Dean Ambrose revelas why he left WWE at Talk is Jericho

TALK IS JERICHO PART 5

Jericho: More of the same.

Mox: Yeah, just the same... Basically their idea for me coming back was exactly what everyone expected, no shock, nothing different, just... good ol' Lunatic Fringe, again. Like... that's it? And I remember leaving real deflated, like "That's all we're gonna do?" I at least got him to, like... I was like, they wanted me to come back the week before SummerSlam and then just at SummerSlam be in Seth's corner and I was like at least let me come back AT SummerSlam, make a big impact or whatever, I dunno if that's the right idea or not and they're like, okay, you can come back at SummerSlam.

So I leave, I'm like deflated, y'know, I'm in Ohio training with, uh, I flew out Joey Mercury and uh, who's that, my original trainer Cody Hawk's gym, y'know, we're doing some training, I'm getting ready, I'm trying to go back to just like old-school physical wrestling the way I started, y'know, no hitting the ropes, just real meat and potatoes beating people up wrestling, y'know? Training my ass off to get back in the ring.

We're at dinner that night, I'm sitting there that night and I get a text from Koski, "I actually want to bring you back to TV this week and you're just gonna come out and you're in Seth's corner." So it's exactly what they originally told me, they pretended like they were gonna go with my idea but they didn't and I remember just being like... I'm not even back yet and I'm already pissed off!

And I'm like... their idea didn't even have any physicality! And I just remember showing the text to Joey and Cody and being like, look at this, is this a good return to you? I've been out for nine months, they want me to walk out and just like...

Jericho: Hey guys!

Mox: Like... but that's what we did. I at least got them to add some physicality in there.

Here's another example. This is not a big deal. It's not a big deal at all. It's a tiny little example about how they just screw everything up. So y'know, you're on the shelf for nine months, y'know, something that keeps you going, you're imagining like, your pop. That like, unexpected, [guitar noise], music hits, [crowd noise], place goes nuts, we haven't seen him in a long time, y'know?

You're waiting for that, you can't wait for that. So they have these promo segments going on and I didn't realize that they... the way they wrote this, I'm waiting there, standing behind the curtain, waiting to, waiting for that pop, okay this is all gonna be worth it, nine months, it's all gonna be worth it for this pop, man. And the way it's written, Seth goes, and it's not his fault, he was just reading the line, "If you're gonna have a Scottish Psychopath in your corner... eh... then I'm gonna have a lunatic in mine!"

So like kinda the crowd went "Oh, he's in!" so like, it like, it muddled the pop into like four different reactions because people were listening and then some people were popping and blah and by the time I came out they were going nuts but like, it's a small example of like... they ruin everything! How do you screw that up?! Hit the button, play the mu-- but it's like they have to get their hands in it, they have to like justify their jobs or something. It's a great example of overproducing EVERYTHING. How do you screw that up, y'know? Unbelievable.

[Jericho cuts a promo advertising bug traps.]

Jericho: When you were, uh, even before the existence of AEW or you even knowing about it, what was your plan to, like you said, you wanted to finish up and go, you mentioned CZW and Japan, is that kinda what you were thinking of doing before you even knew about AEW?

Mox: Yeah, for sure. Like, uh, I mean, people are gonna get really into this everybody wants the Monday Night Wars back and everybody's gonna want to have this big Monday Night War between AEW and WWE, my leaving WWE exists outside of that. Whether AEW exists or not, I was still leaving WWE. Whether the-- I mean, it was good to know the wrestling business was doing so well outside of WWE, but even if it wasn't, I still would have left. If there was no other promotions in the world, I still would have left WWE. If there were no other wrestlers, I would have just started my own promotion, started my own training school, and trained my own opponents. I would have re-seeded the wrestling business from scratch if I had to.

But the timing of it is just, it's so crazy, like this... Me and Cody just keep going back and forth, and you too, just serendipity. All these little things, it's just so serendipitous. It's just... and I love, and obviously that was the instant rumor as soon as it came out, "Oh he's going to AEW", but people don't know anything, you know?

Jericho: And others were saying you were making a movie and that you were retiring and that you were gonna go...

Mox: Yeah, I saw every possible rumor. I get a text every day for like a screenshot or a link or whatever, is this true, is this true, is this true? Every single... and I guess silence drives people nuts and I've just been silent. People hate silence, they have to know, and the people that are supposed to know, they have to say something! Y'know, like, so... they keep saying that they're gonna, there's new contracts coming. I know I'm not gonna sign it but I'm like "Okay."

It's coming next week, it's coming next week, we just gotta get through Saudi, then a new contract's coming, y'know. I'm like okay, okay, and I'm waiting for it because I'm relishing the opportunity for them to go "Here's your new contract," and for me to go "Not interested!" I'm like waiting for it, I'm excited about it 'cause I dunno how they're gonna react.

And it doesn't come and it doesn't come and then it's like Royal Rumble weekend and I'm thinking like, I know I'm supposed to work with Seth on the Monday and Carrano's like it's coming Monday, Hunter wants to give it to you personally or whatever. And I just like, couldn't hold it in anymore, we were at like some Axxess or something and I just couldn't hold it in anymore.

I was like, dude, look, in 114 days or whatever it was, and he's like, before you say anything, hold on, and I'm like "I am gone" and he's like [garbled talking sounds] and I was like... here's what... I said this is not, and this is what I told Vince, too, and Hunter, I said this is not a decision I came to fast or lightly, this has been a long time coming. I'm not going to change my mind, this is not about any one particular thing, this is not an emotional decision, this is happening.

I'm leaving, and it's okay. Y'know, and he's like "Ah, y'know... you want me to tell them?" and I'm like... I... do what... I'm gonna talk to Vince on Monday, I'm sure you're gonna... because I'm trying not to ruffle any feathers, y'know, Royal Rumble weekend... I didn't tell anybody. I didn't tell Seth because I knew he was going over in the Rumble and I didn't want to put any weird mojo on him, y'know?

So I'm just like, look, just tell Vince, if you want I'll talk to him Monday, I can tell him after the show, before the show, we can talk next week, no rush. I'm here for the 90 days or whatever it is, y'know I'm just putting it out there so you all know before you start advertising for Europe tours and your Mania plans and all that. Seems like a time when you need to know, Royal Rumble weekend, that like, who you got going forward and who you don't. I'm trying not to make any trouble.

So we get to Raw the next day and I'm also secretly hoping that I'll just work with Seth, he'll curb stomp me into oblivion, and I'll get to go home. 'Cause I'm thinking there's no way they're gonna keep me on T.V