Jon Moxley and Orange Cassidy were meant to face off prior in AEW, but the match was cancelled due to some worrying personal issues for one of the competitors.
The two men could soon stand against each other in the ring in a huge match with the biggest prize in sports on the line – The AEW International Championship.
This match looks set to take place at All Out, with Orange Cassidy vs Jon Moxley set to steal the show at the biggest event in AEW history.
Orange Cassidy vs Jon Moxley at All In
After attacking Orange Cassidy on AEW Dynamite, it looks like Jon Moxley could be the next challenger for the AEW International Championship.
With Cassidy at 32 wins in a row, it was starting to look like nobody could beat him for his coveted title.
However, with a big star like Jon Moxley now on the hunt, it looks like Orange Cassidy’s days as the champion could be numbered.
After defeating AR Fox on AEW Dynamite, Orange Cassidy was blindsided by Jon Moxley, who sent a message to the champion that could take him to Wembley Stadium at All In.
With only one match announced for All In, Tony Khan is looking for some of the biggest matches possible to sell out Wembley Stadium.
Pitting two of AEW’s most popular stars since the beginning is a genius move, and would give them the potential to put on a brilliant match.
As two of the best in-ring workers in AEW, Jon Moxley vs Orange Cassidy could steal the show at All In. With Bryan Danielson seemingly out with an injury, this would be the perfect match for the UK debut of All Elite Wrestling.
Orange Cassidy vs Jon Moxley did not take place at All In. Instead, the pair faced off in a 5 vs 5 Stadium Stampede match.
Cassidy won the match for his team, landing a glass-covered Orange Punch to the face of Moxley and pinning him to win the match for his team.
After his victory of Penta El Zero M on the Dynamite following, Orange Cassidy vs Jon Moxley was booked for the main event of AEW All Out 2023.
They Were Meant To Face Off Before Full Gear 2021
AEW originally booked Orange Cassidy vs Jon Moxley in the semi-finals of the AEW Eliminator Tournament. The winner of the tournament earned a shot at the AEW Champion at the time (“Hangman” Adam Page) for a future title match and contained some of the top stars in AEW.
While Bryan Danielson would await his final opponent for Full Gear 2021 after his semi-final win over Eddie Kingston, two men were booked in for a match the decide who would join him in the deciding round.
Alongside the American Dragon, the eight men chosen to compete in the 2021 AEW Eliminator Tournament were;
- Bryan Danielson
- Jon Moxley
- Orange Cassidy
- Eddie Kingston
- Lance Archer
- Dustin Rhodes
- Powerhouse Hobbs
- Preston Vance
Former AEW Champion Jon Moxley made it to the semi-final after trouncing Preston Vance in 2 minutes, building on some quick victories on AEW Dynamite against future stars like Wheeler Yuta, with a new, more aggressive attitude that hinted at a heel turn for Moxley.
He was due to meet Orange Cassidy in the semi-final, having achieved an impressive victory over Powerhouse Hobbs en route to a proposed match with Jon Moxley. This bout was due to take place on the November 3rd 2021 edition of AEW Dynamite, but would never take place.
Prior to the show, Tony Khan announced on Twitter that Jon Moxley was leaving AEW for an unspecified period of time to seek help for an alcohol addiction.
He was given as much time as he needed by AEW and was applauded for his courage in seeking help in the face of debilitating addiction.
Jon Moxley vs Orange Cassidy was meant to main event the show, but this match would never take place (and still has yet to ever take place).
Instead, Cassidy took on a mystery opponent which was not announced until that night, when former TNT Champion Miro made his return from injury to take his spot in the tournament.
While the return of Miro popped the live crowd, fans back home were disappointed. They were excited to see Orange Cassidy and Jon Moxley (two of AEW’s biggest babyface stars) battling it out to try and earn a shot at the AEW Championship. Instead, Cassidy took on Miro and was disappointingly beaten in a fantastic match.
Miro would also go on to lose at Full Gear 2021 to Jon Moxley’s future tag team partner Bryan Danielson, but fans were still left wanting to see the advertised Orange Cassidy vs Jon Moxley.
Jon Moxley vs Orange Cassidy
The match between the two stars could well still take place in AEW, and soon. Jon Moxley, now a member oft he Blackpool Combat Club, took on the team of Chuck Taylor and Trent Barretta (also known as Best Friends) at AEW Fyter Fest Night 3.
Moxley teamed with Wheeler Yuta, a former teammate of Orange Cassidy and the Best Friends before he defected to join Moxley and co.
The Blackpool Combat Club defeated Best Friends (with the rivalry between Wheeler Yuta and Chuck & Trent being the key story told in the ring) in a fantastic Dynamite match which continued young Yuta’s rise to stardom alongside Jon Moxley.
With Orange Cassidy on commentary, Jon Moxley led his team to victory in a match filled with heated tension.
Cassidy sat quietly on the commentary as he watched his friends fall to defeat, but he managed to catch a glimpse of a man who may be a future opponent of his as moves towards an AEW Championship match.
As the holder of the AEW International Championship, Orange Cassidy is the prime target for anyone in AEW, especially a top star like Jon Moxley.
With a host of injuries befalling some top stars like Bryan Danielson, it is the perfect time to hoist Cassidy back into the main event and in a blockbuster match against Jon Moxley at All In, at Wembley Stadium.
With the Best Friends clearly holding a grudge toward Wheeler Yuta (Cassidy proclaimed “Chuck taught him that pin” after Yuta pinned Chuck Taylor for the win) this looks like it will bleed into a feud between the Blackpool Combat Club and Best Friends.
I fully expect this to lead to an AEW Championship match between Jon Moxley and Orange Cassidy, but who will come out on top in this incredibly anticipated championship main event match.
Who Will Win The AEW International Championship?
If Orange Cassidy fights Jon Moxley for the AEW International Championship, it is likely that Jon Moxley would emerge victorious. He is the first ever two-time AEW Champion and the front-runner for the wrestler of the year award after a run that has led to some huge victories in AEW, including over Japanese icon Hiroshi Tanahashi.
Orange Cassidy is one of, if not THE, most popular face in AEW. However, it’s clear Tony Khan does not view him to be on the level of the AEW Championship winners, like CM Punk, Kenny Omega or Adam Page.
It’s certain he will not beat Jon Moxley, but Orange Cassidy while undoubtable put on another fantastic match which has put him in contention as one of the best and most charismatic in-ring performers in the entirety of AEW.
Who do you think will win in the Jon Moxley vs Orange Cassidy match when the pair finally step into the ring, one year after their match was cancelled due to Jon Moxley’s personal issues?
