Jon Moxley Challenged By EVIL To A Lumberjack Match At NJPW: Dominion
Earlier this month, New Japan Pro Wrestling officially announced that AEW star and current IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Jon Moxley would face EVIL on June 9th at the historic Osaka-jo Hall in Japan. EVIL, the leader of the Bullet Club sub-group "The House of Torture," has now demanded that their match be a Lumberjack Match, adding an extra challenge to the already anticipated showdown.
During an Interview with New Japan Pro Wrestling, EVIL declared that he is the rightful IWGP Champion and that a Lumberjack Match would ensure that Moxley would have "no escape."
"Since this low life mud show ‘wrestler’ wants to run away from any kind of a fair fight under IWGP rules then I have something for him. June 9 in Osaka Jo Hall, a Lumberjack Match for the title. That way he has no escape...
He can talk about "gang warfare" all he wants, but all he has in his gang of reprobates is that waste of space, Umino, right? When he’s trapped in the ring with no way out around him, he’ll see his future is as bleak as that fake title he carries around.
If he wants to bring his snot-nosed brat with him, he can, and we’ll make sure both understand what justice looks like. June 9 in Osaka Jo Hall, I’ll crush you in a Lumberjack Match. Don’t you forget it!" - EVIL
The match type is one that EVIL is very familiar with; in January, he defeated Tama Tonga for the NEVER Openweight Championship in the aforementioned match stipulation. One can assume he's hoping for the same results at Dominion. EVIL's clash with Jon Moxley was made official shortly following his attack on Moxley At NJPW Resurgence.
While this is the first time Moxley and EVIL will square off one-on-one, it isn't the first time they have shared a ring. Recently, the two faced off as part of a 6 man-tag-team match at Night 1 of NJPW Wrestling Dontaku 2024.
Since dethroning Tetsuya Naito at Windy City Riot to win his first IWGP Heavyweight Championship, Jon Moxley has been on a solid run in both NJPW and AEW. Moxley has already defended the championship three times since winning it in April, defeating Powerhouse Hobbs, Ren Narita, and Shota Umino.
Jox Monley was supposed to defend the championship against Takeshita at AEW Double or Nothing. However, it was later reported that NJPW vetoed the match being for the title.
The report from The Wrestling Observer noted that the Japanese promotion likely did not want to announce another title match ahead of Moxley's bout against EVIL at Dominion. The match was later made into an "Eliminator Match," meaning that Takeshita could have received a championship match at a future date if he had won.
Moxley faced off against Rocky Romero in a match with the same stipulation on the latest episode of AEW Dynamite.
