Jonathan Good
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Jonathan David Good (born December 7, 1985) is an American
professional wrestler Professional wrestling, often shortened to either pro wrestling or wrestling,The term "wrestling" is most often widely used to specifically refer to modern scripted professional wrestling, though it is also used to refer to real-life wrest ...
. He is signed to
All Elite Wrestling All Elite Wrestling (AEW) is an American professional wrestling promotion headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida. It is owned and operated by Shahid Khan, Shahid and Tony Khan, with the latter serving as President (corporate title), president an ...
(AEW), where he performs under the
ring name A ring name is a type of stage name or nickname used by an athlete such as a professional wrestler, mixed martial artist, or boxer whose real name is considered unattractive, dull, difficult to pronounce or spell, amusing for the wrong reasons ...
Jon Moxley and is the current
AEW World Champion The AEW World Championship is a men's professional wrestling world championship created and promoted by the American promotion All Elite Wrestling (AEW). Unveiled on May 25, 2019, it is the promotion's top championship and is presented as being ...
in his record-setting fourth reign. He is also the leader of the
Death Riders The Death Riders are a villainous professional wrestling stable that performs in All Elite Wrestling (AEW), New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), and Ring of Honor (ROH). The stable consists of the leader Jon Moxley, Claudio Castagnoli, Wheeler Yuta, ...
. He also makes appearances for
New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) is a Puroresu, Japanese professional-wrestling Professional wrestling promotion, promotion founded on January 13, 1972, by Antonio Inoki, and based in Nakano, Tokyo. It is currently majority owned by card-game company Bushiroad, with TV As ...
(NJPW), where he is a former IWGP World Heavyweight Champion and a former two-time
IWGP United States Heavyweight Champion The was a professional wrestling championship owned and promoted by the New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) promotion. "IWGP" are the initials of NJPW's governing body, the . The final champion was Will Ospreay, who was in his second reign at the time ...
. He became widely known for his tenure with
WWE World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) is an American professional wrestling promotion. It is owned and operated by TKO Group Holdings, a majority-owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. A global integrated media and entertainment company, ...
, where he performed under the ring name Dean Ambrose from 2011 to 2019. Good made his professional wrestling debut in 2004, and competed as Jon Moxley in several independent promotions such as
Heartland Wrestling Association The Heartland Wrestling Association (HWA) was a Midwestern independent professional wrestling promotion based in Cincinnati, Ohio. A former developmental territory for World Championship Wrestling and the World Wrestling Entertainment, World Wres ...
(HWA),
Westside Xtreme Wrestling Westside Xtreme Wrestling, commonly shortened to wXw, is a German professional wrestling promotion based in Gelsenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia. wXw has been one of the leading professional wrestling promotions in Germany, and most of its event ...
(wXw),
Full Impact Pro Full Impact Pro (FIP) is an American professional wrestling promotion. It is currently part of the World Wrestling Network (WWN) along with Shine Wrestling. Sal Hamaoui founded the company and serves as the president, while Trevin Adams is the ...
(FIP),
Combat Zone Wrestling Combat Zone Wrestling (CZW) is an American independent professional wrestling promotion founded in 1999 by John Zandig. Commonly associated with the 2000s hardcore wrestling genre, early CZW shows showcased a brand of wrestling dubbed by the p ...
(CZW), and
Dragon Gate USA Dragon Gate USA (DGUSA) is an American professional wrestling promotion founded in 2009 as an international expansion of the Japanese promotion Dragon Gate. Gabe Sapolsky, former head booker of Ring of Honor, served as the promotion's Vice Presi ...
(DGUSA). Upon signing with WWE in 2011, he was renamed Dean Ambrose and began competing in the company's developmental territories of
Florida Championship Wrestling Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW) was a professional wrestling professional wrestling promotion, promotion based on the former National Wrestling Alliance member promotion, Championship Wrestling from Florida, which operated from 1961 until ...
(FCW) and NXT, before joining the main roster in November 2012 as a member of
The Shield ''The Shield'' is an American crime drama television series created by Shawn Ryan and starring Michael Chiklis that aired on FX from March 12, 2002 to November 25, 2008 for seven seasons. The show is known for its portrayal of corrupt police ...
alongside
Roman Reigns Leati Joseph Anoaʻi ( ; born May 25, 1985), better known by his ring name Roman Reigns, is an American professional wrestler and former gridiron football, football player. As a wrestler, he has been signed to WWE , where he performs on the Sm ...
and
Seth Rollins Colby Daniel Lopez (born May 28, 1986), better known by the ring name Seth Rollins, is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw (WWE brand), Raw WWE brand extension, brand and ...
. Ambrose won the
WWE United States Championship The WWE United States Championship is a men's professional wrestling Professional wrestling championship#Location-specific championships, championship promoted by the United States, American professional wrestling promotion, promotion WWE, defend ...
, his first championship in WWE, in May 2013; his 351-day reign became the longest United States Championship reign since the title came under WWE's ownership (breaking the record previously held by
Montel Vontavious Porter Hassan Hamid Assad (born Alvin Antonio Burke Jr.; October 28, 1973), better known by his ring name Montel Vontavious Porter (MVP), is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler, Manager (professional wrestling), manager, and sub ...
). After widespread success, The Shield split in June 2014. Ambrose went on to win the
WWE Championship The WWE Championship, also referred to as the Undisputed WWE Championship since April 2024, is a men's professional wrestling world heavyweight championship created and promoted by the American promotion WWE, defended on the SmackDown bran ...
once, the
WWE Intercontinental Championship The WWE Intercontinental Championship is a men's professional wrestling championship created and promoted by the American promotion WWE, defended on the Raw brand division. It is one of two secondary championships for WWE's main roster, alo ...
three times, and the
WWE Raw Tag Team Championship The World Tag Team Championship is a men's professional wrestling world tag team championship created and promoted by the United States, American professional wrestling promotion, promotion WWE, defended on the Raw (WWE brand), Raw WWE brand exte ...
twice (both times with Rollins), which made him WWE's 27th Triple Crown Champion and 16th Grand Slam Champion. He also won the
Money in the Bank ladder match The Money in the Bank ladder match is a multi-person ladder match held by the professional wrestling promotion WWE. First performed at WWE's annual WrestleMania event beginning in 2005, a separate WWE Money in the Bank, Money in the Bank event w ...
in
2016 2016 was designated as: * International Year of Pulses by the sixty-eighth session of the United Nations General Assembly. * International Year of Global Understanding (IYGU) by the International Council for Science (ICSU), the Internationa ...
. Upon leaving WWE after his contract expired in April 2019, Good reverted to his Jon Moxley character and made his surprise debut the following month at
Double or Nothing Double or nothing (UK often double or quits) is a gamble to decide whether a loss or debt should be doubled. The result of a "double or nothing" bet is either cancellation of a debt ''or'' the doubling of a debt. It can be seen as a gentleman's ag ...
, AEW's inaugural event. He started wrestling for NJPW in June 2019 and won the IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship in his first NJPW match, becoming the only person to have held the United States Championships in both WWE and NJPW. He would briefly vacate the championship but quickly won it back a second time, subsequently setting a record for the longest reign in the championship's history. He also won the
AEW World Championship The AEW World Championship is a men's professional wrestling World championship (professional wrestling), world championship created and promoted by the American professional wrestling promotion, promotion All Elite Wrestling (AEW). Unveiled on ...
in February of that year, making him the first person to hold championships in AEW and NJPW simultaneously. He won the AEW World Championship twice more in 2022, setting records for the most world championship wins and longest cumulative reigns in AEW history. He would also win the
AEW International Championship The AEW International Championship is a professional wrestling Professional wrestling championship#Location-specific championships, championship created and promoted by the United States, American professional wrestling promotion, promotion All E ...
in September 2023, making him the company's first wrestler to hold both the world championship and a secondary championship. Afterwards, Good would win the
IWGP World Heavyweight Championship The is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship owned by the New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) promotion. "IWGP" is the acronym of NJPW's governing body, the . The championship was created on March 1, 2021, by the unification of t ...
at Windy City Riot, becoming the first and thus far only wrestler to hold world titles in WWE, AEW, and NJPW. He has headlined 17 AEW pay-per-view events, the most in the company's history. In total, Good has held 15 total championships (including six world championships) between WWE, AEW, and NJPW. He won the ''
Pro Wrestling Illustrated ''Pro Wrestling Illustrated'' (''PWI'') is an American professional wrestling magazine that was founded in 1979 by publisher Stanley Weston. ''PWI'' is headquartered in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, and published by Kappa Publishing Group. The maga ...
'' award for Most Popular Wrestler of the Year in 2014, 2015, and 2022, and was named Wrestler of the Year by ''
Sports Illustrated ''Sports Illustrated'' (''SI'') is an American sports magazine first published in August 1954. Founded by Stuart Scheftel, it was the first magazine with a circulation of over one million to win the National Magazine Award for General Excellen ...
'' in 2019. He was also ranked first on the 2020 edition of ''Pro Wrestling Illustrated'' list of the top 500 wrestlers in the world. He has sporadically ventured into acting, most notably starring in the films '' 12 Rounds 3: Lockdown'' (2015) and '' Cagefighter: Worlds Collide'' (2020).


Early life

Jonathan David Good was born in
Cincinnati Cincinnati ( ; colloquially nicknamed Cincy) is a city in Hamilton County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. Settled in 1788, the city is located on the northern side of the confluence of the Licking River (Kentucky), Licking and Ohio Ri ...
on December 7, 1985. His mother worked night shifts stocking shelves at a ThriftWay store and his father worked two jobs; he first ran a machine on the shop floor of a plastics factory and was later promoted to an office job, which required him to relocate, but Good's mother did not want to move and thus raised Good and his sister alone. He grew up in Cincinnati's East End, which he later described as so deprived that shoplifting essential items was a daily occurrence for everybody he knew. He said, "Our neighborhood was just a big swath of crappy apartment buildings in varying states of decay utI honestly don't think I'd have rather grown up anywhere else. We played football in the street, rode bikes, etc. We didn't spend any time indoors. Nobody had anywhere nice to go back to anyway." An avid fan of professional wrestling who idolized
Bret Hart Bret Sergeant Hart (born July 2, 1957) is a Canadian retired professional wrestler. A member of the Hart wrestling family and a second-generation wrestler, he has an amateur wrestling background at Ernest Manning High School and Mount Royal U ...
, Good used wrestling as an escape from his rough upbringing by watching videos and reading stories about wrestling's earlier days. He attended
Amelia High School Amelia High School was a public high school in the West Clermont Local School District in Clermont County, Ohio, Clermont County, Ohio. It had an average daily student enrollment of approximately 1,100 in 2012. It held an "excellent" rating from ...
in nearby Batavia, but dropped out one year after beginning to train as a wrestler. He supported himself by working minimum-wage jobs in factories, restaurants, and warehouses, but was constantly getting fired because he would skip work if he was booked to wrestle a match that clashed with his job; however, he continued to do so because he knew he "could always find another minimum-wage job".''The Major Wrestling Figure Podcast'', episode:
Dean Ambrose Talks...About Wrestling Figures
(February 8, 2019). Retrieved December 1, 2019.
He often used drugs such as
cocaine Cocaine is a tropane alkaloid and central nervous system stimulant, derived primarily from the leaves of two South American coca plants, ''Erythroxylum coca'' and ''Erythroxylum novogranatense, E. novogranatense'', which are cultivated a ...
as a teenager, during which time he was also arrested multiple times for shoplifting. He has said that he would have most likely become a
forest firefighter Wildfire suppression is a range of firefighting tactics used to suppress wildfires. Firefighting efforts depend on many factors such as the available fuel, the local atmospheric conditions, the features of the terrain, and the size of the wildfir ...
if he did not pursue wrestling.


Professional wrestling career


Heartland Wrestling Association (2004–2011)

Good began working for
Les Thatcher Leslie Malady (born October 28, 1940), better known by the name Les Thatcher, is an American former Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He helps run Elite Pro Wrestling Training, a professional wrestling school in his hometown of Cinci ...
in the
Heartland Wrestling Association The Heartland Wrestling Association (HWA) was a Midwestern independent professional wrestling promotion based in Cincinnati, Ohio. A former developmental territory for World Championship Wrestling and the World Wrestling Entertainment, World Wres ...
(HWA)
promotion Promotion may refer to: Marketing * Promotion (marketing), one of the four marketing mix elements, comprising any type of marketing communication used to inform or persuade target audiences of the relative merits of a product, service, brand or i ...
as a teenager by selling popcorn and setting up the
ring (The) Ring(s) may refer to: * Ring (jewellery), a round band, usually made of metal, worn as ornamental jewelry * To make a sound with a bell, and the sound made by a bell Arts, entertainment, and media Film and TV * ''The Ring'' (franchise), a ...
. He began training to become a professional wrestler at the age of 18 under the teaching of Thatcher and HWA wrestler Cody Hawk. He made his debut in 2004 under the
ring name A ring name is a type of stage name or nickname used by an athlete such as a professional wrestler, mixed martial artist, or boxer whose real name is considered unattractive, dull, difficult to pronounce or spell, amusing for the wrong reasons ...
Jon Moxley. The following year, Moxley won the
HWA Tag Team Championship The HWA Tag Team Championship is the tag team titles contested for in the Heartland Wrestling Association. It was established in 1996 when the Head Bangers (Mosh and Thrasher) became the first champions. Title history Key See also *Heartlan ...
twice, with Jimmy Turner and Ric Byrne respectively. He captured the
HWA Heavyweight Championship The HWA Heavyweight Championship was the heavyweight Championship (professional wrestling), title contested in the Heartland Wrestling Association. Title history See also *Heartland Wrestling Association References {{reflist External linksH ...
twice in 2006 by defeating
Pepper Parks Jesse Guilmette (born June 3, 1980) is an American professional wrestler, he is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) with the ring name The Blade. He is known for his tag team work with The Butcher with the name The Butcher and the Blade. Outsi ...
on both occasions but lost the title to
Chad Collyer Chad Collyer (born December 12, 1974) is an American retired professional wrestler. Professional wrestling career Collyer attended Manchester College, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree. He was an accomplished amateur wrestler, w ...
and Brian Jennings respectively. From mid-2007 to early 2010, Moxley continued to work in the
tag team Tag team wrestling is a type of professional wrestling in which matches are contested between teams of multiple wrestlers. Tag teams may be made up of wrestlers who normally wrestle in singles competition, but more commonly are made of establis ...
division and held the HWA tag titles once with his trainer Cody Hawk and twice with King Vu. He won the HWA Heavyweight Championship for the third time from Aaron Williams in January 2010, before losing it to Gerome Phillips six months later.


Independent circuit (2006–2011)

In September 2006, Moxley teamed with Hade Vansen to win the
IWA World Tag Team Championship The IWA World Tag Team Championship is a Tag Team Championship defended in Puerto Rico.The titles were first introduced in the first incarnation of the International Wrestling Association, where they are defended. They also made a brief appearan ...
in the Puerto Rico-based International Wrestling Association. They lost the titles to
Chicano Chicano (masculine form) or Chicana (feminine form) is an ethnic identity for Mexican Americans that emerged from the Chicano Movement. In the 1960s, ''Chicano'' was widely reclaimed among Hispanics in the building of a movement toward politic ...
and Jeff Jeffrey in November, ending their reign at 69 days. Moxley wrestled a match in WWE in January 2007 losing to
Val Venis Sean Allen Morley (born March 6, 1971), better known by his ring name Val Venis, is a Canadian retired professional wrestler. He is best known for his tenure in World Wrestling Federation/World Wrestling Entertainment (WWF/WWE) from 1998 to 20 ...
. Moxley also wrestled several
dark matches Professional wrestling has accrued a considerable amount of jargon throughout its existence. Much of it stems from the industry's origins in the days of carnivals and circuses. In the past, professional wrestlers used such terms in the presence of ...
for
Ring of Honor Ring of Honor (ROH) is an American professional wrestling promotion based in Jacksonville, Florida. The promotion was founded by Rob Feinstein on February 23, 2002, and was operated by Cary Silkin from 2004 until 2011; the promotion was subs ...
(ROH) between 2007 and 2009. Moxley started working for
Dragon Gate USA Dragon Gate USA (DGUSA) is an American professional wrestling promotion founded in 2009 as an international expansion of the Japanese promotion Dragon Gate. Gabe Sapolsky, former head booker of Ring of Honor, served as the promotion's Vice Presi ...
(DGUSA) in late 2009. He made his first televised appearance in March, where he defeated
Tommy Dreamer Thomas James Laughlin (born February 13, 1971) is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler and professional wrestling promotion, promoter better known by the ring name Tommy Dreamer. He is signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestli ...
in a
hardcore match Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick matches are more common than others and are often used to advance or conclude a storyline. ...
taped for the
Mercury Rising ''Mercury Rising'' is a 1998 American action thriller film directed by Harold Becker and written by Lawrence Konner and Mark Rosenthal. It is based on the 1996 novel ''Simple Simon'' by Ryne Douglas Pearson. The film stars Bruce Willis as A ...
pay-per-view Pay-per-view (PPV) is a type of pay television or webcast service that enables a viewer to pay to watch individual events via private telecast. Events can be purchased through a multichannel television platform using their electronic program ...
. At the
Uprising Rebellion is an uprising that resists and is organized against one's government. A rebel is a person who engages in a rebellion. A rebel group is a consciously coordinated group that seeks to gain political control over an entire state or a ...
event in
Mississauga, Ontario Mississauga is a Canadian city in the province of Ontario. Situated on the north-western shore of Lake Ontario in the Regional Municipality of Peel, it borders Toronto (Etobicoke) to the east, Brampton to the north, Milton to the northwest, ...
,
Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...
, Moxley suffered a legitimate injury where his left nipple was nearly severed during a match with
Jimmy Jacobs Christopher Scoville (born February 17, 1984) is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Jimmy Jacobs. He is best known for his 12-year career in Ring of Honor (ROH), where he is a List of ROH Wor ...
. His last match in DGUSA was against
Homicide Homicide is an act in which a person causes the death of another person. A homicide requires only a Volition (psychology), volitional act, or an omission, that causes the death of another, and thus a homicide may result from Accident, accidenta ...
in January 2011, which Moxley won. At
Full Impact Pro Full Impact Pro (FIP) is an American professional wrestling promotion. It is currently part of the World Wrestling Network (WWN) along with Shine Wrestling. Sal Hamaoui founded the company and serves as the president, while Trevin Adams is the ...
's (FIP) Southern Stampede event on April 17, 2010, Moxley defeated
Roderick Strong Christopher Lindsey (born July 26, 1983), better known by his ring name Roderick Strong, is an American professional wrestler. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he is a member of The Paragon stable and is a former one-time AEW I ...
to win the vacant
FIP World Heavyweight Championship The FIP World Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship held by the Full Impact Pro (FIP), a promotion owned by the World Wrestling Network. It is currently the highest ranked championship in FIP. Histo ...
. He held the title for 441 days before relinquishing it in July 2011, due to his signing with WWE. Moxley also won
Combat Zone Wrestling Combat Zone Wrestling (CZW) is an American independent professional wrestling promotion founded in 1999 by John Zandig. Commonly associated with the 2000s hardcore wrestling genre, early CZW shows showcased a brand of wrestling dubbed by the p ...
's
CZW World Heavyweight Championship The CZW World Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship owned and promoted by the professional wrestling promotion Combat Zone Wrestling (CZW). It debuted on March 27, 1999 at CZW's The Staple Gun event ...
twice in 2010 by defeating
B-Boy A b-boy is a person devoted to breaking or break dancing. B Boy may also refer to: Music * "B-Boy", a song by Tech N9ne featuring Big Scoob, Bumpy Knuckles, Kutt Calhoun, and Skatterman from the album '' K.O.D.'', 2009 * "B Boy" (song) by Meek ...
and
Nick Gage Nicholas William Wilson (born September 22, 1980), better known by his ring name Nick Gage, is an American professional wrestling, professional wrestler wrestling for various Professional wrestling promotions, promotions on the independent cir ...
, respectively.


World Wrestling Entertainment / WWE (2011–2019)


Developmental territories (2011–2012)

Good signed a developmental deal with WWE in April 2011 and joined its
developmental territory Development of the human body is the process of growth to maturity. The process begins with fertilization, where an egg released from the ovary of a female is penetrated by a sperm cell from a male. The resulting zygote develops through mitos ...
Florida Championship Wrestling Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW) was a professional wrestling professional wrestling promotion, promotion based on the former National Wrestling Alliance member promotion, Championship Wrestling from Florida, which operated from 1961 until ...
(FCW) under the name Dean Ambrose. Prior to his signing, Good wrestled three try-out matches for WWE in 2006 and 2007 and jobbed alongside Dick Rick against The Big Show in a handicap match on
Heat In thermodynamics, heat is energy in transfer between a thermodynamic system and its surroundings by such mechanisms as thermal conduction, electromagnetic radiation, and friction, which are microscopic in nature, involving sub-atomic, ato ...
in January 2006. Ambrose made his televised debut on the July 3 episode of '' FCW'', portraying a villainous character and challenging FCW Jack Brisco 15 Champion
Seth Rollins Colby Daniel Lopez (born May 28, 1986), better known by the ring name Seth Rollins, is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw (WWE brand), Raw WWE brand extension, brand and ...
. The following month, Ambrose and Rollins had a 20-minute non-title Iron Man match; the match ended in a
draw Draw, drawing, draws, or drawn most commonly refer to: * Draw (terrain), a terrain feature formed by two parallel ridges or spurs with low ground in between them * Draw (tie), in a competition, where competitors achieve equal outcomes * Draw ...
with neither man scoring a
fall Autumn, also known as fall (especially in US & Canada), is one of the four temperate seasons on Earth. Outside the tropics, autumn marks the transition from summer to winter, in September (Northern Hemisphere) or March ( Southern Hemispher ...
. A 30-minute rematch, in which the title was on the line, took place in September which Rollins won through sudden death rules. Ambrose beat Rollins in a non-title match in the first round of a tournament to crown the new FCW Florida Heavyweight Champion. However, Ambrose was unsuccessful in the tournament final against Leo Kruger. Ambrose later cost Rollins his FCW 15 Championship by attacking
Damien Sandow Aron Steven Haddad (born August 3, 1982) is an American retired professional wrestler working as a manager in the National Wrestling Alliance under the name Aron Stevens. He is best known for wrestling with WWE under the ring name Damien Sandow ...
during his title match with Rollins, causing a disqualification in the deciding fall. Ambrose later unsuccessfully challenged Sandow for the championship. At an FCW
house show A house show (also commonly called a live event) is a professional wrestling event produced by a major Professional wrestling promotion, promotion that is not televised, though they can be recorded. Promotions use house shows mainly to cash in o ...
on October 21, Ambrose challenged WWE wrestler
CM Punk Phillip Jack Brooks (born October 26, 1978), better known by his ring name CM Punk, is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler and actor. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw (WWE brand), Raw brand. Regarded as ...
, who was making a guest appearance, to a match in which Ambrose was defeated. Punk would later praise Ambrose after the match. Ambrose then began a
feud A feud , also known in more extreme cases as a blood feud, vendetta, faida, clan war, gang war, private war, or mob war, is a long-running argument or fight, often between social groups of people, especially family, families or clans. Feuds begin ...
with
William Regal Darren Kenneth Matthews (born 10 May 1968), better known by the ring name William Regal, is an English retired professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he serves as the vice-president of Global Talent Development. He is also known for ...
after he targeted Regal in an unprovoked attack. They would wrestle on the November 7 episode of ''FCW'', with Regal winning. For the next year, Ambrose would obsessively request for another match with Regal. On December 7, Ambrose competed at tapings for an unaired
pilot An aircraft pilot or aviator is a person who controls the flight of an aircraft by operating its Aircraft flight control system, directional flight controls. Some other aircrew, aircrew members, such as navigators or flight engineers, are al ...
for ''
WWE NXT ''WWE NXT'', also known simply as ''NXT'', is an American professional wrestling television program. It is produced by the American professional wrestling promotion WWE, featuring wrestlers from the promotion's NXT brand division. The show c ...
'' under the working title ''Full Sail Ahead'' at
Full Sail University Full Sail University is a Private university, private For-profit higher education in the United States, for-profit university in Winter Park, Florida. It was formerly a recording studio in Ohio named Full Sail Productions and Full Sail Center f ...
, where he was defeated by Leo Kruger. In March 2012, Ambrose had a confrontation with veteran hardcore wrestler
Mick Foley Michael Francis Foley (born June 7, 1965) is an American retired professional wrestler and author. He is signed to WWE, under a Legends contract while also serving as an ambassador. Foley worked for many wrestling promotions, including the W ...
, claiming that Foley needed to be held accountable for creating a generation of imitators. Ambrose continued to antagonize Foley through
Twitter Twitter, officially known as X since 2023, is an American microblogging and social networking service. It is one of the world's largest social media platforms and one of the most-visited websites. Users can share short text messages, image ...
. According to Ambrose, the
angle In Euclidean geometry, an angle can refer to a number of concepts relating to the intersection of two straight Line (geometry), lines at a Point (geometry), point. Formally, an angle is a figure lying in a Euclidean plane, plane formed by two R ...
was supposed to culminate in a match between the two, but this never came to fruition due to Foley not being medically allowed to wrestle. Instead, the rivalry was scrapped and Ambrose remained in WWE's developmental system. He competed in a dark match at the first tapings of ''NXT'' on May 17, in a loss to
Xavier Woods Austin Watson (born September 4, 1986) is an American professional wrestler and YouTuber. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand under the ring name Xavier Woods and is part of The New Day and is one-half of the current World ...
. On an episode of ''FCW'' in June, Ambrose challenged Rollins for the FCW Florida Heavyweight Championship but lost. Almost a year after their first match, Ambrose and Regal rematched on the final episode of ''FCW'' on July 15. The match would conclude in a
no contest ''Nolo contendere'' () is a type of legal plea used in some jurisdictions in the United States. It is also referred to as a plea of no contest or no defense. It is a plea where the defendant neither admits nor disputes a charge, serving as an ...
after Ambrose repeatedly kneed Regal's head into a ring
turnbuckle A turnbuckle, stretching screw or bottlescrew is a device for adjusting the tension or length of ropes, cables, tie rods, and other tensioning systems. It normally consists of two threaded eye bolts, one screwed into each end of a small metal ...
, causing Regal to bleed from the ear.


The Shield (2012–2014)

On November 18, 2012, Dean Ambrose made his WWE main roster debut at the
Survivor Series Survivor Series, branded as Survivor Series: WarGames since 2022, is a professional wrestling event produced annually since 1987 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Held in November generally the week of Thanksgiving ( ...
pay-per-view
event Event may refer to: Gatherings of people * Ceremony, an event of ritual significance, performed on a special occasion * Convention (meeting), a gathering of individuals engaged in some common interest * Event management, the organization of eve ...
alongside
Roman Reigns Leati Joseph Anoaʻi ( ; born May 25, 1985), better known by his ring name Roman Reigns, is an American professional wrestler and former gridiron football, football player. As a wrestler, he has been signed to WWE , where he performs on the Sm ...
and Seth Rollins, as they delivered a triple powerbomb through an announce table to
Ryback Ryback Allen Reeves (born Ryan Allen Reeves; November 10, 1981) is an American retired professional wrestler and YouTuber. He is best known for his tenure with WWE, where he performed under the ring name Ryback. One of the eight finalists on ' ...
during the triple threat main event for the
WWE Championship The WWE Championship, also referred to as the Undisputed WWE Championship since April 2024, is a men's professional wrestling world heavyweight championship created and promoted by the American promotion WWE, defended on the SmackDown bran ...
, allowing CM Punk to
pin A pin is a device, typically pointed, used for fastening objects or fabrics together. Pins can have the following sorts of body: *a shaft of a rigid inflexible material meant to be inserted in a slot, groove, or hole (as with pivots, hinges, an ...
John Cena John Felix Anthony Cena ( ; born April 23, 1977) is an American actor and professional wrestler. As a wrestler, he has been signed to WWE , where he is the current WWE Championship, Undisputed WWE Champion in his record 14th reign, which is ...
and retain the title. The trio declared themselves
The Shield ''The Shield'' is an American crime drama television series created by Shawn Ryan and starring Michael Chiklis that aired on FX from March 12, 2002 to November 25, 2008 for seven seasons. The show is known for its portrayal of corrupt police ...
, vowed to rally against "injustice", and denied working for Punk; however, they routinely emerged from the crowd to attack Punk's opponents, including Ryback and the WWE Tag Team Champions
Team Hell No Team Hell No was a professional wrestling tag team in WWE consisting of Kane (wrestler), Kane and Bryan Danielson, Daniel Bryan. The team's name is a reference to the two wrestlers' personas: Kane is portrayed as a violent pyromaniac and described ...
(
Daniel Bryan Bryan Lloyd Danielson (born May 22, 1981) is an American semi-retired professional wrestler. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he performs on a part time basis. He is also known for his tenure in WWE, where he performed under t ...
and Kane), thus establishing themselves as villains. This led to a six-man
Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match A tables, ladders, and chairs match, often abbreviated as TLC, is a type of professional wrestling match that originated within the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE). The TLC match is a variation of a ladder match, which is modified to c ...
being set up for the TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs pay-per-view event on December 16, where The Shield defeated Ryback and Team Hell No in their debut match. They continued to aid Punk after TLC, both on '' Raw'' and at the
Royal Rumble The Royal Rumble is a professional wrestling event, produced annually since 1988 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. It is named after, and centered on, the Royal Rumble match, a modified Battle royal (professional wre ...
on January 27, 2013. The night after the Royal Rumble, it was revealed that Punk and his manager
Paul Heyman Paul Heyman (born September 11, 1965) is an American professional wrestling manager, former executive, promoter, and commentator. He is signed to WWE as the on-screen manager of Seth Rollins, Bron Breakker, and Bronson Reed, and is widely regard ...
had been paying The Shield to work for them all along. The Shield then quietly ended their association with Punk. At
Elimination Chamber The Elimination Chamber is a professional wrestling elimination-based match held in the WWE. The match was created by Triple H, and introduced by Eric Bischoff in November 2002. It features a large chain-linked circular steel structure which ...
on February 17, The Shield defeated Ryback, John Cena, and
Sheamus Stephen Farrelly (born 28 January 1978) is an Irish Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw (WWE brand), Raw brand under the ring name Sheamus. Prior to joining WWE, he wrestled on th ...
. At
WrestleMania 29 WrestleMania 29, also promoted as WrestleMania NY/NJ, was a 2013 professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by WWE. It was the 29th annual WrestleMania and took place on April 7, 2013, at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New J ...
on April 7, The Shield won their first WrestleMania match against Sheamus,
Randy Orton Randal Keith Orton (born April 1, 1980) is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He has been signed to WWE since 2000, where he performs on the SmackDown (WWE brand), SmackDown brand. Orton is widely regarded as one of t ...
and
Big Show Paul Donald Wight II (born February 8, 1972) is an American professional wrestler and actor. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) under his real name of Paul Wight. He is best known for his tenure with World Championship Wrestling (WCW) f ...
. Ambrose made his singles debut against
The Undertaker Mark William Calaway (born March 24, 1965), better known by his ring name the Undertaker, is an American retired Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. Widely regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time, Calaway ...
on the April 26 episode of ''SmackDown'', which he lost by
submission Deference (also called submission or passivity) is the condition of submitting to the espoused, legitimate influence of one's superior or superiors. Deference implies a yielding or submitting to the judgment of a recognized superior, out of re ...
. On the May 13 episode of ''Raw'', The Shield's undefeated streak as a team ended in a disqualification loss against WWE Champion John Cena and Team Hell No. At Extreme Rules on May 19, Ambrose won the United States Championship by defeating
Kofi Kingston Kofi Nahaje Sarkodie-Mensah (born August 14, 1981) is a Ghanaian-born American professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw (WWE brand), Raw WWE brand extension, brand under the ring name Kofi ...
. He would successfully defend the title in the following weeks with the help of Reigns and Rollins. On the June 14 episode of ''SmackDown'', The Shield was given their first decisive loss, against Randy Orton and Team Hell No, when Daniel Bryan made Rollins submit. Ambrose made his first pay-per-view defense of the United States Championship at Payback on June 16, where he defeated Kane by
countout Professional wrestling, often shortened to either pro wrestling or wrestling,The term "wrestling" is most often widely used to specifically refer to modern scripted professional wrestling, though it is also used to refer to real-life wrest ...
. The following month at Money in the Bank on July 14, he competed in the World Heavyweight Championship
Money in the Bank ladder match The Money in the Bank ladder match is a multi-person ladder match held by the professional wrestling promotion WWE. First performed at WWE's annual WrestleMania event beginning in 2005, a separate WWE Money in the Bank, Money in the Bank event w ...
but failed to win despite interference from Reigns and Rollins. In August, The Shield allied themselves with
Triple H Paul Michael Levesque (; born July 27, 1969), also known by the ring name Triple H, is an American business executive and former professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he serves as its chief content officer. Levesque began his wres ...
and joined his group The Authority. Ambrose continued to retain his United States Championship against
Rob Van Dam Robert Szatkowski (born December 18, 1970) better known by his ring name Rob Van Dam (frequently abbreviated to RVD) is an American professional wrestler. Known for his unique ring style—which includes his variety of kicks, acrobatic movemen ...
at
SummerSlam SummerSlam is a professional wrestling event, produced annually since 1988 by the world's largest professional wrestling promotion, WWE. Dubbed "The Biggest Party of the Summer", it is considered WWE's second biggest event of the year behind th ...
on August 18,
Dolph Ziggler Nicholas Theodore Nemeth (born July 27, 1980) is an American professional wrestler. He is signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA), where he performs under his real name, stylized as Nic Nemeth, where he is one-half of the TNA World Tag ...
at
Night of Champions WWE Night of Champions is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming List of WWE pay-per-view and livestreaming supercards, event produced by WWE, a Connecticut-based professional wrestling promotion. The inaugural event took pl ...
on September 15, and Big E Langston at
Hell in a Cell Hell in a Cell is a professional wrestling steel cage-based match which originated in 1997 in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE). It features a large cell structure, a four-sided cuboid made from open-weave steel mesh chain-link f ...
on October 27. At the
Survivor Series Survivor Series, branded as Survivor Series: WarGames since 2022, is a professional wrestling event produced annually since 1987 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Held in November generally the week of Thanksgiving ( ...
pay-per-view on November 24, The Shield teamed with
Antonio Cesaro Claudio Castagnoli ( ; born 27 December 1980) is a Swiss professional wrestler. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he is a member of the Death Riders and a former AEW World Trios Championship, AEW World Trios Champion. He also per ...
and
Jack Swagger Donald Jacob Hager Jr. (born March 24, 1982) is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler and former Amateur wrestling, amateur wrestler and Mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist. He currently performs on the independent circ ...
to take on
Rey Mysterio Óscar Gutiérrez Rubio (born December 11, 1974), better known by his ring name Rey Mysterio, is an American professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand. Widely regarded as both one of the greatest '' luch ...
,
The Usos The Usos were a Samoan-American professional wrestling tag team which consisted of twin brothers Jey Uso and Jimmy Uso. They are signed to WWE, where Jey performs on the WWE Raw, Raw brand while Jimmy performs on the SmackDown (WWE brand), Sma ...
,
Cody Rhodes and Goldust Cody and Dustin Rhodes (also known as Cody Rhodes and Goldust, The Brotherhood, The Rhodes Brothers, and Gold and Stardust) were an American professional wrestling tag team consisting of Cody Rhodes and Dustin Rhodes. They are best known for te ...
in a traditional
Survivor Series match The Survivor Series match is a professional wrestling tag team elimination match held in WWE. The match typically sees two teams pitted against each other and members of the teams are eliminated one-by-one until one entire team is eliminated. Memb ...
; although Ambrose was the first man eliminated, Reigns would ultimately win the match for the team. At TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs on December 15, CM Punk defeated The Shield in a
handicap match Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "Glossary of professional wrestling terms#Gimmick, gimmick matches" in the Glossary of professional wrestling terms, jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick m ...
after Ambrose was accidentally speared by Reigns. At the
Royal Rumble The Royal Rumble is a professional wrestling event, produced annually since 1988 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. It is named after, and centered on, the Royal Rumble match, a modified Battle royal (professional wre ...
on January 26, 2014, Ambrose entered his first
Royal Rumble match The Royal Rumble match is a professional wrestling match based on the classic battle royal match in which a number of wrestlers (traditionally 30) aim at eliminating their competitors by tossing them over the top rope, with both feet touching the ...
at number 11 and eliminated three participants, before being eliminated by Reigns. The following night on ''Raw'', The Shield faced Daniel Bryan, John Cena, and Sheamus in order to earn their spot in the
Elimination Chamber match Elimination may refer to: Science and medicine * Elimination reaction, an organic reaction in which two functional groups split to form an organic product *Bodily waste elimination, discharging feces, urine, or foreign substances from the body ...
for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. The Shield lost after The Wyatt Family (
Bray Wyatt Windham Lawrence Rotunda (May 23, 1987 – August 24, 2023), better known by his ring name Bray Wyatt, was an American professional wrestler, best known for his tenure in WWE from 2009 until his death in 2023. Rotunda was a third-generati ...
,
Erick Rowan Joseph Ruud (born November 28, 1981) is an American professional wrestler, better known by the ring name Erick Rowan. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand and is a member of The Wyatt Sicks. Having previously wrestled ...
, and
Luke Harper Jonathan Huber (December 16, 1979 – December 26, 2020) was an American professional wrestler known as Brodie Lee. Huber performed under the ring name Luke Harper in WWE from 2012 to 2019, and as Mr. Brodie Lee in All Elite Wrestling (AEW) ...
) interfered, thus starting a feud between the two factions. The Shield would lose to The Wyatt Family at the
Elimination Chamber The Elimination Chamber is a professional wrestling elimination-based match held in the WWE. The match was created by Triple H, and introduced by Eric Bischoff in November 2002. It features a large chain-linked circular steel structure which ...
pay-per-view on February 23, due to Ambrose abandoning his teammates midway through. After their feud with The Wyatt Family, The Shield moved on to a rivalry with Kane, turning into heroic characters in the process. The group defeated Kane and the
New Age Outlaws The New Age Outlaws are an American professional wrestling tag team in World Wrestling Federation (WWF) made up of Brian James ("Road Dogg" Jesse James) and Monty Sopp ("Badd Ass" Billy Gunn). The duo became popular in the late 1990s as membe ...
(
Road Dogg Brian Girard James (born May 20, 1969) is an American professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he serves as the Senior Vice President of Live Events. James was best known for his initial tenure with World Wrestling Federation (WWF, n ...
and
Billy Gunn Monty Kip Sopp (born November 1, 1963), better known by his ring name Billy Gunn, is an American professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is signed to the WWE under a Legends contract and All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he also perfo ...
) at
WrestleMania XXX WrestleMania XXX was a 2014 professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event produced by WWE. It was the 30th annual WrestleMania and took place on April 6, 2014, at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. This ...
on April 6. The feud with Kane also prompted The Shield to cease working for Triple H, who reformed
Evolution Evolution is the change in the heritable Phenotypic trait, characteristics of biological populations over successive generations. It occurs when evolutionary processes such as natural selection and genetic drift act on genetic variation, re ...
with himself,
Batista Batista is a Spanish language, Spanish or Portuguese language, Portuguese surname. Notable persons with the name include: * Batista (footballer, born 1955), Brazilian football player João Batista da Silva * Dave Bautista, Batista (wrestler) (Dave ...
and Randy Orton to battle them. On April 28, Ambrose surpassed
MVP MVP most commonly refers to: * Most valuable player, an award, typically for the best performing player in a sport or competition * Minimum viable product, a concept for feature estimating used in business and engineering MVP may also refer to: ...
as the longest-reigning United States Champion under the WWE banner. The Shield defeated Evolution in a six-man tag team match at Extreme Rules on May 4. The following night on ''Raw'', Triple H forced Ambrose to defend his United States Championship in a 20-man
battle royal Battle royal (, also battle royale) traditionally refers to a fight involving many combatants, usually conducted under either boxing or wrestling rules, where the winner is the one who registers the most wins. In recent times, the term has been ...
, which saw Ambrose surviving until the final two before ultimately being eliminated by Sheamus, thus ending his title reign at 351 days. The Shield once again defeated Evolution at Payback on June 1 in a
No Holds Barred No holds barred or No Holds Barred may refer to: * ''No Holds Barred'' (1952 film), a film starring The Bowery Boys * ''No Holds Barred'' (1989 film), a film starring Hulk Hogan * ''No Holds Barred'' (Biohazard album) (1997) * ''No Holds Barred ...
elimination match Much like the Singles match (professional wrestling), singles match, tag team professional wrestling matches can and have taken many forms. Just about any singles or melee match type can be adapted to tag teams; for example, Hardcore wrestling, ha ...
in June. The following night on ''Raw'', Rollins betrayed Ambrose and Reigns and aligned himself with The Authority, breaking up the group.


Feuds with Seth Rollins and Bray Wyatt (2014–2015)

Ambrose promptly began feuding with Rollins, which included the duo interfering in each other's matches. During this period, Ambrose and Reigns amicably separated as a team, with Ambrose debuting new ring attire and new entrance music. Ambrose competed the 2014 Money in the Bank ladder match on June 29, which Rollins would win after Kane attacked Ambrose. Ambrose was scheduled to face Rollins at
Battleground A battlefield, battleground, or field of battle is the location of a present or historic battle involving ground warfare. It is commonly understood to be limited to the point of contact between opposing forces, though battles may involve troop ...
on July 20, but he was ejected from the arena by Triple H after a pre-match brawl with Rollins. Rollins was later announced as the winner via
forfeit Forfeit or forfeiture may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * ''Forfeit'', a 2007 thriller film starring Billy Burke * "Forfeit", a song by Chevelle from '' Wonder What's Next'' * '' Forfeit/Fortune'', a 2008 album by Crooked Fingers ...
, prompting Ambrose to return to the arena and attack Rollins. Ambrose and Rollins eventually wrestled at
SummerSlam SummerSlam is a professional wrestling event, produced annually since 1988 by the world's largest professional wrestling promotion, WWE. Dubbed "The Biggest Party of the Summer", it is considered WWE's second biggest event of the year behind th ...
on August 17 in a
lumberjack match Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick matches are more common than others and are often used to advance or conclude a storyline. ...
, which Ambrose lost after Kane again interfered and Rollins hit Ambrose with his Money in the Bank briefcase. The following night on ''Raw'', Ambrose faced Rollins in a
Falls Count Anywhere match Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called " gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick matches are more common than others and are often used to advance or conclude a storyline. ...
, which Ambrose lost by knockout after interference from Kane once again. After the match, Rollins curb stomped his head through cinder blocks, giving Ambrose
kayfabe In professional wrestling, kayfabe (pronounced ) is the portrayal of staged events within the industry as "real" or "true", specifically competition, rivalries, and relationships between participants. The term has evolved to become a code word ...
(fictional) "head and spine trauma" and causing him to take a hiatus from WWE. Ambrose returned at
Night of Champions WWE Night of Champions is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming List of WWE pay-per-view and livestreaming supercards, event produced by WWE, a Connecticut-based professional wrestling promotion. The inaugural event took pl ...
on September 21 and attacked Rollins. The duo faced off in a
Hell in a Cell match Hell in a Cell is a professional wrestling steel cage-based match which originated in 1997 in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE). It features a large cell structure, a four-sided cuboid made from open-weave steel mesh chain-link fenc ...
the following month at
Hell in a Cell Hell in a Cell is a professional wrestling steel cage-based match which originated in 1997 in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE). It features a large cell structure, a four-sided cuboid made from open-weave steel mesh chain-link f ...
on October 26, where Ambrose lost again when the returning Bray Wyatt interfered and attacked him. After consecutive losses to Wyatt at
Survivor Series Survivor Series, branded as Survivor Series: WarGames since 2022, is a professional wrestling event produced annually since 1987 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Held in November generally the week of Thanksgiving ( ...
on November 23 and TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs on December 14, Ambrose defeated Wyatt in a Boot Camp Match at ''Tribute to the Troops'', before losing to Wyatt yet again in a Miracle on 34th Street Fight on the December 22 episode of ''Raw''. The feud between the two concluded when Wyatt defeated Ambrose in an ambulance match on the January 5, 2015, episode of ''Raw''. At the
Royal Rumble The Royal Rumble is a professional wrestling event, produced annually since 1988 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. It is named after, and centered on, the Royal Rumble match, a modified Battle royal (professional wre ...
on January 25, Ambrose participated in the Royal Rumble match, but was eliminated by Big Show and Kane. Ambrose then began a feud with
Intercontinental Champion A champion (from the late Latin ''campio'') is the victor in a challenge, contest or competition. There can be a territorial pyramid of championships, e.g. local, regional/provincial/state, national, continental and world championships, and ...
Bad News Barrett Stuart Alexander Bennett (born 10 August 1980) is an English actor and former professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he performs under the ring name Wade Barrett as a color commentator on the ''SmackDown'' brand. Barrett won the fi ...
. He failed to win the championship from Barrett at Fastlane on February 22 and
WrestleMania 31 WrestleMania 31 was a 2015 professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming List of WWE pay-per-view and livestreaming supercards, event produced by WWE. It was the 31st annual WrestleMania and took place on March 29, 2015, at Levi's S ...
on March 29. Ambrose defeated Luke Harper at Extreme Rules in a Chicago Street Fight on April 26, his first singles victory on a pay-per-view event since The Shield split up. The following night on ''Raw'', Ambrose competed in the 2015 King of the Ring tournament, but was disqualified from the competition during his quarterfinal match with Sheamus, after interference from Dolph Ziggler. Ambrose returned to feud with Rollins over the WWE World Heavyweight Championship, defeating him in a non-title match on the May 4 episode of ''Raw''. As a result of this, he was added to Rollins's championship defense at Payback on May 17 against Randy Orton and Roman Reigns. Rollins would retain his championship at Payback. At
Elimination Chamber The Elimination Chamber is a professional wrestling elimination-based match held in the WWE. The match was created by Triple H, and introduced by Eric Bischoff in November 2002. It features a large chain-linked circular steel structure which ...
on May 31, Ambrose faced Rollins in a singles match for the championship. He won the match by disqualification after Rollins shoved the
referee A referee is an official, in a variety of sports and competition, responsible for enforcing the rules of the sport, including sportsmanship decisions such as ejection. The official tasked with this job may be known by a variety of other title ...
, but did not win the title, as championships cannot change hands by disqualification. Regardless, Ambrose stole the
championship belt A championship belt is a large, extravagantly designed belt used primarily in combat sports as an award, similarly to trophies in other sports. There are several companies in the business of constructing championship belts. The first belt given ...
from him and challenged Rollins to a
ladder match A ladder match is a type of match in professional wrestling, most commonly one in which an item (usually a title belt) is hung above the ring, and the winner is the contestant who climbs a ladder and retrieves the item. The ladder itself become ...
for the title at Money in the Bank on June 14, which he narrowly lost. After Money in the Bank, Ambrose teamed up with Roman Reigns to defeat Wyatt and Harper at
SummerSlam SummerSlam is a professional wrestling event, produced annually since 1988 by the world's largest professional wrestling promotion, WWE. Dubbed "The Biggest Party of the Summer", it is considered WWE's second biggest event of the year behind th ...
on August 23. The following night on ''Raw'', Ambrose and Reigns fought Wyatt and Harper in a SummerSlam rematch, during which
Braun Strowman Adam Joseph Scherr (born September 6, 1983) is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler and Strongman (strength athlete), strongman. As a wrestler, he is best known for his tenure in WWE from 2013 to 2025, where he performed un ...
made his WWE debut, helping Harper and Wyatt. At
Night of Champions WWE Night of Champions is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming List of WWE pay-per-view and livestreaming supercards, event produced by WWE, a Connecticut-based professional wrestling promotion. The inaugural event took pl ...
on September 20, Ambrose, Reigns and a returning
Chris Jericho Christopher Keith Irvine (born November 9, 1970), better known by the ring name Chris Jericho, is an American-Canadian professional wrestler, rock musician, and actor. As a wrestler, he has been signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) , where he ...
were defeated by Wyatt, Harper, and Strowman in a six-man tag team match. After Rollins legitimately injured his knee on November 3, the WWE World Heavyweight Championship was declared vacant; Ambrose entered a 16-man tournament to determine a new champion. After defeating
Tyler Breeze Mattias Clement (born January 19, 1988) is a Canadian professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE under the ring name Tyler Breeze as a member of the UpUpDownDown channel and as a writer for the NXT brand. He also wrestles on the independent ...
in the first round, Dolph Ziggler in the quarterfinals and
Kevin Owens Kevin Yanick Steen (born May 7, 1984) is a Canadian professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name Kevin Owens. As of April 2025, he is on hiatus due to a neck injury. Steen began his ...
in the semifinals, Ambrose ultimately made it to the finals at the
Survivor Series Survivor Series, branded as Survivor Series: WarGames since 2022, is a professional wrestling event produced annually since 1987 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Held in November generally the week of Thanksgiving ( ...
main event on November 22 but lost to Reigns.


Championship reigns (2015–2017)

In December, Ambrose won the Intercontinental Championship for the first time after defeating Owens at TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs. He successfully defended the title against Owens and Ziggler multiple times between December and January 2016. Ambrose competed in the 2016 Royal Rumble match for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship, which he lost after being lastly eliminated by eventual winner Triple H. Ambrose would later lose the Intercontinental Championship back to Owens in a
five-way match Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick matches are more common than others and are often used to advance or conclude a storyline. ...
on the February 15 episode of ''Raw'', after Owens pinned Tyler Breeze. At Fastlane on February 21, Ambrose faced Reigns and
Brock Lesnar Brock Edward Lesnar ( ; born July 12, 1977) is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler and former Mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist, Amateur wrestling, amateur wrestler and professional American football player. As a ...
in a triple threat match to determine the number one contender for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship at
WrestleMania 32 WrestleMania 32 was a 2016 professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming List of WWE pay-per-view and livestreaming supercards, event produced by WWE. It was the 32nd annual WrestleMania and took place on April 3, 2016, at the AT&T ...
, but lost after he was pinned by Reigns. The following night on ''Raw'', Ambrose challenged Lesnar to a No Holds Barred street fight match at WrestleMania 32, which Paul Heyman accepted on Lesnar's behalf. He then failed to capture the WWE World Heavyweight Championship from Triple H at the
Roadblock A roadblock is a temporary installation set up to control or block traffic along a road. The reasons for one could be: * Roadworks *Temporary road closure during special events * Police chase *Robbery * Sobriety checkpoint * Protests In peaceful ...
event in March. He was also unsuccessful in defeating Lesnar at WrestleMania 32. Following WrestleMania, Ambrose began a rivalry with Chris Jericho. He defeated Jericho at Payback, and again at Extreme Rules in an Asylum match later that month to end the feud. In May, Ambrose qualified for the 2016 Money in the Bank ladder match, which he would win. Later that same night, he would cash in his Money in the Bank contract and defeat Rollins to win the WWE World Heavyweight Championship for the first time. Ambrose made his first title defense against Rollins on the July 18 episode of ''Raw'', which ended in a draw after a double pinfall. The following night at the 2016 WWE draft, Ambrose was drafted to the
SmackDown ''WWE SmackDown'', also known as ''Friday Night SmackDown'' or simply ''SmackDown'', is an American professional wrestling television program produced by WWE. It airs live every Friday at 8 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on USA Network in the United ...
brand, being the brand's first draft pick and bringing the WWE Championship with him; that same night, he pinned Rollins to retain the championship. At
Battleground A battlefield, battleground, or field of battle is the location of a present or historic battle involving ground warfare. It is commonly understood to be limited to the point of contact between opposing forces, though battles may involve troop ...
, Ambrose retained his title against Reigns and Rollins after pinning Reigns. Ambrose then successfully defended the renamed "WWE World Championship" against Dolph Ziggler at
SummerSlam SummerSlam is a professional wrestling event, produced annually since 1988 by the world's largest professional wrestling promotion, WWE. Dubbed "The Biggest Party of the Summer", it is considered WWE's second biggest event of the year behind th ...
in August. At
Backlash Backlash may refer to: Literature * '' Backlash: The Undeclared War Against American Women'', a 1991 book by Susan Faludi * ''Backlash'' (Star Wars novel), a 2010 novel by Aaron Allston * Backlash (Marc Slayton), a comic book character from ...
on September 11, he lost the title to
AJ Styles Allen Neal Jones (born June 2, 1977), better known by his ring name AJ Styles (or A.J. Styles), is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw (WWE brand), Raw WWE brand extension, ...
after Styles performed a low blow and ''Styles Clash'' while the referee was incapacitated. Ambrose was unsuccessful in regaining the championship at No Mercy on October 9 in a triple threat match also involving John Cena, who was pinned by Styles. The following month at
Survivor Series Survivor Series, branded as Survivor Series: WarGames since 2022, is a professional wrestling event produced annually since 1987 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Held in November generally the week of Thanksgiving ( ...
, Ambrose made up part of Team SmackDown alongside Styles, Bray Wyatt, Randy Orton and
Shane McMahon Shane Brandon McMahon ( ; born January 15, 1970) is an American businessman and retired Professional wrestling, professional wrestler best known for his tenures in WWE. The son of Vince McMahon, he is a fourth-generation wrestling promoter as a ...
in a winning effort over Team Raw. He would face Styles once again in a Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match at TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs for the WWE title. During the match, James Ellsworth interfered and pushed Ambrose off a ladder through multiple tables, allowing Styles to retain the title. Ambrose would then fail to become the number one contender for the reverted WWE Championship in a fatal four-way elimination match involving Dolph Ziggler, Luke Harper, and
The Miz Michael Gregory Mizanin (born October 8, 1980) is an American professional wrestler, actor, and television personality. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name The Miz. Mizanin first gained fame a ...
. On the January 3, 2017, episode of ''SmackDown'', Ambrose defeated The Miz to win the Intercontinental Championship for the second time. He participated in the 2017 Royal Rumble match in which he lasted almost 27 minutes before being eliminated by Brock Lesnar. On February 12, Ambrose took part in the WWE Championship Elimination Chamber match at the event of the same name, where he eliminated
Baron Corbin Thomas Pestock (born September 14, 1984) is an American professional wrestler, Brazilian jiu jitsu practitioner, former professional football player and former amateur boxer. He is wrestling as a freelancer under the ring name Bishop Dyer, appea ...
with a roll-up pin only for Corbin to attack him afterward, allowing Miz to eliminate Ambrose. A match was set between Ambrose and Corbin at the
WrestleMania 33 WrestleMania 33 was a 2017 professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming List of WWE pay-per-view and livestreaming supercards, event produced by WWE. It was the 33rd annual WrestleMania and took place on April 2, 2017, at Camping Wo ...
pre-show on April 2, where Ambrose retained his Intercontinental Championship. Two nights later on ''SmackDown'', Ambrose wrestled in his final match for the brand, in a losing effort to Corbin in a non-title match. Following that, Ambrose was moved to the
Raw brand Raw is a brand of the American professional wrestling promotion WWE that was established on March 25, 2002. Brands are divisions of WWE's roster where wrestlers are assigned to perform on a weekly basis when a brand extension is in effect. Wrestl ...
as a result of the Superstar Shake-up. He would then continue his feud with The Miz, who was also drafted to Raw in the Superstar Shake-up, eventually losing the Intercontinental title to him at Extreme Rules in June, thus ending his reign at 152 days. Ambrose continued to feud with The Miz, leading up to a rematch for the Intercontinental Championship at
Great Balls of Fire "Great Balls of Fire" is a 1957 popular song recorded by American rock and roll musician Jerry Lee Lewis on Sun Records and featured in the 1957 movie '' Jamboree''. It was written by Otis Blackwell and Jack Hammer. The Jerry Lee Lewis 1957 reco ...
on July 9, where he lost as a result of interference by The Miztourage (
Curtis Axel Joseph Curtis Hennig (born October 1, 1979) is an American professional wrestler. He is best known for his time in WWE, where he performed under the ring name Curtis Axel. Hennig signed with WWE in 2007 and performed under his real name, styliz ...
and
Bo Dallas Taylor Michael Rotunda (born May 25, 1990) is an American professional wrestler. , he is signed to WWE where he performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring names Bo Dallas and his alter ego Uncle Howdy and is the leader of The Wyatt Sicks fa ...
).


The Shield reunion and injury (2017–2018)

On the July 10 episode of ''Raw'', Seth Rollins saved Ambrose from an attack by The Miz and The Miztourage. After Rollins failed to gain Ambrose's trust for several weeks, the two argued in the ring on the August 14 episode of ''Raw'' and eventually brawled with each other before fighting off
Cesaro and Sheamus The Bar, originally simply known as Cesaro and Sheamus, was a villainous professional wrestling tag team in WWE. They were record setting four-time Raw Tag Team Champions and former SmackDown Tag Team Champions, making their team overall ...
and reuniting the team. At
SummerSlam SummerSlam is a professional wrestling event, produced annually since 1988 by the world's largest professional wrestling promotion, WWE. Dubbed "The Biggest Party of the Summer", it is considered WWE's second biggest event of the year behind th ...
on August 20, Ambrose and Rollins defeated Cesaro and Sheamus to win the WWE Raw Tag Team Championship, making Ambrose both a Triple Crown and Grand Slam champion in the process. Ambrose and Rollins successfully defended the titles against Cesaro and Sheamus at No Mercy, after Ambrose pinned Sheamus. On the October 9 episode of ''Raw'', Ambrose and Rollins reunited with Roman Reigns. The newly reformed Shield was due to face the team of Braun Strowman, Cesaro, Kane, The Miz and Sheamus at TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs in a 5-on-3 handicap Tables, Ladders and Chairs match, but Reigns was replaced by
Kurt Angle Kurt Steven Angle (born December 9, 1968) is an American retired professional wrestler and amateur wrestling, amateur wrestler. He first earned recognition for winning a Wrestling at the 1996 Summer Olympics – Men's freestyle 100 kg, gold me ...
over an illness concern. Ambrose, Rollins, and Angle would go on to win the match. Ambrose and Rollins were scheduled to face
SmackDown Tag Team Champions The WWE Tag Team Championship is a men's professional wrestling world tag team championship created and promoted by the American promotion WWE, defended on the SmackDown brand division. It is one of two male tag team championships for WWE's mai ...
The Usos in an interbrand match at
Survivor Series Survivor Series, branded as Survivor Series: WarGames since 2022, is a professional wrestling event produced annually since 1987 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Held in November generally the week of Thanksgiving ( ...
, but lost the tag titles back to Cesaro and Sheamus on the November 6 episode of ''Raw'' after a distraction from SmackDown's The New Day (Big E, Kofi Kingston, and Xavier Woods), thus ending their reign at 78 days. This led to a match between The Shield and The New Day at Survivor Series two weeks later, which the former won. In December 2017, Ambrose suffered a triceps injury, reportedly rendering him out of action for nine months.


Final storylines and departure (2018–2019)

On the August 13, 2018, episode of ''Raw'', Ambrose returned with a new look consisting of short hair, a full beard, and a more muscular physique. He assisted Rollins against an attack from
Drew McIntyre Andrew McLean Galloway IV (born 6 June, 1985) is a Scottish Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown (WWE brand), SmackDown brand under the ring name Drew McIntyre. Galloway began ...
and Dolph Ziggler. Six days later, he assisted Rollins in winning the Intercontinental Championship from Ziggler at
SummerSlam SummerSlam is a professional wrestling event, produced annually since 1988 by the world's largest professional wrestling promotion, WWE. Dubbed "The Biggest Party of the Summer", it is considered WWE's second biggest event of the year behind th ...
. The following night on ''Raw'', Ambrose and Rollins aided Universal Champion Roman Reigns in attacking Braun Strowman when the latter attempted to cash-in his Money in the Bank contract, once again reuniting The Shield. At
Hell in a Cell Hell in a Cell is a professional wrestling steel cage-based match which originated in 1997 in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE). It features a large cell structure, a four-sided cuboid made from open-weave steel mesh chain-link f ...
, Ambrose and Rollins were unsuccessful in defeating Ziggler and McIntyre for the Raw Tag Team Championship. In October, The Shield defeated Ziggler, McIntyre, and Strowman at
Super Show-Down WWE Super ShowDown (originally stylized as Super Show-Down) was a professional wrestling event produced by WWE, an American-based promotion. It was broadcast live and available only through pay-per-view (PPV) and WWE's livestreaming service, the ...
. Two nights later on ''Raw'', they were defeated by the same trio in a rematch. After the match, a frustrated Ambrose walked away from his teammates. On the October 22 episode of ''Raw'', after Reigns announced the return of his real-life
leukemia Leukemia ( also spelled leukaemia; pronounced ) is a group of blood cancers that usually begin in the bone marrow and produce high numbers of abnormal blood cells. These blood cells are not fully developed and are called ''blasts'' or '' ...
and relinquished the Universal Championship, Ambrose and Rollins defeated Ziggler and McIntyre to capture the Raw Tag Team Championship for the second time. However, Ambrose immediately attacked Rollins after the match, turning heel for the first time since 2014. Two weeks later on ''Raw'', Ambrose attacked Rollins again, after Rollins lost the tag titles in a handicap match against AOP ( Akam and
Rezar } Gzim Selmani (born 16 June 1994) is a Dutch professional wrestler and former mixed martial artist. He is best known for his time in WWE, where he performed under the ring name Rezar. After signing with WWE in 2015, Rezar has since teamed with ...
). The following week, Ambrose burned his Shield vest and explained that being part of the group had made him weak. He would continue to taunt Rollins over the following weeks by stalking him, getting
vaccinated A vaccine is a biological Dosage form, preparation that provides active acquired immunity to a particular infectious disease, infectious or cancer, malignant disease. The safety and effectiveness of vaccines has been widely studied and verifi ...
against what he perceived to be Rollins's "illness", and ordering his own personal
SWAT A SWAT (''Special Weapons and Tactics'') team is a generic term for a police tactical unit within the United States, though the term has also been used by other nations. SWAT units are generally trained, equipped, and deployed to res ...
team to attack Rollins, subsequently christening himself the "Moral Compass of WWE". Ambrose defeated Rollins at TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs in December to win the Intercontinental Championship, beginning his third reign with the title. Throughout the following weeks, he successfully defended his title against Tyler Breeze, Apollo Crews, and Rollins, before losing the championship to
Bobby Lashley Franklin Roberto Lashley (born July 16, 1976) is an American professional wrestler and former mixed martial artist. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he is a member of The Hurt Syndicate and is one-half of the AEW World Tag Team C ...
on the January 14, 2019, episode of ''Raw'', in a triple threat match also involving Rollins, ending his reign at 29 days. Ambrose entered the 2019 Royal Rumble match at number 14, but was eliminated by
Aleister Black Tom Büdgen (born 19 May 1985) is a Dutch professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name Aleister Black. Before signing with WWE, Büdgen was known for his extensive work on the indep ...
. The following night on ''Raw'', he interrupted Royal Rumble winner Rollins and Triple H, proclaiming that Rollins never defeated him clean without interference and provoking Triple H into booking them in a match, which Ambrose subsequently lost. A few hours after ''Raw'' went off the air, it was reported that Ambrose had informed WWE officials that he would not be renewing his contract and would be leaving WWE shortly after
WrestleMania 35 WrestleMania 35 was a 2019 professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming List of WWE pay-per-view and livestreaming supercards, event produced by WWE. It was the 35th annual WrestleMania and took place on April 7, 2019, at MetLife ...
. WWE subsequently confirmed his decision in a statement. It was reported that he had been offered an improved contract by WWE, which he turned down due to long-standing frustration with the creative direction of his character and a particular dislike of the " hokey" material he had been given. After weeks of teasing a reunion, Ambrose reunited with Rollins and the recently returned Reigns on the March 4 episode of ''Raw'', after they assisted Ambrose from an attack by Baron Corbin, Bobby Lashley, Drew McIntyre, and
Elias Elias ( ; ) is the hellenized version for the name of Elijah (; ; , or ), a prophet in the Northern Kingdom of Israel in the 9th century BC, mentioned in several holy books. Due to Elias' role in the scriptures and to many later associated tradit ...
the previous week, turning Ambrose face once again. At Fastlane on March 10, The Shield defeated the team of McIntyre, Lashley, and Corbin. In his final singles matches in WWE, Ambrose would lose to McIntyre several times on ''Raw''. On the April 8 episode of ''Raw'', Ambrose was scheduled to face Bobby Lashley in what was billed as Ambrose's last match on ''Raw''. However, the match never took place as Lashley insulted Ambrose's wife,
Renee Young Renee Jane Paquette is a Canadian-American television personality. She is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) as a backstage interviewer and pre-show panelist. She was previously known for her time in WWE between 2012 and 2020, where she served ...
, resulting in a brawl that ended with Ambrose being slammed through the announce table. After ''Raw'' went off the air, Ambrose joined Rollins and Reigns to address the fans, thank them for their support, and comment on his past accomplishments before celebrating with his Shield teammates. The following week on ''Raw'', he made another appearance after the show went off the air. His final contractual match occurred at a special event called The Shield's Final Chapter on April 21, where he, Reigns, and Rollins defeated the team of Corbin, Lashley, and McIntyre. He revealed that he was paid only $500 for wrestling in the match which is the minimum WWE could pay him for the event. His contract expired on April 30. On Chris Jericho's ''Talk is Jericho'' podcast in May 2019, Good recounted his departure from WWE, though he began by saying he was grateful for his time there, and cited achieving success. He decided to leave WWE after
Vince McMahon Vincent Kennedy McMahon ( ; born August 24, 1945) is an American businessman and former professional wrestling promoter. McMahon, along with his later-estranged wife Linda McMahon, Linda, is a co-founder of the modern WWE, the world's largest ...
made him give a
promo PROMO (Promoting Missouri) is a Missouri Missouri (''see #Etymology and pronunciation, pronunciation'') is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territ ...
on ''Raw'' where his character would get inoculated from various diseases out of fear of catching a virus from the fans. Good felt after this segment that his character was irreparably damaged. He left WWE citing the cause as mental and emotional exhaustion after six years of explaining to McMahon how his ideas for Good's character were "stupid". Due to McMahon's control over WWE, Good had to follow McMahon's writing, which left him unhappy. Good came to dread promos, which were previously his favorite part of performing as a wrestler, to the point of feeling physically ill. His experience was corroborated by both Jericho and various anonymous WWE wrestlers and staff.


All Elite Wrestling (2019–present)


Feud with Kenny Omega and AEW World Champion (2019–2021)

On May 1, Good—having reverted to his former Jon Moxley gimmick and name—posted a video on his Twitter account to promote the gimmick's return, which showed him breaking out of a prison. The video was created by wrestler-turned-filmmaker
Nick Mondo Matthew Timothy Burns (born March 28, 1980), better known by his ring name "Sick" Nick Mondo, is an American retired professional wrestler. Since his in-ring retirement in 2003, he has become a filmmaker, actor and stuntman and, at one point, wor ...
. On May 25, Moxley made his unannounced debut for
All Elite Wrestling All Elite Wrestling (AEW) is an American professional wrestling promotion headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida. It is owned and operated by Shahid Khan, Shahid and Tony Khan, with the latter serving as President (corporate title), president an ...
(AEW) during
Double or Nothing Double or nothing (UK often double or quits) is a gamble to decide whether a loss or debt should be doubled. The result of a "double or nothing" bet is either cancellation of a debt ''or'' the doubling of a debt. It can be seen as a gentleman's ag ...
, AEW's inaugural event, attacking Chris Jericho,
Kenny Omega Tyson Smith (born October 16, 1983), better known by the ring name , is a Canadian-born professional wrestler. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he is the current AEW International Champion in his first reign. He also works as an ...
, and the referee after Jericho and Omega's main event match, thus establishing himself as an
antihero An antihero (sometimes spelled as anti-hero or two words anti hero) or anti-heroine is a character in a narrative (in literature, film, TV, etc.) who may lack some conventional heroic qualities and attributes, such as idealism and morality. Al ...
character. Shortly after, it was announced that Moxley had signed a multi-year contract. Moxley had his AEW debut match at the Fyter Fest event in June, where he defeated
Joey Janela Joseph Janela (born July 3, 1989) is an American professional wrestler, working for Game Changer Wrestling (GCW), where he is the promoter of the Joey Janela's Spring Break event series. Janela is most known for his work with All Elite Wrestling ...
in an unsanctioned match. After the match, Moxley was attacked by Omega in retaliation for his previous assault. A match between the two was scheduled for All Out on August 31. However, a week before All Out, Moxley was forced to pull out after being diagnosed with a
MRSA Methicillin-resistant ''Staphylococcus aureus'' (MRSA) is a group of gram-positive bacteria that are genetically distinct from other strains of ''Staphylococcus aureus''. MRSA is responsible for several difficult-to-treat infections in humans. ...
staph infection in his elbow, and would undergo surgery to remove it. AEW subsequently revealed
Pac Pac or PAC may refer to: Aviation * IATA code PAC Albrook "Marcos A. Gelabert" International Airport in Panama City, Panama * Pacific Aerospace Corporation, New Zealand, manufacturer of aircraft: ** PAC 750XL ** PAC Cresco ** PAC CT/4 ** PA ...
as Moxley's replacement, and the match was rescheduled for the Full Gear event. Moxley made his return on October 2, during the premiere episode of ''
Dynamite Dynamite is an explosive made of nitroglycerin, sorbents (such as powdered shells or clay), and Stabilizer (chemistry), stabilizers. It was invented by the Swedish people, Swedish chemist and engineer Alfred Nobel in Geesthacht, Northern German ...
'', taking out Omega during the latter's main event match. In the main event of Full Gear on November 9, Moxley defeated Omega in an unsanctioned
Lights Out match Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick matches are more common than others and are often used to advance or conclude a storyline. ...
. After Full Gear, Moxley indicated his intentions to challenge for the
AEW World Championship The AEW World Championship is a men's professional wrestling World championship (professional wrestling), world championship created and promoted by the American professional wrestling promotion, promotion All Elite Wrestling (AEW). Unveiled on ...
. Chris Jericho, who held the championship, attempted to bribe Moxley into joining his group, The Inner Circle. On the January 8, 2020, episode of ''Dynamite'', Moxley initially accepted the proposal and seemingly joined the group, before revealing it was a ploy and turning on them moments later. Moxley was entered into a tournament to determine the number one contender for the championship, defeating
Sammy Guevara Samuel Guevara (born July 28, 1993) is an American professional wrestler. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he is a member of The Sons of Texas and is a record tying three-time former AEW TNT Champion. He also appears in AEW's sist ...
and Pac to win. Moxley faced Jericho for the AEW World Championship at
Revolution In political science, a revolution (, 'a turn around') is a rapid, fundamental transformation of a society's class, state, ethnic or religious structures. According to sociologist Jack Goldstone, all revolutions contain "a common set of elements ...
on February 29, where he won the championship, becoming the first person to hold titles in AEW and NJPW simultaneously. Moxley made his first defense of the championship on the April 15 episode of ''Dynamite'', defeating
Jake Hager Donald Jacob Hager Jr. (born March 24, 1982) is an American professional wrestler and former amateur wrestler and mixed martial artist. He currently performs on the independent circuit. He is best known for his tenures in WWE as Jack Swagger an ...
in an Empty Arena No Holds Barred match. Moxley then made further successful title defenses against Mr. Brodie Lee at
Double or Nothing Double or nothing (UK often double or quits) is a gamble to decide whether a loss or debt should be doubled. The result of a "double or nothing" bet is either cancellation of a debt ''or'' the doubling of a debt. It can be seen as a gentleman's ag ...
on May 23,
Brian Cage Brian Christopher Joseph ButtonFight for the Fallen on July 15, and
Darby Allin Samuel Ratsch (born January 7, 1993), better known by the ring name Darby Allin, is an American professional wrestler. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW). He is a former two-time AEW TNT Championship, AEW TNT Champion and a former AEW Wo ...
on the August 5 episode of ''Dynamite''. Moxley then moved onto a feud with MJF, who began a Presidential-style campaign against Moxley's championship reign and decreed that fans deserved a better champion. The two faced at All Out on September 5, where Moxley emerged victorious. Later that month, Moxley began a highly acclaimed rivalry with former friend
Eddie Kingston Edward Moore (born December 12, 1981), better known by the ring name Eddie Kingston, is an American professional wrestler. , he is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he is out of in-ring action because of a leg injury, but continues to mak ...
, who was jealous of Moxley's success. He defended the championship against Kingston on the September 23 episode of ''Dynamite'', which he won by making Kingston pass out to a chokehold. After retaining the championship against
Lance Archer Lance Hoyt (born February 28, 1977), better known by his ring name Lance Archer, is an American professional wrestler. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where is a member of The Don Callis Family and one-half of The Murder Machines w ...
on the October 14 episode of ''Dynamite'', Moxley was attacked by Kingston, who protested that Moxley had never made him submit. At Full Gear (2020), Full Gear on November 7, Moxley defeated Kingston in an "I quit" match to retain the championship. Following this, Moxley rekindled his feud with Kenny Omega. At Winter Is Coming (2020), Winter Is Coming on December 2, Moxley lost the championship to Omega, thus ending his record-setting reign at 277 days, and giving Moxley his first singles loss in AEW. After taking an absence, Moxley returned at the New Year's Smash (January 2021), New Year's Smash event on January 6, 2021, but he was attacked by Omega and his allies The Good Brothers (professional wrestling), The Good Brothers (Karl Anderson and Doc Gallows). Moxley challenged Omega for the championship at Revolution (2021), Revolution on March 7, in an Exploding Barbed Wire Deathmatch, but lost. After losing to Omega, Moxley began an alliance with his erstwhile rival Eddie Kingston, who came to Moxley's rescue after the match at Revolution. Over the following weeks, Moxley and Kingston would continue to feud with Omega and his allies, particularly focusing on Omega's friends The Young Bucks (Matt Jackson and Nick Jackson). At the Double or Nothing (2021), Double or Nothing event in May, Moxley and Kingston challenged The Young Bucks for the AEW World Tag Team Championship, but they were defeated. On September 5 at All Out (2021), All Out, Moxley defeated Satoshi Kojima. On the October 6 episode of ''Dynamite'', Moxley competed in a Casino Ladder Match for an opportunity at the AEW World Championship, but the match was won by Adam Page. Also that month, he was inserted into a tournament to determine the next challenger for the world championship. Moxley defeated Preston "10" Vance to advance to the semi-finals, but he was withdrawn from the tournament after it was revealed that he had entered a rehabilitation program for alcoholism. Miro (wrestler), Miro was subsequently unveiled as his replacement.


Blackpool Combat Club (2022–2024)

Following rehab, Moxley returned in January 2022 with a healthier and cleaner look. He began a storyline with Bryan Danielson, who offered to team up with him, but Moxley stated that he would only consider teaming up with Danielson if they wrestled each other first. Moxley defeated Danielson at Revolution (2022), Revolution in March, but the two began brawling after their match; William Regal, once a mentor to both men on separate occasions, made his surprise debut to break up the fight and force them to shake hands. With Regal as their manager, they formed a team which would later be named the Blackpool Combat Club (BCC) in reference to Regal's career beginnings in the English town of Blackpool. The group would begin a storyline with Wheeler Yuta, who would aim to join the group. After first losing to Danielson, Yuta was defeated by Moxley in a critically acclaimed match on the April 8 episode of ''Rampage'', earning the faction's respect, and joining them. At Double or Nothing (2022), Double or Nothing on May 29, Moxley and Danielson teamed with Eddie Kingston, Santana and Ortiz to face the Jericho Appreciation Society (Chris Jericho, Jake Hager, Daniel Garcia (wrestler), Daniel Garcia, Angelo Parker, and Matt Menard) in an Anarchy in the Arena match, but lost. On the June 3 episode of ''Rampage'', AEW World Champion CM Punk announced he would not be able to defend his championship against scheduled challenger Hiroshi Tanahashi on June 26 at Forbidden Door (2022), AEW x NJPW: Forbidden Door due to injury. On the June 8 episode of ''Dynamite'', Moxley defeated Kyle O'Reilly, the winner of a Casino Battle Royale in the show's opener, to earn the chance to face for the interim championship at the event. On June 12 at
New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) is a Puroresu, Japanese professional-wrestling Professional wrestling promotion, promotion founded on January 13, 1972, by Antonio Inoki, and based in Nakano, Tokyo. It is currently majority owned by card-game company Bushiroad, with TV As ...
's Dominion 6.12 in Osaka-jo Hall event, Tanahashi defeated Hirooki Goto to be confirmed as Moxley's opponent at Forbidden Door. At the event, Moxley defeated Tanahashi to win the interim AEW World Championship. Also that month, the debuting Claudio Castagnoli would join the Blackpool Combat Club as its newest member. At the AEW Quake by the Lake, Quake by the Lake special episode of ''Dynamite'' on August 10, the lineal AEW World Champion CM Punk returned and confronted Moxley, entering into a title dispute. A match to determine the undisputed AEW World Champion was then scheduled at All Out (2022), All Out, however, due to heated confrontations between the two, it was announced that the match would instead take place on the August 24 episode of ''Dynamite'', in which Moxley quickly defeated Punk to win his record-setting second AEW World Championship, becoming the undisputed AEW World Champion in the process. The following week on ''Dynamite'', Moxley laid out an open challenge for anyone to face him at All Out, which was accepted by Punk. At All Out on September 4, Moxley was defeated by Punk, losing the undisputed championship and ending his reign at 11 days. Shortly following the event, Punk was suspended by AEW after getting into a legitimate backstage altercation with Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks. As a result, the AEW World Championship was vacated, and Moxley was then inserted into a AEW Grand Slam (2022)#AEW Grand Slam Tournament of Champions, tournament to crown a new champion. At AEW Grand Slam (2022), Grand Slam on September 21, Moxley defeated Bryan Danielson in the tournament final to win the vacant title and become the first ever three-time AEW World Champion. On October 7, it was announced via press release that Moxley had signed a five-year exclusive contract extension with AEW that will see him take on mentorship and coaching roles, as well as continue to perform for the promotion as an in-ring wrestler. On the October 18 episode of ''Dynamite'': Title Tuesday, Moxley retained the AEW World Championship against Adam Page, in a match in which the latter suffered a legitimate injury after landing off a clothesline, causing a match stoppage. At Full Gear (2022), Full Gear on November 19, Moxley lost the championship to MJF, after he was betrayed by Regal. Moxley started a feud in late November with the returning Adam Page, who defeated him on the January 11, 2023 episode of ''Dynamite''. Moxley defeated Page in a rematch on the February 1 episode of ''Dynamite''. The two faced each other again in a Texas Deathmatch at AEW Revolution (2023), Revolution on March 5, which Moxley lost by submission. On the March 8 episode of ''Dynamite'', Moxley, Castagnoli, and Yuta beat down Page and his allies in The Dark Order following a match, turning heel. The BCC would then target Page and his allies Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks, who would reform The Elite (professional wrestling), The Elite to challenge them. The two groups faced off in an Anarchy in the Arena match at Double or Nothing (2023), Double or Nothing on May 28, which the BCC won after assistance by Don Callis and Konosuke Takeshita, who attacked Omega during the final moments of the match. At the Forbidden Door (2023), Forbidden Door event on June 25, Moxley, Castagnoli and Yuta teamed with Takeshita and Shota Umino to take on The Young Bucks, Page, Eddie Kingston and Tomohiro Ishii in a ten-man tag team match, but were defeated. At Blood and Guts (2023), Blood and Guts, Moxley, Castagnoli and Yuta teamed with Takeshita and
Pac Pac or PAC may refer to: Aviation * IATA code PAC Albrook "Marcos A. Gelabert" International Airport in Panama City, Panama * Pacific Aerospace Corporation, New Zealand, manufacturer of aircraft: ** PAC 750XL ** PAC Cresco ** PAC CT/4 ** PA ...
to face The Elite and Kota Ibushi in a Blood and Guts match, losing after Yuta forfeited. At the All In (2023), All In event on August 27, the BCC teamed with Santana and Ortiz to face Eddie Kingston, Penta El Zero Miedo and Best Friends (professional wrestling), Best Friends (Orange Cassidy, Trent Beretta, Trent and Chuck Taylor (wrestler), Chuck Taylor) in a Stadium Stampede match, but lost. The following week at All Out (2023), All Out, Moxley defeated Orange Cassidy to win the
AEW International Championship The AEW International Championship is a professional wrestling Professional wrestling championship#Location-specific championships, championship created and promoted by the United States, American professional wrestling promotion, promotion All E ...
. However, he lost the title 17 days later to Fénix (wrestler), Rey Fénix at AEW Grand Slam (2023), ''Dynamite'': Grand Slam on September 20. During this match, he suffered a legitimate concussion that led to the scripted result of the match being changed to have Fénix win instead. Due to his injury, Moxley took an absence from wrestling but remained active on AEW programming, including providing commentary at WrestleDream (2023), WrestleDream on October 1. He was scheduled to return and face Fénix for the International Championship on the October 10 episode of ''Dynamite'', but was removed from the match due to not being medically cleared and was replaced by Cassidy, who defeated Fénix to win the championship. Cassidy defeated Moxley to retain the championship at Full Gear (2023), Full Gear on November 18. Following this, Moxley competed in the Continental Classic (2023), Continental Classic tournament, but lost to Eddie Kingston in the finals at Worlds End (2023), Worlds End on December 30. The BCC would feud with FTR (professional wrestling), FTR (Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler), with Moxley and Castagnoli defeating FTR at the Revolution (2024), Revolution event on March 3, 2024.


Death Riders (2024–present)

Moxley returned after a hiatus on the August 28 episode of ''Dynamite'' with his "Death Rider" music from NJPW, calling out Darby Allin and stating cryptically "This [AEW] is not your company anymore" to Tony Schiavone. Later that episode, he allied himself with Marina Shafir. At the All Out (2024), All Out event on September 7, Moxley was joined by Castagnoli, Shafir and
Pac Pac or PAC may refer to: Aviation * IATA code PAC Albrook "Marcos A. Gelabert" International Airport in Panama City, Panama * Pacific Aerospace Corporation, New Zealand, manufacturer of aircraft: ** PAC 750XL ** PAC Cresco ** PAC CT/4 ** PA ...
in viciously attacking Danielson after his defence of the AEW World Championship, assuming leadership of the BCC with Pac and Shafir as the newest additions. Having become a villainous character, Moxley defeated Allin at the Grand Slam (2024), Grand Slam event on September 25 to earn the right to challenge Danielson for the AEW World Championship at WrestleDream (2024), WrestleDream. At WrestleDream on October 12, Moxley defeated Danielson to win the AEW World Championship for a record-setting fourth time. Afterwards, Yuta would join Moxley's side by brutalizing Danielson and suffocating him with a plastic bag. After winning the championship, he would put the championship title in a briefcase with Shafir carrying it around. In November 2024, the BCC rebranded to the "Death Riders", a nod to Moxley's nickname in NJPW. On November 23 at Full Gear (2024), Full Gear, Moxley successfully defended his title against Orange Cassidy. On December 28 at Worlds End (2024), Worlds End, Moxley successfully defended his title against Cassidy, Adam Page, and Jay White in a four-way match. After the match, Moxley was confronted by FTR and a returning Adam Copeland, Cope. On January 15 at AEW Maximum Carnage, Moxley successfully defended his title against Powerhouse Hobbs. At AEW Revolution (2025), Revolution on March 9, Moxley successfully defended his title against Cope and Christian Cage in a three-way match with the latter cashing in his contract during the match. On the March 19 episode of ''Dynamite'', Moxley defeated Cope in a rematch for the title in a Street Fight (professional wrestling), street fight. On April 6 at AEW Dynasty (2025), Dynasty, Moxley successfully defended his title against Swerve Strickland after interference from The Young Bucks. On April 16 at AEW Spring BreakThru, ''Dynamite'': Spring BreakThru, Moxley filled in for the injured Pac to team with Castagnoli and Yuta to defend the AEW World Trios Championship against Powerhouse Hobbs and The Opps (Samoa Joe and Katsuyori Shibata), but the trio lost the match and the titles. On May 14 at Beach Break (2025), ''Dynamite'': Beach Break, Moxley successfully defended his title against Samoa Joe in a steel cage match after interference from the Death Riders and Gabe Kidd. On May 25 at Double or Nothing (2025), Double or Nothing, the Death Riders teamed with The Young Bucks, losing to Kenny Omega, Swerve Strickland, Willow Nightingale, and The Opps (Samoa Joe, Powerhouse Hobbs, and Katsuyori Shibata) in an Anarchy in the Arena match.


New Japan Pro-Wrestling (2019–present)


IWGP United States Heavyweight Champion (2019–2021)

After weeks of New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) airing videos of a mystery man targeting
IWGP United States Heavyweight Champion The was a professional wrestling championship owned and promoted by the New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) promotion. "IWGP" are the initials of NJPW's governing body, the . The final champion was Will Ospreay, who was in his second reign at the time ...
Juice Robinson, Moxley was revealed as the culprit in May 2019, challenging Robinson for a title match at the final night of the Best of the Super Juniors#2019, Best of the Super Juniors 26 tournament on June 5. At the event, he defeated Robinson in his NJPW in-ring debut to win the championship, making him the first wrestler to hold both IWGP and WWE United States Championships. Following Moxley's original challenge, AEW CEO Tony Khan stated that Moxley would be able to take independent and international bookings during the summer before AEW's television deal started in the fall of that year. However, during an interview with ''Nikkan Sports'', Good clarified that he would continue to appear for NJPW while being signed to AEW. At Dominion 6.9 in Osaka-jo Hall (2019), Dominion 6.9 in Osaka-jo Hall on June 9, Moxley defeated Shota Umino before declaring himself as an entrant in the G1 Climax 29, 2019 G1 Climax tournament. From July to August, Moxley competed in the B Block of the G1 Climax, defeating Taichi (wrestler), Taichi in his first tournament match. He then went undefeated in the tournament with wins over Jeff Cobb, Tomohiro Ishii, Shingo Takagi, and Tetsuya Naito, before suffering his first loss to Toru Yano. He then lost his next three matches to Jay White, Hirooki Goto, and Juice Robinson, failing to advance to the tournament finals with a final standing of 10 points (five wins and four losses). On October 13, after he was unable to defend the United States Heavyweight Championship in a scheduled match against Robinson due to travel issues stemming from Typhoon Hagibis, Moxley agreed to vacate the championship. He was replaced in the match by Lance Archer, who defeated Robinson to win the championship. On December 9, Moxley returned and interrupted Archer after his final match in the World Tag League (NJPW)#2019, 2019 World Tag League tournament, attacking both Archer and Minoru Suzuki before challenging the former to a Texas Deathmatch for the United States Heavyweight Championship at Wrestle Kingdom 14 in January 2020. During the first night of the event, he defeated Archer by knockout to capture the championship for the second time, and subsequently successfully retained the championship against Robinson the following night, ending their long-running feud. After the match, he was confronted and beaten down by Suzuki. Moxley successfully defended the championship against Suzuki at The New Beginning in Osaka (2020), The New Beginning in Osaka in February. This would be Moxley's final match in NJPW for over a year, due to travelling issues relating to the COVID-19 pandemic. On August 1, Moxley surpassed Kenny Omega as the longest reigning United States Heavyweight Champion. On the January 29, 2021, episode of ''NJPW Strong, Strong'', Moxley returned after an eleven-month absence and attacked Kenta Kobayashi, Kenta, who had earned a future United States Heavyweight Championship match the previous year by winning the New Japan Cup USA. The match took place at The New Beginning USA (2021), The New Beginning USA on February 26, where Moxley defeated Kenta to retain the championship. Through NJPW's partnership with AEW, Moxley successfully defended the United States Heavyweight Championship against Yuji Nagata on the May 12 episode of AEW's television show ''Dynamite'', marking the first time a NJPW championship was defended at an AEW event. At AEW's Fyter Fest (2021), Fyter Fest event on July 14, Moxley again successfully defended the title against Karl Anderson. However, on the second night of Fyter Fest the following week, Moxley lost the championship to Lance Archer in a Texas Deathmatch, ending his record-breaking reign at 564 days with five successful defenses. At the Resurgence (2021), Resurgence event on August 14, Moxley teamed with Nagata to face The Good Brothers, but they were defeated.


Sporadic appearances and IWGP World Heavyweight Champion (2021–present)

On the November 27 episode of ''Strong'', Moxley teamed with Eddie Kingston to face Minoru Suzuki and Lance Archer in a Philadelphia Street Fight, which the latter team won. Moxley returned to the promotion to face Will Ospreay at the Windy City Riot (2022), Windy City Riot event on April 16, 2022, where he was victorious in the main event. At the Capital Collision (2022), Capital Collision event on May 14, Moxley challenged for the United States Heavyweight Championship in a fatal four-way match including Ospreay, Juice Robinson, and Hiroshi Tanahashi, which Robinson won. He would return to NJPW in 2023 and 2024,wrestling for the newly created IWGP Global Heavyweight Championship at Wrestle Kingdom 18 in a triple thraead match which was won by David Finlay. Moxley would won the
IWGP World Heavyweight Championship The is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship owned by the New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) promotion. "IWGP" is the acronym of NJPW's governing body, the . The championship was created on March 1, 2021, by the unification of t ...
after he defeated Tetsuya Naito at Windy City Riot, becoming the first wrestler to become a world champion in WWE, AEW, and NJPW. Moxley defended the championship at AEW events, including the April 24 episode of ''Dynamite'', where he defeated Powerhouse Hobbs. He also defeated Konosuke Takeshita in an IWGP World Heavyweight Championship eliminator match at AEW Double or Nothing (2024), Double or Nothing on May 26. On May 4, Moxley successfully defended his title against Narita on night 2 of Wrestling Dontaku 2024, Wrestling Dontaku. On May 11 at Resurgence (2024), Resurgence, Moxley successfully defended the title against Umino. Post-match, Moxley and Umino were attacked by Evil (wrestler), Evil, who declared himself to be the next challenger. The match was later made official for Dominion 6.9 in Osaka-jo Hall (2024), Dominion 6.9 in Osaka-jo Hall, where Moxley defeated Evil to retain the title. After the match, Moxley was confronted by previous champion Tetsuya Naito, who challenged Moxley to a rematch at Forbidden Door (2024), Forbidden Door and Moxley accepted. At Forbidden Door on June 30, Moxley lost the title back to Naito, ending his reign at 79 days.


Return to the independent circuit (2019–present)

Starting in June 2019, Moxley made sporadic appearances for several Independent circuit, independent promotions such as Northeast Wrestling (NEW) and Future Stars of Wrestling (FSW). He was also set to wrestle matches for Over the Top Wrestling (OTT) and Game Changer Wrestling (GCW), but the scheduled events were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. On October 11, 2020, Moxley defeated Chris Dickinson (wrestler), Chris Dickinson at GCW Bloodsport#Josh Barnett's Bloodsport 3, Josh Barnett's Bloodsport 3. He then defeated Davey Boy Smith Jr. in the main event of GCW Bloodsport#Josh Barnett's Bloodsport 5, Josh Barnett's Bloodsport 5 on February 20, 2021, before losing to Josh Barnett at GCW Bloodsport#Josh Barnett's Bloodsport 6, Josh Barnett's Bloodsport 6 on April 8. At GCW's The Art of War Games pay-per-view in September 2021, Moxley defeated Matt Cardona as a surprise opponent to win the GCW World Championship. On January 23, 2022, Moxley retained the GCW World Championship against Homicide at The Wrld on GCW (2022), The Wrld on GCW event. At GCW Bloodsport#Josh Barnett's Bloodsport 8, Josh Barnett's Bloodsport 8 in March, Moxley defeated Biff Busick. At GCW's GCW Fight Club (2022), Fight Club event on October 8, Moxley lost the GCW World Championship to Nick Gage in a Professional wrestling match types#Luchas de apuestas, title vs. career match, ending his reign at 399 days.


Ring of Honor (2023)

On March 31, 2023, Moxley made his debut for AEW's sister promotion
Ring of Honor Ring of Honor (ROH) is an American professional wrestling promotion based in Jacksonville, Florida. The promotion was founded by Rob Feinstein on February 23, 2002, and was operated by Cary Silkin from 2004 until 2011; the promotion was subs ...
(ROH) at Supercard of Honor (2023), Supercard of Honor, accompanying Wheeler Yuta to the ring for his match against Katsuyori Shibata. On December 16 at Final Battle (2023), Final Battle, Moxley made his ROH in-ring debut, teaming with Blackpool Combat Members Bryan Danielson and Claudio Castagnoli in a losing effort against FTR (professional wrestling), FTR (Cash Wheeler and Dax Harwood) and Mark Briscoe.


Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (2024)

On March 29, 2024, at Homenaje a Dos Leyendas, Moxley made his Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL) debut, teaming with Claudio Castagnoli, Bryan Danielson, and Matt Sydal in a losing effort against Volador Jr., Blue Panther, Místico, and Último Guerrero.


Professional wrestling style, persona, and reception

Good was given the Jon Moxley ring name shortly before his first match by a fellow wrestler, who had misheard the name of James Van Der Beek's character Jonathan Moxon in the 1999 film ''Varsity Blues (film), Varsity Blues''. He later said, "I'd probably been thinking about names for years and years, but I had no ideas. ... So, right before I'm about to go out the ring announcer said, 'What's the name?' I didn't have one. ... This other wrestler guy was just like, 'It's like the ''Varsity Blues'' guy. He's like the guy from ''Varsity Blues''. Jonathan Moxley.' They're like, 'That's cool.' I was too nervous to say yes or no. ... Actually, in the movie, it's Moxon. So the guy screwed up the name a little bit. It wasn't my idea at all, it was just foisted upon me." After debuting on WWE television as Dean Ambrose with The Shield, Good utilized a Professional wrestling throws#Headlock driver, headlock driver, the ''Dirty Deeds'', as a Glossary of professional wrestling terms#finisher, finishing move. Soon after The Shield's initial split in 2014, he did not feel comfortable using a headlock driver on some wrestlers, so the ''Dirty Deeds'' was changed to a DDT (professional wrestling)#Double underhook DDT, double underhook DDT. Upon his departure from WWE, he changed his finisher to a DDT (professional wrestling)#Lifting DDT, lifted underhook DDT or a Brainbuster#Double underhook brainbuster, double underhook brainbuster, the ''Paradigm Shift'' (in AEW) or the ''Death Rider'' (in NJPW and later in AEW). During his tenure in WWE's FCW territory, he used William Regal's finishing moves the ''Knee Trembler'' (a Professional wrestling attacks#Knee lift, running knee lift) and the ''Regal Stretch'' (a Professional wrestling holds#Cross-legged STF, cross-legged arm trap STF) to mock Regal during their feud. Referred to as the "Lunatic Fringe" since his time in The Shield after the nickname of Cincinnati radio station WEBN (which itself got it from the Lunatic Fringe (song), song of the same name by Red Rider), Ambrose's WWE gimmick saw him characterized as a mentally unstable and unpredictable wildcard. His gimmick has been compared to Heath Ledger's Joker (The Dark Knight), Joker from the 2008 film ''The Dark Knight''. After becoming a villain in late 2018, Ambrose began proclaiming himself the "Moral Compass of WWE", and this revamped character—with his use of gas masks, fur-lined coats, military attire, and a SWAT-like team to do his bidding—invited comparisons to Tom Hardy's Bane (DC Comics), Bane from the 2012 sequel ''The Dark Knight Rises''. Ambrose's booking during his feuds with Seth Rollins and Bray Wyatt in 2014 was criticized by commentators, including James Caldwell of the ''Pro Wrestling Torch'', who stated that although "he's a utility Glossary of professional wrestling terms#main eventer, main eventer", his lack of victories indicated that he was not "a guy" that WWE was positioning "for a 2-3 year sustained run on top". Ambrose's post-Shield run as a heroic character gained significant popularity, with him being cheered over fellow heroic character Roman Reigns when they faced off in three world title matches (Payback and Survivor Series in 2015 and Fastlane in 2016). Ambrose was voted as the Most Popular Wrestler of the Year by ''
Pro Wrestling Illustrated ''Pro Wrestling Illustrated'' (''PWI'') is an American professional wrestling magazine that was founded in 1979 by publisher Stanley Weston. ''PWI'' is headquartered in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, and published by Kappa Publishing Group. The maga ...
'' readers in 2014 and 2015. Good's reversion to his Jon Moxley gimmick and subsequent debut at AEW's Double or Nothing after leaving WWE in 2019 was widely praised, with Phillip Martinez of ''Newsweek'' commenting that Good had caused "the wrestling world to erupt" after his surprise appearance. Justin Barrasso of ''
Sports Illustrated ''Sports Illustrated'' (''SI'') is an American sports magazine first published in August 1954. Founded by Stuart Scheftel, it was the first magazine with a circulation of over one million to win the National Magazine Award for General Excellen ...
'' opined that Moxley was "the cornerstone of AEW", and fellow AEW wrestler and on-screen rival
Kenny Omega Tyson Smith (born October 16, 1983), better known by the ring name , is a Canadian-born professional wrestler. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he is the current AEW International Champion in his first reign. He also works as an ...
referred to Moxley as the "MVP of AEW" in May 2023. ''Variety (magazine), Variety'' also attributed Moxley as one of AEW's biggest Nielsen ratings, ratings attractions for their weekly broadcast. Moxley uses a version of the song "Wild Thing (The Troggs song), Wild Thing" by X (American band), X as his entrance theme, as tribute to Japanese wrestler Atsushi Onita, who utilized the same song. Moxley's match with Tomohiro Ishii during the G1 Climax in July 2019 was met with critical acclaim. ''Deadspin''s Luis Paez-Pumar noted how the tournament offered an excellent platform for Moxley to shine following his departure from WWE and notably singled out his match against Ishii, calling it "almost certainly Moxley's best singles match ever, under any name, but it felt significant in another sense... it was good, brutal fun to watch, but it also pointed a way forward for Moxley not just as an attraction, but rather as a brilliant and brilliantly violent wrestler". The match was also awarded List of professional wrestling matches rated 5 or more stars by Dave Meltzer, five stars by wrestling journalist Dave Meltzer of the ''Wrestling Observer Newsletter'', with Meltzer remarking, "I think this was the first time I ever saw a match where at the 17 second mark I already felt it was going to be a four star match... this is a four star match already, right now, and they're building from there."


Other media

As Dean Ambrose, Good made his acting debut in the WWE produced action film, action film '' 12 Rounds 3: Lockdown'' (2015), in which he starred as detective John Shaw. He also made an uncredited cameo in the WWE film ''Countdown (2016 film), Countdown'' (2016). Under his real name, he appeared in the sports action film '' Cagefighter: Worlds Collide'' (2020) as Randy Stone, a professional wrestler who crosses over to MMA and fights the film's protagonist. Good, as Dean Ambrose, appears as a playable character in the video games ''WWE 2K14'', ''WWE 2K15'', ''WWE 2K16'', ''WWE 2K17'', ''WWE 2K18'', and ''WWE 2K19''. He also appears in ''AEW Fight Forever'', as Jon Moxley. In 2011, Smart Mark Video released ''Stories From the Streets: The Jon Moxley Story'', a DVD featuring several of Good's matches in CZW, HWA, and IPW, as well as a two-and-a-half hour Shoot (professional wrestling)#Shoot interview, shoot interview with Good. He has also spoken on several podcasts such as Colt Cabana's ''Art of Wrestling'' in December 2014, Chris Jericho's ''Talk is Jericho'' in May 2019 (in which he talked about his departure from WWE), and AEW's ''Unrestricted'' podcast in February 2020 (for which he was the inaugural guest). Good's autobiography ''Mox'' was released on November 2, 2021.


Filmography


Submission grappling

Good began learning mixed martial arts in 2019 for his role in the film '' Cagefighter: Worlds Collide'' (2020). After he finished filming, he continued training in MMA at Xtreme Couture Mixed Martial Arts, Xtreme Couture, which included training with Randy Couture himself. Good competed at the NAGA Cincinnati Grappling Championships on July 15, 2023, winning the men's Submission wrestling, no-gi White belt (Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu), beginner/Super heavyweight, super-heavyweight/30+ age division by beating Chris Sailor, the only other competitor in that bracket. At the same event, he competed in the men's no-gi beginner/Openweight, absolute weight division, beating Sailor again in the first round before losing by submission in the second round. Good returned to competition at Twisted Tournament: Cincinnati on August 19, entering two white belt divisions again but losing all of his matches. Good competed in amateur grappling again in March 2024, losing via submission to a choke.


Personal life

In 2013, Good began dating Canadian interviewer Renee Paquette. They lived near Las Vegas, where they were married in an impromptu ceremony at their home in the early hours of April 9, 2017. Their daughter was born on June 13, 2021. In order to be closer to both his family in his hometown of
Cincinnati Cincinnati ( ; colloquially nicknamed Cincy) is a city in Hamilton County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. Settled in 1788, the city is located on the northern side of the confluence of the Licking River (Kentucky), Licking and Ohio Ri ...
and Paquette's family in her hometown of Toronto, they soon relocated to the Mount Auburn Historic District, Mount Auburn neighborhood of Cincinnati. They are fans of the Cincinnati Bengals. Good has referred to himself as a loner, which he has often incorporated into his onscreen character. He has also called himself a Simple living, minimalist, revealing that he drove to WWE's training center in his Decrepit car, rundown car with only a bag of clothes and the money in his pocket upon accepting their contract offer. He was roommates with fellow wrestler Big Cass during this time; when he moved out after being promoted to WWE's main roster, he left behind thousands of dollars worth of merchandise the company had sent him as a goodwill gesture and told Cass to "give it to charity or something". He then moved into his new apartment, which he left primarily unfurnished because he reasoned that he would be traveling most of the time. Good is a notably private person who avoids social media, which has been seen as rare in the era of wrestlers using it to advance storylines. He refused to use the
Twitter Twitter, officially known as X since 2023, is an American microblogging and social networking service. It is one of the world's largest social media platforms and one of the most-visited websites. Users can share short text messages, image ...
profile WWE created for him in 2012, and said in 2014 that he does not "feel the need to open [himself] up to the opinion of everybody in the world with a phone or computer". He began using Twitter and Instagram in 2019, but had stopped updating the former by 2022 and the latter by 2024. He said of social media in 2021, "Everybody just seems to hate it [...] so then why are we using it?" When asked in 2024 why he did not delete his abandoned profiles, he said, "I don't want anybody to steal it and start pretending to be me, so I keep it, but [...] my advice to the entire world would be [to] get off that thing. Take it off your phone. Throw it in the garbage." To be closer to the recommended doctors during his recovery from an injured arm in 2018, Good briefly lived in Birmingham, Alabama, where he contracted an
MRSA Methicillin-resistant ''Staphylococcus aureus'' (MRSA) is a group of gram-positive bacteria that are genetically distinct from other strains of ''Staphylococcus aureus''. MRSA is responsible for several difficult-to-treat infections in humans. ...
infection in his arm that he later said nearly killed him. In November 2021, at Good's request, Tony Khan announced that Good had checked himself into Residential treatment center, rehab for alcoholism. He returned to wrestling three months later.


Championships and accomplishments


Professional wrestling

*
All Elite Wrestling All Elite Wrestling (AEW) is an American professional wrestling promotion headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida. It is owned and operated by Shahid Khan, Shahid and Tony Khan, with the latter serving as President (corporate title), president an ...
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AEW World Championship The AEW World Championship is a men's professional wrestling World championship (professional wrestling), world championship created and promoted by the American professional wrestling promotion, promotion All Elite Wrestling (AEW). Unveiled on ...
(List of AEW World Champions, 4 times, current) ** AEW World Championship, AEW Interim World Championship (List of AEW World Champions, 1 time) **
AEW International Championship The AEW International Championship is a professional wrestling Professional wrestling championship#Location-specific championships, championship created and promoted by the United States, American professional wrestling promotion, promotion All E ...
(List of AEW International Champions, 1 time) ** List of All Elite Wrestling tournaments#AEW World Championship #1 Contender Tournament, AEW World Championship #1 Contender Tournament (AEW Bash at the Beach#AEW World Championship#1 Contender Tournament, 2020) **List of All Elite Wrestling tournaments#AEW Interim World Championship Eliminator Series, AEW Interim World Championship Eliminator Series (AEW x NJPW: Forbidden Door#AEW Interim World Championship Eliminator Series bracket, 2022) **List of All Elite Wrestling tournaments#Grand Slam Tournament of Champions, AEW Grand Slam Tournament of Champions (AEW Grand Slam (2022)#AEW Grand Slam Tournament of Champions, 2022) *
Combat Zone Wrestling Combat Zone Wrestling (CZW) is an American independent professional wrestling promotion founded in 1999 by John Zandig. Commonly associated with the 2000s hardcore wrestling genre, early CZW shows showcased a brand of wrestling dubbed by the p ...
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CZW World Heavyweight Championship The CZW World Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship owned and promoted by the professional wrestling promotion Combat Zone Wrestling (CZW). It debuted on March 27, 1999 at CZW's The Staple Gun event ...
(List of CZW World Heavyweight Champions, 2 times) *
Full Impact Pro Full Impact Pro (FIP) is an American professional wrestling promotion. It is currently part of the World Wrestling Network (WWN) along with Shine Wrestling. Sal Hamaoui founded the company and serves as the president, while Trevin Adams is the ...
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FIP World Heavyweight Championship The FIP World Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship held by the Full Impact Pro (FIP), a promotion owned by the World Wrestling Network. It is currently the highest ranked championship in FIP. Histo ...
(FIP World Heavyweight Championship#Reigns, 1 time) * Game Changer Wrestling ** GCW World Championship (GCW World Championship#History, 1 time) *
Heartland Wrestling Association The Heartland Wrestling Association (HWA) was a Midwestern independent professional wrestling promotion based in Cincinnati, Ohio. A former developmental territory for World Championship Wrestling and the World Wrestling Entertainment, World Wres ...
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HWA Heavyweight Championship The HWA Heavyweight Championship was the heavyweight Championship (professional wrestling), title contested in the Heartland Wrestling Association. Title history See also *Heartland Wrestling Association References {{reflist External linksH ...
(HWA Heavyweight Championship#Title history, 3 times) **
HWA Tag Team Championship The HWA Tag Team Championship is the tag team titles contested for in the Heartland Wrestling Association. It was established in 1996 when the Head Bangers (Mosh and Thrasher) became the first champions. Title history Key See also *Heartlan ...
(HWA Tag Team Championship#Title history, 5 times) – with Jimmy Turner (1), Ric Byrne (1), Cody Hawk (1) and King Vu (2) ** Drake Younger Invitational Tournament (2009) * Mad-Pro Wrestling ** MPW Heavyweight Championship (1 time) ** MPW Tag Team Championship (1 times) – with Dustin Rayz * Insanity Pro Wrestling ** IPW World Heavyweight Championship (2 times) ** IPW Mid-American Championship (1 time) * International Wrestling Association ** IWA World Tag Team Championship, IWA Tag Team Championship (IWA World Tag Team Championship#Title history, 1 time) – with Hade Vansen *
New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) is a Puroresu, Japanese professional-wrestling Professional wrestling promotion, promotion founded on January 13, 1972, by Antonio Inoki, and based in Nakano, Tokyo. It is currently majority owned by card-game company Bushiroad, with TV As ...
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IWGP World Heavyweight Championship The is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship owned by the New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) promotion. "IWGP" is the acronym of NJPW's governing body, the . The championship was created on March 1, 2021, by the unification of t ...
(IWGP World Heavyweight Championship#Reigns, 1 time) ** IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship (IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship#Reigns, 2 times) * ''New York Post'' ** Male Wrestler of the Year (2022) * ''
Pro Wrestling Illustrated ''Pro Wrestling Illustrated'' (''PWI'') is an American professional wrestling magazine that was founded in 1979 by publisher Stanley Weston. ''PWI'' is headquartered in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, and published by Kappa Publishing Group. The maga ...
'' ** List of Pro Wrestling Illustrated awards#Feud of the Year, Feud of the Year (2014) ** Most Popular Wrestler of the Year (2014, 2015, 2022) ** List of Pro Wrestling Illustrated awards#Inspirational Wrestler of the Year, Inspirational Wrestler of the Year (2022) ** List of Pro Wrestling Illustrated awards#Wrestler of the Year, Wrestler of the Year (2020) ** Ranked No. 1 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the ''Pro Wrestling Illustrated#PWI 500, PWI 500'' in 2020 * ''Rolling Stone'' ** Best Briefly Resuscitated Storyline (2015) ** Most Likeable Loose Cannon (2014) * ''
Sports Illustrated ''Sports Illustrated'' (''SI'') is an American sports magazine first published in August 1954. Founded by Stuart Scheftel, it was the first magazine with a circulation of over one million to win the National Magazine Award for General Excellen ...
'' ** Sports Illustrated#Male/Men's Wrestler of the Year, Male Wrestler of the Year (2019) ** Ranked No. 2 of the Sports Illustrated#Wrestler of the Year, top 10 wrestlers in 2022 *
Westside Xtreme Wrestling Westside Xtreme Wrestling, commonly shortened to wXw, is a German professional wrestling promotion based in Gelsenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia. wXw has been one of the leading professional wrestling promotions in Germany, and most of its event ...
** wXw World Tag Team Championship (wXw World Tag Team Championship#Title history, 1 time) – with Sami Callihan ** wXw World Tag Team Title Tournament (2009) with Sami Callihan * ''Wrestling Observer Newsletter'' ** List of Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards#Bruiser Brody Memorial Award (Best Brawler), Best Brawler (2020–2023) ** List of Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards#Best Pro Wrestling Book, Best Pro Wrestling Book (2021) ** List of Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards#Feud of the Year, Feud of the Year (2020) ** List of Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards#Shad Gaspard/Jon Huber Memorial Award, Shad Gaspard/Jon Huber Memorial Award (2021) ** List of Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards#United States/Canada MVP, United States/Canada MVP (2020, 2022) ** List of Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards#Lou Thesz/Ric Flair Award (Wrestler of the Year), Wrestler of the Year (2020, 2022) ** List of Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards#Worst Feud of the Year, Worst Feud of the Year (2013) – *
WWE World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) is an American professional wrestling promotion. It is owned and operated by TKO Group Holdings, a majority-owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. A global integrated media and entertainment company, ...
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WWE Championship The WWE Championship, also referred to as the Undisputed WWE Championship since April 2024, is a men's professional wrestling world heavyweight championship created and promoted by the American promotion WWE, defended on the SmackDown bran ...
(List of WWE Champions, 1 time) **
WWE Intercontinental Championship The WWE Intercontinental Championship is a men's professional wrestling championship created and promoted by the American promotion WWE, defended on the Raw brand division. It is one of two secondary championships for WWE's main roster, alo ...
(List of WWE Intercontinental Champions, 3 times) **
WWE United States Championship The WWE United States Championship is a men's professional wrestling Professional wrestling championship#Location-specific championships, championship promoted by the United States, American professional wrestling promotion, promotion WWE, defend ...
(List of WWE United States Champions, 1 time) ** World Tag Team Championship (WWE), WWE Raw Tag Team Championship (List of World Tag Team Champions (WWE), 2 times) – with Seth Rollins ** Triple Crown (professional wrestling)#List of WWE Men's Triple Crown winners, 27th Triple Crown Champion ** Grand Slam (professional wrestling)#WWE, Eighth Grand Slam Champion (Grand Slam (professional wrestling)#Current format, under current format; Grand Slam (professional wrestling)#Guide, 16th overall) ** Money in the Bank ladder match, Money in the Bank (
2016 2016 was designated as: * International Year of Pulses by the sixty-eighth session of the United Nations General Assembly. * International Year of Global Understanding (IYGU) by the International Council for Science (ICSU), the Internationa ...
) ** Slammy Award (5 times) *** Breakout Star of the Year (Slammy Award#2013 Slammy Awards, 2013, Slammy Award#2014 Slammy Awards, 2014) – *** Faction of the Year (2013, 2014) – *** Trending Now (Hashtag) of the Year (2013) – ** WWE Year-End Awards (2 times) *** Best Reunion (2018) – *** Return of the Year (2018)


Submission grappling

*North American Grappling Association **NAGA Cincinnati Grappling Championship Gold Medalist - Men No-Gi / Beginner / 225 - 249.9 (Super Heavy Weight / Master (30+))


Bibliography

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Notes


References


External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Moxley, Jon 1985 births 21st-century American male actors 21st-century male professional wrestlers 21st-century American professional wrestlers AEW World Champions AEW International Champions All Elite Wrestling personnel American male film actors American male professional wrestlers CZW World Heavyweight Champions American expatriate professional wrestlers in Japan FIP World Heavyweight Champions GCW World Champions IWGP United States Champions IWGP World Heavyweight champions Living people Male actors from Cincinnati Money in the Bank winners NWA/WCW/WWE United States Heavyweight Champions Professional wrestlers from Ohio The Authority (professional wrestling) members WWF/WWE Intercontinental Champions WWE Champions WWE Grand Slam champions World Tag Team Champions (WWE) WXw Unified World Wrestling Champions Professional wrestlers from Cincinnati