Tony Khan says former WWE star is AEW‘s equivalent of Ric Flair.
A general benchmark to judge a wrestling promotion is the talent they have, especially the wrestler who is the backbone of the company.
Wrestlers such as Ric Flair, who were not only the face of the company but also beloved by fans for their work rate, character, and high-quality matches.
Speaking on the recent episode of 1035 KISS FM’s Hot Tag Wrestling Podcast, Tony Khan was asked who in AEW is equal to what Ric Flair was to the NWA.
Without hesitation, the AEW President named Jon Moxley.
Tony Khan Shares Why He Thinks Jon Moxley Is AEW’s Version Of Ric Flair
Speaking further, Khan said that the Lunatic Fringe is someone who could be both a top hero and a despised villain.
He also appreciated the former WWE star’s work rate, saying that he was one of the last wrestlers who worked 200 to 250 days a year as champion.
Khan added that while both Moxley and the Nature Boy had different personas, with Mox being the ultimate blue-collar wrestler and the Hall of Famer being the ultimate white-collar wrestler, they both had a similar hard-hitting mentality. He said:
“He’s somebody who could be the top hero, the top fan favorite. He’s somebody who could be the top villain, as he’s proven. He bleeds buckets. They have very different mentalities in terms of they are very different. Jon Moxley is the ultimate blue-collar wrestler. Ric Flair is the ultimate white collar wrestler. But they have this hard-hitting mentality.
Jon Moxley was actually the last 200- 250 day a year world champion in wrestling. It became much more of a television-focused business in the past decade. But, about you know, 10 years ago, nine years ago, Jon Moxley was the last person to do 200- 250 days a year as the world champion [fun fact], and that is very much the Ric Flair mentality.”
He concluded by saying that just like the iconic wrestler, Jon Moxley is an accomplished champion who has the top prize across multiple promotions. He said:
“Also, Jon Moxley is also the most decorated world champion. It’s a lot like Ric Flair because Jon Moxley is the only person ever to hold the AEW World Championship, the WWE World Championship, and the IWGP World Championship in New Japan. And Jon Moxley is the only four-time AEW World Champion.”
You can hear Tony Khan’s response in the video below:
In other news, Tony Khan made a sensational match announcement with regards to Jon Moxley, which is scheduled to take place on this week’s episode of AEW Dynamite.