Excalibur Breaks Down Joey Janela vs. Jon Moxley at Fyter Fest, Says He Will Thank Chris Jericho If He Wins at All Out

– All Elite Wrestling’s official website released the second part of its interview with Excalibur, who discussed the inaugural AEW world title match-up at All Out featuring Adam Page vs. Chris Jericho and more. Below are some highlights.

Excalibur on key advice he received from JR before Double or Nothing: “Ahead of the broadcast, J.R. mentioned I should think about the economy of my words; why use eight words when you can say it in five? The audience is watching for the wrestling, and I have two other broadcast partners to share the ball with, each with their own comments or insights. The more efficient I can be in expressing myself, the easier it will be for the audience to understand what I’m trying to convey. Working with J.R. has been a profoundly educational experience, and any time he offers feedback I make an immediate note of it.”

His thoughts on Joey Janela vs. Jon Moxley at Fyter Fest: “Joey Janela and Jon Moxley are cut from the same cloth. I feel like when Moxley left the indies in 2011, Janela picked up right where Mox left off. But because Joey is who he is, he took things in his own direction and now this high-risk style of professional wrestling is in a very different place than where Moxley may have anticipated it going. Imagine not riding a bicycle for eight years, and then when you get back on you have to pedal backwards to go forward. And you’re riding on a tight rope. Moxley’s first match in AEW is against someone that been living, breathing, and bleeding this style of wrestling for years. Yeah, Moxley is a top guy, but Joey Janela has changed the game.”

“My expectation is that Joey Janela will quickly try to make Jon Moxley uncomfortable, and it will be up to Moxley to adapt and react. I believe he can, but will he be able to do it quick enough to beat Janela? Who knows. There are very few times I’ve been worried about a match that I wasn’t involved in. This is one of those times.”

His thoughts on Cody Rhodes vs. Darby Allin: “I would tell Cody to make this a wrestling match. Not a professional wrestling match, because Darby Allin is highly skilled in that regard, Cody needs to turn this match into the 2003 Georgia State High School Wrestling Championship. Darby is younger and faster, he’s seemingly impervious to pain, he’s way better off the top rope, he’s got unexpected international influences and counters; Darby Allin is a real problem for Cody. However, Cody has experience. If he can maintain his composure, if he can turn this into a grappling contest and force Darby to grind it out, to carry Cody’s weight, then maybe Cody can fatigue him. Maybe Darby will be less resilient if he’s been fighting for position with a larger opponent. Maybe that might negate the speed advantage. Maybe.”

Excalibur on Adam Page vs. Chris Jericho at All Out: “Victory for Adam Page cements his position as one of the top talents in professional wrestling. He’s already in the conversation by virtue of being in the first-ever AEW World Championship title match alone, but a victory over Chris Jericho at ALL OUT would cease the debate. ‘Hangman’ would also become a celebrity overnight. Chris Jericho is not just one of the best professional wrestlers ever, he’s a crossover star; a victory over Jericho would make international news. Winning the match and the title would turn Adam Page into the face of the hottest professional wrestling promotion on the planet. Most importantly for ‘Hangman,’ it would exceed his wildest dreams. The years of dedication and sacrifice culminating in becoming a world champion is every professional wrestler’s dream. But the inaugural champion for All Elite Wrestling? There’s no way he could have anticipated it, but now he has to have it.”

“Chris Jericho has made it abundantly clear that he feels AEW needs Jericho more than Jericho needs AEW. Becoming the first-ever AEW World Champion would cement his position as one of the top professional wrestlers of all time and it could, as much as I hate to say it, prove him right. Jericho was recognized as having a hall of fame career ten years ago; a victory in Chicago could make the case for him being inducted a second time. While I never said it publicly, I thought Kenny Omega would make short work of Jericho at Double or Nothing. I was proven wrong in Las Vegas, and if Chris Jericho defeats Adam Page at ALL OUT I will be the first person to say ‘thank you’ on August 31st.”