Jon Moxley on Realizing He Wanted a Match With Yuji Nagata

– Sports Illustrated’s Justin Barrasso spoke to AEW star Jon Moxley ahead of his IWGP US title defense against NJPW legend Yuji Nagata, which will take place on tonight’s edition of AEW Dynamite. Below are some highlights:

Jon Moxley on never expecting his and Nagata’s paths to cross: “I was watching Nagata kick the piss out of guys. Up until that point, I thought of Nagata as one of those guys where it felt like our paths would never cross and our timelines would never intersect. I’d have put him in a category of Kurt Angle or Bret Hart, where I would have loved to work with him but we couldn’t because we’re from two different eras. But as I was watching him, I thought to myself, ‘F—, Nagata can still go.’ It took me about two seconds to determine I wanted that match.”

On informing NJPW booker Gedo that he wanted the matchup: “Then I went back in the locker room because I had a lot of s— on my mind before wrestling Suzuki. That match was a success, and as I was heading to the bus at the end of the night, I saw Gedo, the New Japan booker. I went up to Gedo and said, ‘I’m just throwing this out there, putting it into the ether. Maybe one day, if I can get in the ring with Nagata, that would be really cool.’ I wasn’t asking for anything major. I didn’t want a blood feud where he came to my house or where I’d have to attack him. I just wanted to share the ring with him. Two hours before that, I saw him move around the ring like a cat. And Gedo looks at me and goes, ‘Ohhhhhh, I will keep that in mind.’”

Moxley vs. Nagata for the IWGP US title will take place later tonight, live on TNT, for AEW Dynamite.