The first-ever Anarchy in the Arena match took place at Double or Nothing in 2022, and Matt Jackson knew that he would have to do something to outdo that chaotic brawl.
Incredibly, what he came up with was an exploding Superkick on Jon Moxley which stunned the live crowd and set social media on fire. To add to the insanity of the spectacle, just minutes after the stunt, he had the exploding footwear removed, and he was dropped foot-first onto a pile of thumbtacks.
The match was a wild array of stunts that took The Elite and Blackpool Combat Club all over the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Reporting in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer revealed that Jackson came up with the idea for the spot about a month before the match, and needed to secure a special licence to make it happen.
“Matt Jackson came up with the exploding superkick spot about a month ago. He wanted to do something that hadn’t been done and to do so he had to get a Nevada State Fire Performers license that other entertainment acts in Las Vegas using things like that as part of the show have to get.”
WHAT?! 💥👟@youngbucks#AnarchyInTheArena
Order #AEWDoN LIVE on PPV right now!
🇺🇸: https://t.co/fVjgrTiTeE
🌐: https://t.co/RLL4ZBJoGfpic.twitter.com/CdxPFEcWp9— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) May 29, 2023
Matt Jackson Opens Up About Injury Struggles
Back in March, Matt Jackson suffered a partially torn bicep which placed his involvement in the event in doubt. However, the star decided against having surgery, instead focusing on an intensive rehabilitation program to get back to full fitness.
Writing on social media after the show, Jackson said that he “lived in fear” during this period and repeatedly questioned whether he’d made the right decision.