A viral video showing AEW star Jon Moxley tapping out in a BJJ match has been making the rounds online, but former WWE star Shayna Baszler believes the criticism aimed at him is completely missing the point.
The video quickly gained attention, with some fans comparing Moxley’s tough-guy wrestling character to what happened in a real grappling match.
Shayna Baszler believes critics are ignoring the bigger picture
The discussion started when an X user, @AIRGold_, shared footage from a North American Grappling Association (NAGA) tournament. In the clip, Moxley, competing under his real name Jonathan Good, is caught in a submission and forced to tap out.
The user posted the clip with a caption that read:
“Jon Moxley might be the fakest tough guy in wrestling! Bro built his whole gimmick around being a badass, then got choked out by a random dude.”
The post sparked quite a lot of reactions online. While some fans mocked Moxley, others defended him. One of the strongest responses came from Shayna Baszler, who has years of experience in MMA and competitive grappling.
Baszler pointed out that people seem interested in celebrating losses while ignoring the times competitors succeed. She replied,
“Clipping this is fun for people that do not compete at all, but those people never post when he
1) Won his entire division in other NAGA tournaments
AND
2) Losing in competition isn’t a big deal
“A minute of showing up is better than an hour of intention”
Baszler’s comments also highlighted something many wrestling fans forget. A wrestler’s on-screen character is one thing, but real combat sports are completely different. Once you step onto the mat, reputation means very little.
Moxley has never hidden his interest in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and grappling. He has continued testing himself in real competitions.
One example came at the NAGA Cincinnati Grappling Championship. Competing as Jonathan Good, Jon Moxley won a gold medal in the men’s beginner no-gi super heavyweight division in the masters category. Representing Powell MMA & Fitness, he defeated Chris Sailor 4-0 to take first place in the tournament.
Read More: Bully Ray Calls Jon Moxley a ‘Fraud’ While Criticizing AEW’s Death Riders Booking
