Jon Moxley Explains His Respect for Shane Taylor, the Death Riders’ Cross-Town Rivalry With Shane Taylor Promotions

Ahead of his title defense at tonight’s AEW Dynamite: Summer Blockbuster, AEW Continental Champion Jon Moxley discussed his rivalry with opponent Shane Taylor, his respect for Taylor, and who he would fantasy book himself against. Below are some highlights (via Fightful):

Jon Moxley on His Title Bout Against Shane Taylor

“I have a lot of respect for my opponent in a sense tonight, but it’s become a real personal issue. His team, the Shane Taylor Promotions, my team, the Death Riders, become a bit of a cross-town rivalry between us. Shots have been fired, and he put one of my friends on the shelf injured him pretty badly the other day. Now that puts even more impetus on me to make sure I get the job done in a championship setting, and, you know, over the course of two nights, you know, you have all these unpredictable elements, like him and all his friends and me and all my friends. Emotions are running high, and egos are on the line, and, you know, championships aside, you know, things can get out of control over two days. So you’re going to have to be there to see how all this plays out over the next couple of days because I have no idea what’s going to happen. It could be full-on anarchy gang warfare by the time the weekend gets here.”

On Who He Would Fantasy Book Against Himself

“I’ve been asked that question like a million times; the little kid version of me would say, Bret Hart. That would have been a good thing. I look at it like where would I have thrived in more, so than like this particular match? Like, what place in time would I have really like thrived in? 80s and mid-south or the 90s and ECW I think I would have thrived in all those areas, right?”

Jon Moxley defends the AEW Continental Championship against Shane Taylor of Shane Taylor Promotions later tonight at AEW Dynamite: Summer Blockbuster. Tonight’s show is being held in Moxley’s hometown of Cincinnati, Ohio.

AEW Dynamite: Summer Blockbuster is being held at the Andrew J. Brady Music Center. The show airs live on TBS starting at 8:00 pm ET. It will also be simulcast on HBO Max.