When The Shield debuted in 2013, it was still a shock to everyone in the company. They had brought in a trio that had not only made a lasting impression with their debut, but continued by dominating their competition for months on end. Three new stars had been created by the company in a way that hadn’t been seen in quite some time.
The trio went from names only a handful of stars knew if they had been watching NXT or FCW prior, or even the independent scene for Seth Rollins and the then-Dean Ambrose, but they were shot up in popularity overnight and it was a lot for Jon Moxley to take in.
Talking to his wife Renee Paquette during her Oral Sessions podcast, Moxley opened up about the meteoric rise to fame for the trio and how it helped him improve his own social skills.
“When [The Shield] first started doing meet and greets, we were in FCW, an island literally of nobodies; nobody knew who we were. The group I was with, we were from the equivalent of a farm system in wrestling in Florida. We were nobodies. Nobody knew who we were. We were making gas money, came upon the scene in a matter of months later. All of a sudden, we’re the f*cking Backstreet Boys.”
“We were like a boy band. We were going to malls and chicks are going crazy. I’m meeting all these people, and I didn’t know how to talk to people. It was very weird to me. People were like, ‘Oh my God, I love you so much!’ And I’m like, ‘I don’t know you. Thank you.’ I didn’t know to behave in a scenario.”
“Being in WWE kind of helped me learn better social skills. I learned how to talk to people I don’t know, especially in these Make-A-Wishes, these people are shy. You have to make these good experiences with them. I learned how to be a person in the public eye. It took actual work. It’s like, a skill to develop.”
Moxley has a chance to increase those skills in All Elite Wrestling, and has a chance to continue his rise in All Elite Wrestling. While Dean Ambrose wasn’t always considered a star the likes of Rollins and Reigns, All Elite Wrestling certainly sees potential for him to be every bit as good as his former partners.
h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the quote.
Check out our official store at PRO WRESTLING TEES, show us your support and buy a shirt. You can visit our store by clicking here.
Make sure to follow us on Twitter @BodySlamNet and on Instagram @BodySlamDotNet
Also check us out on Facebook and give us a like and share by clicking HERE.
