Jon Moxley has spoken previously about being “checked out” of WWE for quite a while before he was able to finally leave the promotion. During a Starrcast IV panel, Moxley spoke with All Elite Wrestling announcer Jim Ross over the moment he knew he wanted to leave. He also addressed why he didn’t leave sooner.

Reflecting on his time recovering from triceps surgery, Moxley said “It was in July when I started to realize I was not excited to come back [to WWE]. I was excited about wrestling, but I was like do I really have to go back to the WWE? Can I go to CZW or somewhere else?”

He continued, “I remember I was training with Joey Mercury, and he was with Ring of Honor at the time. He was telling me about how ROH/NJPW just sold-out Madison Square Garden. I was like damn man can you take me with you? I have to go back to the WWE. I was picturing all these terrible ideas they would have for me and it was making me anxious.”

“I told myself, I was going to give them one last shot, I’ve got this heel turn coming up. They kept putting it off and putting it off. I eventually become a heel and that turned to s**t real quick. I knew I was gone in the summer, while I was off. But I knew I wasn’t going to leave early and deal with the legal s**t. I knew I was going to ride out the contract.”

Jon Moxley defeated Kenny Omega this past weekend at AEW: Full Gear. The two competed in a Lights Out match to close the show.