Jim Ross Defends AEW’s Death Riders Amid Fan Backlash

While most of the wrestling world is dragging AEW’s Death Riders through the mud, Jim Ross is standing by the group—calling them a strong faction with Jon Moxley as the driving force.

Speaking on the latest episode of Grilling JR, the WWE Hall of Famer made it clear he supports the concept behind the Death Riders, despite the stable being one of the most criticized acts in AEW right now. “It seems like Moxley is the maestro of this orchestra, and if that’s the case, then so be it. It’s going to work out pretty well,” JR said, fully backing Moxley’s leadership alongside Bryan Danielson, Claudio Castagnoli, and Wheeler Yuta.

Fans online have largely slammed the group for being directionless and creatively stale—but JR doesn’t share that view. “The Death Riders is a good gimmick. It’s a good idea. I like the Death Riders scenario. I like it a lot, so we’ll see how it pans out at the end of the day.”

Interestingly, Ross also touched on AEW Dynasty’s finish, where Moxley retained the AEW World Championship in a move that shocked fans and insiders alike. “I just thought that Moxley might lose the title and it didn’t happen,” he admitted. “I’m not complaining about that, but it seemed like it was a false narrative [in my mind].”

As for Swerve Strickland, many expected the fan-favorite to finally get his moment with the AEW World Title—something JR acknowledged. “I thought Swerve would get the title… and he’s been a good champion.” That last comment raised some eyebrows, since Swerve didn’t actually win the title at Dynasty.

Ross ultimately kept an open mind about the future of the group. “So we’ll see how it works out,” he said, staying diplomatic.

While fans continue calling for AEW to rethink the Death Riders, JR’s take is sure to stir debate.