Jon Moxley has revealed in AEW’s podcast that he was worried AEW fans might reject him for being ‘so synonymous with WWE crap’.

AEW debuted their ‘AEW Unrestricted’ podcast this week, and the first guest on the show was no other than Jon Moxley.

Speaking to hosts Aubrey Edwards and Tony Schiavone, Moxley talked about a number of different topics including how he was worried AEW fans might reject him due to his past with WWE.

Moxley said, via Cageside Seats: “I didn’t know if people were gonna cheer, if they were gonna boo, if they were gonna not make any noise at all.

"That’s when I was like I gotta go off Broadway for a while. I just feel like my reputation had been tarnished so bad that I had to start from scratch again.

“Once you get popped in the ass with a syringe on TV, and dress up like a teddy bear...I remember one time standing in the ring in a bear suit for some reason. I can’t even explain to you why I’m standing in the ring in a bear suit.

“I DDT’d Miz or something and take off my bear hat. You get the Pavlonian response, but I remember just thinking, this is so stupid. This is not even funny or entertaining.

"I just remember standing in the ring feeling like I’ve hit rock bottom. I’m just done. This sucks. Oh god, I’m just like ‘What have I become in this bear suit?’ But I’ve had many moments like that.

“I was scared that I was so synonymous with WWE crap that I’d walk out and they’d be like ‘Oh god, the idiot from WWE. What are you gonna do? Hit someone with a hot dog? Jesus Christ, this company has gone to hell. I can’t believe they’ve brought the hot dog guy.’ I was scared of that.

“I can never explain my gratitude toward the people that were in the building that night for just immediately embracing and accepting me as myself and not putting any of WWE’s crap onto me.”

Moxley also explained how much he loves that nobody backstage at AEW is walking on eggshells, and that they can just go out there and do their thing without fear of pissing anybody off, which creates an environment that you want to be a part of.

Overall, it looks like Moxley is happy to be in AEW, and happy that their fans have accepted him despite his WWE past.