley.
Earlier last year, Moxley backstabbed Bryan Danielson and put an end to Blackpool Combat Club’s legacy. Forming his stable with Wheeler Yuta, Claudio Castagnoli, Pac, and Marina Shafir, Jon Moxley formed ‘The Death Riders’.
Officially at All Out, Jon Moxley attacked Danielson while feigning celebration and attempted to suffocate him with a plastic bag. His ally, Shafir started posing as a formidable threat to his opponents and even jumped the gender-barrier to attack the male wrestlers.
Before her run with Death Riders, Shafir struggled to find her spot on the roster but is now one of the most important members on the roster. Recently, speaking on Chris Jericho on his Talk is Jericho podcast, she opened up on the pairing.
“Months before, there was a leak to the dirt sheets. Somebody was leaking shit and we would have those meetings before the show. One of those meetings, it was, ‘Hey, we’re trying to figure out what indie shows we can work with because I know you guys need reps. Let us know if you want help with that,” she said. “I know a lot of you guys need development.’
After the meeting was done, everyone left, and I went up to Mox and was like, ‘I need help. I know I have something, but if I don’t get help with it, it’ll just be wasted. Maybe you can help me.’ We exchanged info and I got connected with Sami Callihan and Matt Farmer, who runs DEFY. I just started doing shows.
After each match, having a skull session and just watching it back and understand what little shifts need to be made. Moments, transitions. ‘Marina, you really need to work on this, for real.’ [Moxley] just started mentoring me and it evolved into where I am now. I’m not a glittery girl. I wish I had the capacity to be sparkly and showboating, but I just want to f**k girls up. That’s why people appreciate me. I have that, ‘Oh shit. This girl is about to get f***ed up.’
Not many girls have that aura about them. I hate that word, but I have to embrace it because that is what, visually, the main thing people saw about me. I can’t help my b**ch face, my big a** shoulders and my ability to take a beating and get back up every time. That’s what was needed for this.
I felt like I was asking the right questions, and I was getting very productive answers for that stuff. Even the little nuances, we would talk about that. I am Mox’s protector because I have a skillset like no other. I’m pretty much prepared for any situation in real life. People try to touch him when we’re walking out. You’re not touching him. People trying to interfere. You’re not touching him. I don’t mind being a bitch. I feel I take orders very well and I get the job done. If I don’t, I’m repenting and I’m trying to do better next time.”
H/t Fightful
An integral part of the faction now, a couple of years ago, Moxley had opened up on Marina Shafir’s potential.
AEW World Champion Jon Moxley Once Commented On Marina Shafir’s Wrestling Potential
A few years ago, speaking to Renee Paquette on The Sessions, Jon Moxley had opened up on Marina Shafir’s transition from MMA to wrestling and commented on her potential.
“Marina Shafir, so much potential there. She is the only one of our species that we have at AEW. There is nobody else, we only have one of her. I see her wrestling differently than everybody. Looking, talking, acting differently than everybody. She has all these martial arts skills and high level judo and MMA experience. She is such a natural at so much of it. She is new at the pro wrestling stuff, like the running, ducking, selling, and bumping.
I saw her wrestle at Bloodsport and it was like she was a different wrestler than I have seen on Dark and Elevation. It was like she was totally different because she was in her element. She wrestled Masha Slamovich, very talented girl. She was wrestling barefoot and moving around. Her footwork and kicks and movement were totally different because she was in her element. I was like, ‘We need to bring that to TV.’ That brings a whole new element to the division.”
H/t FIghtful
In other news: A WWE 2K25 has opened up on the upcoming DLC announcements.