Jon Moxley Vs. Brian Cage Rescheduled Amid COVID-19 Concerns

News24xx.com - AEW has rescheduled Jon Moxley’s July 8 world championship match against Brian Cage, which will now be held at Fight for the Fallen on July 15. AEW announced the news on Fyter Fest, Night 1 as Taz confirmed as much in a fiery promo.

As both WWE and AEW take different approaches to COVID-19, Moxley’s situation is directly related to WWE’s current uptick in COVID-19 cases.

Moxley was pulled from the June 24 broadcast of AEW Dynamite after he reportedly came into contact with somebody who tested positive for COVID-19. That individual was later revealed to be Renee Young, Moxley’s wife, who announced on Twitter that she tested positive for COVID-19.

Young is one of multiple WWE employees who have tested positive for COVID-19 as an outbreak of sorts has hit the Performance Center. As the state of Florida continues to be a hotbed for coronavirus cases, WWE has faced scrutiny for its testing procedures, with reports of the promotion instructing fans and talent not to wear mask. An anonymous letter from a frustrated WWE developmental talent claimed WWE Director Kevin Dunn specifically instructed talent not to wear masks.

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WWE responded to claims of fans not wearing masks in a June 16 statement.

“These individuals were required to participate in medical screenings prior to entering the closed set at our training facility, and were kept apart from in-ring performers and production personnel,” read the statement.

Friday’s June 26 broadcast of SmackDown featured developmental talent in the audience wearing masks as WWE’s taping schedule continues to be impacted.

AEW has reportedly held multiple tapings where talent were tested, and have been much more thorough in establishing testing protocols to prevent a possible outbreak, including a bracelet system where talent is not permitted to go in and out of the building.

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Moxley joins Sami Zayn and WWE top stars Roman Reigns—who is immunocompromised—and Kevin Owens as just some of the big names in wrestling who have been made to sit out tapings for varying reasons during this global pandemic. AEW seems to feel confident he will be ready to go on July 15, though the promotion is sure to continue following its relatively thorough COVID-19 protocol ahead of Moxley’s return.

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