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AEW booker and president Tony Khan wasn’t surprised by the positive reaction of fans to Jon Moxley beating Kazuchika Okada in the finals of Continental Classic at the World’s End PPV on Dec. 27.
“Was I surprised to see a positive reaction? No, because when you eliminate some of the outside interference, I believe that if you put Jon Moxley out there against great wrestlers and eliminate some of the shortcuts that made the Death Riders such unpopular villains, I kind of expected that might be the case because he’s always been a popular star,” said Khan at the World’s End PPV post-show presser.
Moxley began getting cheered during the Continental Classic, as his character went through a redemption arc. Moxley had lost several matches leading into the tournament and during the early stages of the tournament before rallying to advance to the semi-finals with a record of 3-2 in the Blue League. Moxley, in a must-win situation, beat Orange Cassidy in his last round robin match to advance to the semi-final round.
During the Continental Classic, Moxley had to win matches clean due to the rules of the tournament without the Death Riders or anyone else at ringside interfering in his matches, as they had done for the majority of time for the last two years. Moxley’s passionate promos about the tournament and the importance of winning it leading into him making it to the finals saw his popularity grow despite his character not undergoing a formal face turn.
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