Jon Moxley's ally reveals the real reason for joining forces with Death Riders in AEW

A top wrestling star who recently made his debut in AEW as Jon Moxley's ally has finally revealed the reason why he chose to join forces with The Purveyor of Violence.

NJPW star Gabe Kidd shocked the world when he made an appearance at AEW Dynamite: Beach Break this past May to help Jon Moxley retain the AEW World Championship against Samoa Joe. Since then, he has made sporadic appearances as an ally to the Moxley-led Death Riders.

Most notably, Kidd was seen in action at the promotion's All In event, where he joined forces with Claudio Castagnoli and Wheeler Yuta to battle The Opps for the AEW World Trios Championship. Kidd is currently on hiatus from in-ring competition due to a knee injury.

In an interview with NJPW, Kidd finally revealed why he joined hands with Moxley and Co., stating that The One True King changed the way he thought about life.

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“Well, I used it [Death Rider DDT] to beat Yota Tsuji. Of course, that is homage to Jon Moxley, and you know, he is someone who has also helped me change my life in a way of realizing what’s important, and he is the true definition of a leader, and I have two very good people that I fight with in Jon Moxley and David Finlay, obviously," he said.

Gabe Kidd was unlikely to proceed in a tournament outside AEW before injury

Before he was injured, Gabe Kidd was a participant in the ongoing NJPW G1 Climax 35 tournament and, according to earlier reports, he was set to win the whole thing. However, a recent report has claimed that it wasn't the case.

According to a report by Fightful Select, Kidd, who had to pull out of the tournament due to a knee injury, was unlikely to make the semi-finals of the tournament, and therefore, the overall plans of the promotion remained in place.

Moreover, NJPW decided it was best to remove Kidd from the tournament altogether, as the promotion was unsure how things would turn out for the 28-year-old.

About the author

Karan Raj is a senior writer in Sportskeeda's AEW division. He holds an engineering degree from Manipal University, but his passion for sports motivated him to pursue an MSc in Sports Business from the University of Liverpool. Karan has been in the sports marketing industry for the past seven years.

As a lifelong WWE fan and enthusiast of wrestling entertainment, he has always been drawn to the industry's unique blend of sports and storytelling. Karan was introduced to the business by his elder sister when he was 10 years old.

Before assuming his current role at Sportskeeda, Karan worked for several reputable organizations, such as Ting Works LLP and Sportz Interactive, wearing different hats. He also wrote the anthem of UP Rudras, a hockey team that played in the Hockey India League. Karan conducts thorough research while writing articles and only relies on credible sources for information.

Karan's favorite pro wrestler is Seth Rollins. He admires The Visionary's versatility as a performer and his ability to play both heel and babyface characters to perfection. Besides Rollins, Karan looks up to Roman Reigns for his storytelling skills and ability to captivate audiences.

In AEW, he enjoys watching Will Ospreay compete inside the ring. Karan loves The Aerial Assassin's technical in-ring ability and athleticism. If Karan could go back to the Attitude Era, he would combine forces with Jericho and promise to elevate his career to the same level as The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin.When not writing about pro wrestling, Karan loves to play and watch football. It is a huge part of his life.

He is also a massive fan of tennis and is learning to play the sport. Apart from sports, he also knows how to play the ukulele.

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Edited by Yash Mittal