The sight of Jon Moxley wincing from a back full of nails remains a polarizing one as some felt it was too gruesome or dangerous, while others felt it perfectly aligned with All Elite Wrestling's mission of being an alternative product to WWE, the pro wrestling industry leader. On the AEW Dynasty media call, AEW CEO Tony Khan acknowledged that the spot was hardcore, but at the same time, it proved to be profitable for the company.
"It was a great Street Fight, Mox versus Cope. It was a big success for us," Khan said. "If you look, the video has been watched millions of times across multiple platforms, and the show delivered. It was a great event for AEW.
"It was a dangerous moment in the match when Jon Moxley landed on Spike and Spike went into Jon Moxley's back in the form of all those nails. It's a hardcore wrestling moment. It was something that was a risk that Adam Copeland and Jon Moxley took in the match, and it really paid off. Jon Moxley was able to return to the ring last night and will return to the ring at AEW Dynasty. Those are very tough guys, Adam Copeland and Jon Moxley. They put their bodies through a lot."
Recently, AEW star Jeff Jarrett echoed similar sentiments, noting that despite the controversy surrounding it, the spot itself generated notable revenue through social media clips. As it stands, video of the impaling has drawn over 13 million views on AEW's YouTube channel.
In the end, Moxley overcame the pain from the spiked bat, called Spike, to defeat Cope and retain his AEW World Championship on "AEW Dynamite." Looking ahead, he will now defend the title against Swerve Strickland at AEW Dynasty.
If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit AEW with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.
