wrestling / News

Lance Archer Says Jon Moxley Will Wish He Never Stepped Into the Ring With Him, Texas Deathmatch Is Going to be a ‘Nightmare’ for Moxley

December 26, 2019 | Posted by Jeffrey Harris

NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 14 - Lance Archer vs. Jon Moxley

Image Credit: NJPW

– Speaking with Jeffrey Harris for the 411 Interview Podcast, Lance Archer discussed his upcoming US title Texas Deathmatch against Jon Moxley scheduled for Wrestle Kingdom 14 on January 4. The winner will go on to face Juice Robinson the following night in another title match. Previously, Archer won the vacant title after Moxley was stripped due to travel issues earlier this year. You can check out highlights from that part of the discussion, as well as the full podcast, below:

Lance Archer on how he feels heading into potentially two of the biggest matches of his career: “Yeah, absolutely. I’m excited for it in every single way. You know, I’ve had a long history with New Japan. This is my sixth Wrestle Kingdom to go and be a part of, and it’ll actually be my fourth time to defend a title. The other times were with Davey Boy Smith Jr. when we were the IWGP tag team champions, but this is my first singles championship and my first singles championship defense in the Tokyo Dome. So, it’s really exciting, and the fact that I get to do it twice is even more exciting.”

Lance Archer on if facing a former WWE champion in a Texas Deathmatch at the Tokyo Dome is the stuff you dream of pro wrestling: “Yeah, I don’t know if you’d call it a dream or a nightmare. Depends on who you’re talking to. For him, it’ll be a nightmare considering it’s a Texas Deathmatch. I think he made a bad choice when he came in decided to challenge me for my championship in a Texas Deathmatch, so it’s going to be interesting. It’s going to be fun for the fans, not so much Jon Moxley. But for me and the fans, we’re going to have a damn good time watching me destroy him.”

Archer on if this is the scenario he hoped for under the circumstances he won the title where Moxley was stripped and he won the vacant belt: “*Laughs* You know, for me it was just a situation where, like you said, it came about. It fell into my lap, and I took advantage of the situation and became the US champion. As far as who the next challenger was, ultimately, it was David Finlay and he, like everybody else, died, metaphorically in the wrestling world sense. As far as Jon’s concerned, hell, if he wanted to try and come back and challenge me, I was game for it. If it was somebody else, I was game for that too. It wasn’t one where I was thinking like, ‘Man, I hope Jon comes and challenges me!’ I was just hoping to keep going, moving forward, and kicking some ass.”

Lance Archer on if the rule set has him concerned that Moxley might try something insane: “I mean, he can try whatever he wants. Like I said, you know, knockout works for me, and I’ll just knock him out. And he won’t get up for a 10 count. So, it works on both matters.”

Lance Archer on his message to Moxley if he was standing next to him now: “Sure. Jon, get yourself ready because you’re going to step into the ring with somebody who you have no idea what I’m about. You’ve been around the world. You’ve wrestled some of the biggest names in this business. You’re a crazy son of a b****, but you’ve never stepped into the ring with me. And once we get done, you’ll wish you never stepped into the ring with me because I’m the Murderhawk Monster. I’m the one you should be afraid of, and I’m walking out of the Tokyo Dome the US champion.”

In the full interview, Archer discusses his Texas Deathmatch with Jon Moxley at Wrestle Kingdom 14, his successful singles run over 2019, his runs in TNA and WWE, working with Vince Russo, his match with Abyss at TNA Sacrifice 2005, his “Murder Hawk Monster” gimmick, why now is the hottest time in the wrestling industry and more.

And if you’re enjoying all of our recent interviews with names like Jimmy Jacobs, Ken Shamrock, Scott D’Amore, Lana, and Jungle Grrrl and want to support us getting more interviews with big names in wrestling, please leave us a 5 star review on Apple Podcasts, it only takes a few seconds to do and really helps us out!

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit the 411 Wrestling Interview Podcast on 411mania.com and please embed our podcast player or YouTube video.

0:00: Introduction
0:23: On how he’s feeling heading into his match with Moxley and the
Texas Deathmatch stipulation
2:10: On winning the title after Moxley was stripped of the title, if
he’s been looking forward to facing Moxley
4:25: On his success in 2019 and how he feels about his breakout singles
run in NJPW
6:45: On NJPW losing the Elite to AEW and if he felt pressure to step up
and fill the void
10:54: On whether 2019 felt like a clean slate for him
12:00: On his run in the G1 Climax, his match with Will Ospreay to open
the tournament and how the night felt to him
16:17: On the difference in NJPW’s promo and storytelling style as
opposed to that of WWE and other companies
19:12: On his tag team run with Davey Boy Smith Jr. as Killer Elite
Squad, how they ended up paired together and Davey Boy’s NJPW departure
22:12: On his big takeaway from his time in TNA, what he learned from
that time
25:00: On if the TNA locker room was as chaotic as reported, working
with Vince Russo and Dixie Carter
29:18: On his time in WWE, working with trainers in developmental, his
run being cut short
31:45: On his match with Abyss at Sacrifice in 2005 being his favorite
TNA memory
33:31: On how his Murder Hawk Monster gimmick came about and his intent
around it
35:02: On using the emotions that come from having a chip on his
shoulder to fuel his drive
36:29: On today being the hottest time in professional wrestling with so
many options of what and where to watch
40:13: On his message for Moxley ahead of their Wrestle Kingdom match
and his match with Juice Robinson the next night
42:48: On his message for fans and where to find him on social media