EC3 reflects on a very interesting feud he had with Jon Moxley in WWE.
The NWA Champion spoke about this topic during a recent interview with Chris Van Vilet. EC3 recalled his matches with Moxley, who was working as Dean Ambrose at that time, and how he was supposed to be the babyface and the Lunatic Fringe was set to be the heal. However, the dynamics got changed as it was known that Moxley was leaving WWE at that point, and EC3’s momentum was halted due to creative not allowing him to speak. That being said, EC3 says their chemistry together was really good, especially on house shows, where he decided to play the heel.
I didn’t have any [momentum]. I think it was a weird spot because Dean has been on top. Shield, awesome, loved, adored, whether they’re protagonists or antagonists, they’re ingrained in the culture. Also, at the same time, he’s publicly announcing I’m bucking the system. I’m out of here. I love the dude, but when you have the freedom, it doesn’t matter what I do. Like he did like that promo and it was great because he’s just feeling it. Usually when you don’t give a sh*t, sometimes it’s when your work is the best. [It was scripted that] Every time I’m going to speak, I get cut off. So does that kill the momentum? A bit, unless we delivered something in the back end. So the match, we had a decent little match. It’s a TV match. And I think I won like with a roll-up, as opposed to I don’t know, should I have just beat the dog sh*t out of him? Or what would have made me keep the momentum but then the momentum was killed the next week anyway, so didn’t matter. I think partly the reason that was killed is because we were working the live events together. So Dean and I, we would have these really good live event matches, eight minutes, like third on the card, they’re solid little things. Right place right time. He’s the antagonist, I’m the protagonist, but he’s getting cheered, and I’m getting booed. So in the middle of that match, I’m like, this is exactly where I want to be. If I can garner the sort of push of I’m a baby face, but people generally don’t like me, that’s Roman, Cena level, I can get to that, that’s where I need to be because I’m a sh*t baby face. So we’re working these matches, and I’m working babyface and my comebacks are getting booed, he’s getting cheered. And like, I’d slip over and slip over and slip over. On the last night, because we’re really good professional wrestlers and tired of always doing the same thing. We’re in the middle of the match and they’re really anti-me and they’re really for him. I think he has me in a hold. He’s like, you wanna switch it up? Well, yeah. So in the middle of the match, I take over and now I’m playing kind of the bad guy, and I’m, you know, beating the sh*t out of him. And now he’s fired up, and he’s making a comeback. And the same finish, whatever, but we went about it a different way. Apparently, that got back to the office, to Vince perhaps, I don’t know for sure. But when you buck the system, you’re spitting in his face sometimes, it’s like a power play. So the next day on TV momentum is cut and then it’s just nothing after that.
Elsewhere in the interview, EC3 spoke about a potential return to WWE and why he instead focuses on building up the future of the NWA. You can read about that here.