Jon Moxley has made professional wrestling history by winning the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship.
In the main event of New Japan Pro-Wrestling Windy City Riot last night, Moxley challenged IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Tetsuya Naito. This was Naito’s third defence of the title since winning it from his former Los Ingobernables de Japon stablemate SANADA at Wrestle Kingdom 18 this past January.
What ensued was a brutal match that left the long-time AEW star bloody after Naito countered a dive to the outside from Moxley with a chair shot directly to the head. In the end, however, Moxley picked up the shock win, pinning Naito after hitting two consecutive Death Riders to win the top prize in New Japan.
In doing so, Moxley has also become the first professional wrestler in history to have won a world championship in WWE, AEW and NJPW – an accomplishment the latter has since dubbed the ‘Global Grand Slam’.
This marks Moxley’s first world championship win since his third AEW World Championship reign in late 2022 as well as his first New Japan championship since his record-breaking reign as IWGP United States Champion came to an end in July 2021.
Jon Moxley Believes His Title Win Is “Not Going To Matter”
Ahead of his title challenge, Moxley appeared on NJPW’s Road To and addressed his belief that, even if he wins the IWGP World Heavyweight title, it won’t matter in the grand scheme of things.
He explained that, despite the personal significance of winning the belt, he believes he will still be seen as “the most overlooked, disrespected, forgotten about, taken for granted wrestler in the history of this business.”
Jon Moxley will make his first defence of the IWGP World Heavyweight Title on the April 24th edition of AEW Dynamite when he faces Powerouse Hobbs.